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p. 16 - 17"The website shall be designed to make education research and information accessible." "The website shall include ... links to the IES website and the What Works Clearinghouse... ERIC Thesaurus and updates to maximize database searching and retrieval;...and a toll-free number for users who cannot successfully search the database." |
Additions bolded. |
| p. 18 "the contractor shall implement the plan ... for storing and preserving the microfiche archive of documents that were collected during 1966 - 2003....for rendering usable over an indefinite time period the complete ERIC database, which includes all bibliographic records, the archive of Adobe PDF image non-journal documents that were collected during 1993-2003, and the full-text non-journal materials that are added to the database during this contract." | The fiche information merely has to be preserved, no requirement
to make it available. This fact is made expressly clear in the Question
& Answer section of Amendment
01 to the Solicitation: "When ERIC documents are distributed physically, who will incur the postage charge? See SOW - no requirement for physical distribution" (p. 7). "Will vendor need the capability to publish microfiche documents in hard copy? In electronic format? See SOW - There is no publishing requirement" (p. 6). " How often will vendor publish documents? How many copies? Not required - see SOW" (p. 6). |
| p. 20 "The contractor shall implement the plan for conducting ad hoc studies as needed, e.g., as major changes are made to user interface(s) or to the syntax and semantics of the search engine. The contractor shall provide brief written usability test plans to the COR two weeks prior to testing and shall provide brief written test results to the COR within two weeks after testing. In addition, the contractor shall cooperate with a third party monitor who will conduct usability tests not less than annually to determine if the online system is responsive to end-users. ." | Many parts of this Usability tests section were changed and
expanded. The provision for a third party monitor is probably the most significant.
The SOW goes on to detail that functionality must be tested for "experienced and inexperienced users" an apparent bow to expressed concerns that the new ERIC would not serve researchers. |
| p. 21 Omitted | Draft SOW, p. 19 lists a transfer plan for various materials. In that list is " Electronic files of website contents." This item is missing from the corresponding list in the SOW. |
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| p. 14 "The contractor shall maintain, develop, and update an easy-to-use online system, comprised of a single ERIC website, database, and database search engine." | This makes it clear that the Clearinghouses and their services will disappear. Only the database and the database search engine are mandated elements of the Website. See the list of Clearinghouse contact information or the chapter on Clearinghouses in the 2002 ERIC Annual Report for further details on Clearinghouse activities. |
| p 3 "Electronic technology now enables centralization of ERIC database operations, yielding much greater speed and efficiency at lower cost than has been possible in the past." | Many feel the gains in efficiency come at too high a price, especially in terms of lost expertise which has been built up in the Clearinghouses. |
| p. 5 "The contractor shall establish and support a Steering Committee, not to exceed 12 members, having expertise in education research, research methodology, and the major technical aspects of the ERIC database, database search engine, and website. " |
Some question how effective the Steering Committee can be in the
limited time allotted to it: There is an effort to provide Steering Committee members with a sense
of autonomy: There is some concern about the "additional products or services." Does this mean that ERIC could sponsor commercial products, perhaps for a placement or service fee? Certainly the additional income would defray contractor costs thereby increasing "contractor's ability to provide..." |
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p. 5 & 6 "The functions of the Steering Committee shall be:
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| p.8 "The contractor shall recruit three content experts in each of the topics specified [topics specified is essentially a list of the current Clearinghouse names]who also have expertise in research methodology | These provisions essentially put the responsibility for content expertise, currently spread thoughout the Clearinghouses, onto this much smaller group of people who will have very little day-to-day contact with the database. They are only required to meet once, in the initial year. Other communication is to be accomplished electronically. |
| p. 8 & 9 "The content experts shall recommend to the contractor: Specific journals ... Specific sources of non-journal materials...Specific conferences...as sources of papers ...Specific outreach and dissemination strategies, based on approved guidelines, for publicizing the database to individuals and organizations |