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Communications of the ACM

Table of Contents


Editorial: Moral clarity in the computer age


ACM forum


From Washington: Will the proposed trade department include NBS?


Programming pearls: data structures programs


Toward friendly user MIS implementation

Recent management information systems (MIS) and computer science literature advocates the development of “user-friendly” systems as a means of overcoming implementation problems. However, implementation research suggests that …

Managing application program maintenance expenditures

Program maintenance represents a major portion of the total expenditures on application programs. Despite the attention this subject has received in the MIS literature, new guidelines to action in this area remain of great interest …

The computer science research network CSNET: a history and status report

In 1981, the National Science Foundation started a five-year project totaling nearly $5 million to construct a computer science research network, CSNET, connecting all groups engaged in computer science research. For an NSF division …

Estimating file access time of floppy disks

Small computers often use floppy disks for storage. Since such disks are significantly slower than hard disks, the response time of a given application program is due predominantly to the time required to access data in files …

Spelling correction in user interfaces

The feasibility of providing a spelling corrector as a part of interactive user interfaces is demonstrated. The issues involved in using spelling correction in a user interface are examined, and a simple correction algorithm  …

Introduction to a special section on: information systems management

This month, Communications is devoting its Research Contributions section to a special purpose: to present the results of research on issues in information systems management. In our call for papers, we asked for contributions …

The management of end user computing

End users can be classified into six distinct types. Each of them needs differentiated education, support, and control from the Information Systems function. To support a large number of their applications a new computing environment …

The measurement of user information satisfaction

This paper critically reviews measures of user information satisfaction and selects one for replication and extension. A survey of production managers is used to provide additional support for the instrument, eliminate scales …

Some realities of data administration

Little information exists on the practice of data administration, i.e., the management of data as an enterprise resource. A survey of data administrators at predominantly large enterprises was conducted to determine the extent …

Occupational stress, attitudes, and health problems in the information systems professional

This study examines occupational stress among information systems personnel. A self-report stress and health behavior instrument was completed by 580 respondents in 18 large corporations in the midwestern and southwestern sections …

Turnover among DP personnel: a casual analysis

Four variables suggested by previous research were included in a proposed causal model of turnover among computer specialists. When tested using correlational analysis, three of the variables were significant inverse predictors …