Methodology

Subject ranking and adoption occurrence data methodology, computation and presentation are protected by ©Copyright 2000 by MBS Data cannot be reproduced or quoted without written permission from MBS.

Introduction
The Faculty Center Network's subject ranking and adoption occurrence data is the culmination of nearly three decades of demand data collected by MBS. It attempts to identify where a particular textbook is used and how often. The purpose of the data presented in this area is to provide a means of comparison and evaluation of textbooks by demand and popularity. We are NOT comparing or ranking teaching institutions.

In the past 27 years, MBS has accumulated a vast amount of knowledge on textbooks used by individual campuses. We have gathered this information through the ordering process of textbooks by the roughly 3,600 bookstores that MBS serves throughout the United States and Canada. The data we collected from these bookstores allows us to define the demand of each textbook.

In order to present the usage information in an organized, objective manner, we have referenced the 2000 edition of The Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, published through The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching (www.carnegiefoundation.org). The foundation divides the institutions in the United States into 10 major categories (see Definition of Categories below). The ninth and tenth categories, "Specialized Institutions" and "Tribal colleges and universities" are not considered in this presentation because they represent a mixture of colleges and subjects that have little in common except the fact that they have specialized, and, as they involve less than 3.5 percent of the total student enrollment (as identified by the Carnegie Foundation), they are poorly represented in our data set.

We are not using their reference in an attempt to rank or compare institutional categories to one another. Rather, the Carnegie Categories define a framework within which we can show which categories of institutions are using which textbooks.

The subject ranking is based on demand for a textbook within that textbook's subject area. MBS created an unique subject taxonomy for its online database that would be more user-friendly to the college student population. The structure of the subject taxonomy is based on the curricular structure of colleges chosen to represent a wide variety of sizes and focuses. The textbooks within this database are assigned to that taxonomy structure.

Methodology
Subject Ranking
The data used to generate the subject ranking is a reflection of demand history for the 3,600 active* wholesale accounts at MBS. This includes 25 stores from Canada. To identify the popularity of a textbook within its subject category, we identified the largest quantity textbook order (in terms of quantity) within each subject category of our taxonomy. Then each textbook order within that subject category was divided by the largest order to determine the percentile demand. The rating system is 0 - 5, 0 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.

Book rating and percentile demand
5 98.7 percentile and above
4 95.5 - 98.7 percentile
3 87.0 - 95.5 percentile
2 63.6 - 87.0 percentile
1 0 - 63.6 percentile
0 Quotes Only, no Orders

For example, a 5-rated book is in or above the top 98.7 percentile in terms of demand.

Adoption Occurrence
We first reviewed the roughly 3,600 active* wholesale customer accounts and identified those stores that primarily serve one specific campus in the United States. (The Carnegie Classification System only classifies those institutions located in the United States.) We were able to associate roughly 2,200 of those original 3,600 stores to one specific campus. That population represents private stores, leased and institutional stores. (Service area identification was based on customer account data and information contained in the National Association of Campus Stores Directory of Colleges and College Stores directory.) We matched the store and school to a Carnegie School Category Classification.

Next, we choose a reasonable assumption concerning the definition of an "adopted book" on a campus. We determined that an order of five (5) copies or more per book represented a potential adoption on a campus.

Then we defined the time frame for analysis and determined that we would evaluate the previous 12 months. While MBS receives multiple orders throughout a given 12-month period, only the single largest order per term is considered "real" (smaller, later orders are usually fill-ins).

With these definitions established, we compiled the adoption data per book, per store. To obtain the percentage of adoptions of a book for a Carnegie Category Classification of schools, we divided our number of adoptions per book by our number of schools represented in that category of schools, then multiplied by 100 to obtain a percentage.

It is important to note that if the sale of a textbook was not attributed to a school identified and associated with a Carnegie Classification category but did have a subject code, then the book will have a subject ranking but not be represented in the usage data. Likewise, if the sale of a textbook was attributed to a school identified and associated with a Carnegie Classification category but did not have a subject code, then the book will be represented in the usage data but will not have a subject ranking.

The data contained within the "Selection of Schools that have Adopted this Book" only represents those schools located in the United States.

*"Active" is defined as those bookstores that purchased at least $100 worth of textbooks from MBS during the previous 12 months.

Definition of categories
(Source: The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Reprinted with permission.)
The 1994 Carnegie Classification includes all colleges and universities in the United States that are degree-granting and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education. The 2000 edition classifies institutions based on their degree-granting activities from 1995-96 through 1997-98.

Doctorate-granting institutions
Doctoral/Research Universities - Extensive: These institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the doctorate. During the period studied, they awarded 50 or more doctoral degrees 1 per year across at least 15 disciplines. 3
Doctoral/Research Universities - Intensive: These institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the doctorate. During the period studied, they awarded at least ten doctoral degrees 1 per year across three or more disciplines, 2 or at least 20 doctoral degrees per year overall.

Master's Colleges and Universities
Master's Colleges and Universities I: These institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the master's During the period studied, they awarded 40 or more master's degrees per year across three or more disciplines. 2
Master's Colleges and Universities II: These institutions typically offer a wide range of baccalaureate programs, and they are committed to graduate education through the master's degree. During the period studied, they awarded 20 or more master's degrees per year.

Baccalaureate and Associate's Colleges
Baccalaureate Colleges - Liberal Arts: These institutions are primarily undergraduate colleges with major emphasis on baccalaureate programs. During the period studied, they awarded at least half of their baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts fields. 3
Baccalaureate Colleges - General: These institutions are primarily undergraduate colleges with major emphasis on baccalaureate programs. During the period studied, they awarded less than half of their baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts fields. 3
Baccalaureate/Associate's Colleges: These institutions are undergraduate colleges where the majority of conferrals are at the subbaccalaureate level (associate's degrees and certificates). During the period studied, bachelor's degrees accounted for at least ten percent but less than half of all undergraduate awards.
Associate's Colleges: These institutions offer associate's degree and certificate programs but, with few exceptions, award no baccalaureate degrees. 4 This group includes institutions where, during the period studied, bachelor's degrees represented less than 10 percent of all undergraduate awards.

Specialized Institutions: These institutions offer degrees ranging from the bachelor's to the doctorate, and typically award a majority of degrees in a single field. The list includes only institutions that are listed as separate campuses in the Higher Education Directory. Specialized institutions include:

Theological seminaries and other specialized faith-related institutions: These institutions primarily offer religious instruction or train members of the clergy.

Medical schools and medical centers: These institutions award most of their professional degrees in medicine. In some instances, they include other health professions programs, such as dentistry, pharmacy, or nursing.

Other separate health profession schools: These institutions award most of their degrees in such fields as chiropractic, nursing, pharmacy, or podiatry.

Schools of engineering and technology: These institutions award most of their bachelor's or graduate degrees in technical fields of study.

Schools of business and management: These institutions award most of their bachelor�s or graduate degrees in business or business-related programs.

Schools of art, music, and design: These institutions award most of their bachelor's or graduate degrees in art, music, design, architecture, or some combination of such fields.

Schools of law: These institutions award most of their degrees in law.

Teachers colleges: These institutions award most of their bachelor's or graduate degrees in education or education-related fields.

Other specialized institutions: Institutions in this category include graduate centers, maritime academies, military institutes, and institutions that do not fit any other classification category.

Tribal colleges and universities: These colleges are, with few exceptions, tribally controlled and located on reservations. They are all members of the American Indian Higher Education Consortium.

 
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