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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
×

A DATABASE FOR A CHANGING ECONOMY

Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

Panel to Review the Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

Nancy T. Tippins and Margaret L. Hilton, Editors

Committee on National Statistics

Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
×

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.

This study was supported by Award No. DOLJ081A20686 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Department of Labor. The work of the Committee on National Statistics is supported by a consortium of federal agencies through a grant from the National Science Foundation (Number SES-0453930). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

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Suggested citation: National Research Council. (2010). A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Panel to Review the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Nancy T. Tippins and Margaret L. Hilton, editors. Committee on National Statistics, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
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PANEL TO REVIEW THE OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION NETWORK (O*NET)

NANCY T. TIPPINS (Chair),

Valtera Corporation, Greenville, South Carolina

DAVID AUTOR,

Department of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

JOHN P. CAMPBELL,

Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota

KEITH EWALD,

Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Columbus

RICHARD FROESCHLE,

Texas Workforce Commission, Austin

LES JANIS,

Georgia Career Information Center, Georgia State University

VIRGINIA LESSER,

Department of Statistics, Oregon State University

KERRY LEVIN,

Westat, Inc., Rockville, Maryland

KENNETH PEARLMAN, Independent Consultant,

Sarasota, Florida

ANN MARIE RYAN,

Department of Psychology, Michigan State University

JUAN I. SANCHEZ,

Department of Management and International Business, Florida International University

WILLIAM SHOBE,

Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, University of Virginia

MARGARET L. HILTON, Study Director

THOMAS J. PLEWES, Associate Study Director

CONSTANCE F. CITRO, Director,

Committee on National Statistics

RENÉE L. WILSON GAINES, Senior Project Assistant

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
×

COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL STATISTICS

WILLIAM F. EDDY (Chair),

Department of Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University

KATHARINE G. ABRAHAM,

Department of Economics, University of Maryland, and Joint Program in Survey Methodology

ALICIA CARRIQUIRY,

Department of Statistics, Iowa State University

WILLIAM DUMOUCHEL,

Phase Forward, Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts

JOHN HALTIWANGER,

Department of Economics, University of Maryland

V. JOSEPH HOTZ,

Department of Economics, Duke University

KAREN KAFADAR,

Department of Statistics, Indiana University

DOUGLAS S. MASSEY,

Department of Sociology, Princeton University

SALLY MORTON,

Statistics and Epidemiology, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina

JOSEPH NEWHOUSE,

Division of Health Policy Research and Education, Harvard University

SAMUEL H. PRESTON,

Population Studies Center, University of Pennsylvania

HAL STERN,

Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine

ROGER TOURANGEAU,

Joint Program on Survey Methodology, University of Maryland, and Survey Research Center, University of Michigan

ALAN ZASLAVSKY,

Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School

CONSTANCE F. CITRO, Director

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
×

Acknowledgments

This report would not have become a reality without the hard work of study panel members, important contributions of leadership and staff of the National Research Council (NRC), and many other individuals and organizations.

First, we acknowledge the support of the Employment and Training Administration (ETA) of the U.S. Department of Labor. We particularly thank O*NET/Competency Modeling Team Leader Pamela Frugoli, whose initial request for the study, ongoing engagement with the panel, and responsiveness to our questions supported the development of the report.

We are especially grateful to the experts who quickly responded to our request for presentations and written materials related to O*NET. At our first meeting, Pamela Frugoli and Gay Gilbert of ETA provided an overview of the key questions to be addressed in the study, and David Rivkin and Phil Lewis, O*NET technical officers, presented an overview of the development and current status of the O*NET database and its uses.

At our second meeting, we explored different uses of O*NET. We would like to thank Lance Anderson, ICF International; Hope Clark, Indiana Department of Workforce Development; Rada Dorman, Manpower, Inc.; Dan Erdmann, University of Oregon; Bonnie Graybill, California Employment Development Department; G. Francis Green, University of Kent, UK; P. Richard Jeanneret, Valtera Corporation; Sylvia Karman, Social Security Administration; Phil Lewis, National Center for O*NET Development; Brian O’Leary, Office of Personnel Management; Don Phillips, XAP Corporation; Douglas Reamer, New York Department of Labor; David

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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
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Rivkin, National Center for O*NET Development; Dixie Sommers, Bureau of Labor Statistics; and Jane Styer, Department of Defense.

At our third meeting, experts provided perspectives on how O*NET might be improved to increase its usefulness and the quality of the data. We thank Marcus Berzofsky, RTI International; Scott Butler, The Usability Team; Erich Dierdorff, DePaul University; Michael Handel, Northeastern University; Robert J. Harvey, Virginia Polytechnic Institute; Fred Morgeson, Michigan State University; Michael Penne, RTI International; Elizabeth Sadler, University of Virginia; Marilyn Silver, JBS Associates; and Suzanne Tsacoumis, Human Resources Research Organization.

We thank our colleagues on the panel for their enthusiasm, hard work, and collaborative spirit in writing this report.

This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the Report Review Committee of the NRC. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process. We thank the following individuals for their review of this report: Lance E. Anderson, Human Capital Strategies, ICF International, Fairfax, VA; Andrew Crapuchettes, Chairman’s Office, Economic Modeling Solutions, Moscow, ID; J.W. Cunningham, Department of Psychology Emeritus, North Carolina State University; Donald W. Drewes, Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University; Sigrid B. Gustafson, Health Research and Policy Analysis, American Institutes for Research, Chapel Hill, NC; Richard W. Judy, Chairman’s Office, Workforce Associates, Indianapolis, IN; S. Morton McPhail, Office of the Senior Vice President, Valtera Corporation, Houston, TX; Frederick P. Morgeson, Eli Broad Graduate School of Management, Michigan State University; Ron Page, Assessment Associates International, LLC, Minnetonka, MN; Norman G. Peterson, Research Directorate, Satisfaction Performance Research Center, Inc., Minneapolis, MN; Jay J. Pfeiffer, Senior Associate, MPR Associates, Inc; and Alan R. Tupek, Chairman’s Office, Arbitron, Inc., Columbia, MD.

Although the reviewers listed above provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of this report was overseen by Neal W. Schmitt, Department of Psychology and Management, Michigan State University. Appointed by the NRC, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully con-

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
×

sidered. Responsibility for the final content of this report rests entirely with the authoring panel and the institution.

We are grateful for the leadership and support of Michael Feuer, executive director of the NRC’s Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, and Constance Citro, director of the Committee on National Statistics. We are particularly grateful for the work of Thomas Plewes, associate study director, who developed the study scope, assembled an excellent panel and an array of useful background materials, and provided invaluable contributions throughout the study process. Finally, we thank Renée L. Wilson Gaines, senior project assistant in the Center for Education, for her assistance in supporting the panel at every stage of its deliberations and in preparing drafts and revisions of the report.


Nancy Tippins, Chair

Margaret Hilton, Study Director

Panel to Review the Occupational Information Network (O*NET)

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2010. A Database for a Changing Economy: Review of the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12814.
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 Conclusions and Recommendations,

 

57

   

 References,

 

58

4

 

The Data Collection Program

 

61

   

 The O*NET Prototype Development Project,

 

61

   

 Best Practices in Questionnaire Pretesting,

 

68

   

 Pretesting of the O*NET Prototype Surveys,

 

70

   

 Design of the O*NET Collection Program,

 

73

   

 Data Currency,

 

85

   

 Conclusions and Recommendations,

 

86

   

 References,

 

89

5

 

The Role of Technology

 

93

   

 The O*NET User Interface,

 

93

   

 Uses of the O*NET Database,

 

99

   

 Structure and Availability of the Database,

 

100

   

 The Semantic Web,

 

102

   

 Semantic Web Possibilities for O*NET,

 

105

   

 Leveraging Development Efforts,

 

108

   

 Conclusions and Recommendations,

 

109

   

 References,

 

110

PART II:
MAJOR CURRENTAND POTENTIALUSESOF O*NET

 

 

6

 

Workforce Development and Career Development

 

115

   

 Workforce Development Goals,

 

115

   

 The Importance of Data Linkage,

 

117

   

 Career Development,

 

127

   

 Conclusions and Recommendations,

 

133

   

 References,

 

136

7

 

Human Resource Management

 

139

   

 Uses of O*NET in Human Resource Management,

 

140

   

 Strengths and Limitations for Human Resource Management,

 

148

   

 Conclusions and Recommendations,

 

152

   

 References,

 

156

8

 

Disability Determination

 

159

   

 Occupational Information Needs of the Social Security Administration,

 

159

   

 The Future of Occupational Information for Disability Determination,

 

160

   

 Measurement of Functional Requirements,

 

163

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Information about the characteristics of jobs and the individuals who fill them is valuable for career guidance, reemployment counseling, workforce development, human resource management, and other purposes. To meet these needs, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) in 1998 launched the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), which consists of a content model--a framework for organizing occupational data--and an electronic database. The O*NET content model includes hundreds of descriptors of work and workers organized into domains, such as skills, knowledge, and work activities. Data are collected using a classification system that organizes job titles into 1,102 occupations.

The National Center for O*NET Development (the O*NET Center) continually collects data related to these occupations. In 2008, DOL requested the National Academies to review O*NET and consider its future directions. In response, the present volume inventories and evaluates the uses of O*NET; explores the linkage of O*NET with the Standard Occupational Classification System and other data sets; and identifies ways to improve O*NET, particularly in the areas of cost-effectiveness, efficiency, and currency.

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