From the Editor
Edward J. Mullen

With this issue the Center's newsletter is transformed into an electronic journal entitledPractice & Research. Published on the Internet's World Wide Web Practice & Research is now accessible, instantaneously, to thousands of readers worldwide. In this electronic format readers are free to browse topics of interest, download articles for future reference, and print selections. We plan to publish Center study updates and other items of general interest frequently. We anticipate periodic revisions of the current issue so that when the journal is accessed on the Internet the reader can expect to find the current version with the date of the last revision. While the journal currently focuses on Center's research and other activities, we plan to expand content in future issues to include articles pertaining to social work practice and research written by authors external to the Center. We will also include links to related Internet sites. Although each issue of the journal is self-contained, in its electronic format the reader can dynamically browse other areas of the Center's web site. Prior issues of Practice & Research are accessible at this site as well. For those without access to the electronic edition printed copies are available.

This issue of Practice & Research presents the Center's Outcomes Measurement in the Human Services Symposium held in November 1995. This symposium was a major effort by the Center to bring together many of the Nation's leading experts in outcomes measurement to examine the current status and future directions for outcomes measurement in the human services. A lengthy book based on the papers prepared for that symposium as well as the deliberations has been prepared for publication by the National Association of Social Workers in early 1997.

The Internet format of this issue of Practice & Research permits the reader to simulate attendance at the Symposium. Accordingly, the Table of Contents is hyperlinked to alternative entry points. For example, if you would like to simulate attendence at the Symposium select the Program hyperlink in the Table of Contents. You can then page through the Symposium program selecting those sessions of interest. Within the individual sessions you may select hyperlinks to biographical sketches of the presenters and hyperlinks to an abstract of the paper presented at the session. In many instances you may also select a hyperlink to a picture of the presenter.

If you would like to see pictures of the Symposium attendees you can select the Table of Contents hyperlink to the Symposium Photo Gallery page. If you would like to read biographical sketches of presenters you can select the Table of Contents hyperlink to the Symposium Biographical Sketches page. Also available in the Table of Contents are hyperlinks to a page containing all Symposium Abstracts as well as a link to a list of Attendees.

If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the book Outcomes Measurement in the Human Services to be published by the National Association of Social Workers in the first quarter of 1997, please contact the Center for further information.

I hope that you enjoy our new electronic journal and that you find the Symposium informative. I welcome your comments and suggestions. We are eager to hear from our readers and welcome suggestions for areas of study or collaboration. For those without access to this electronic edition of Practice & Research printed copies are available. To request copies or to send a comment simply select the Center's e-mail form on the Center HomePage.