O*NET® Database Reports

Procedures for O*NET Job Zone Assignment (March 2008)

The Job Zone classification provides O*NET users a guide to the vocational preparation levels (e.g., education, training, and work experience) of O*NET-SOC occupations. With each new O*NET database update, approximately 100 occupations are classified or re-classified within the vocational preparation five-level Job Zone system. This document provides a detailed description of the procedure by which incoming O*NET data and other information contribute to the assignment of occupations to Job Zones.

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Procedures for O*NET Job Zone Assignment (PDF - 84 KB)

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O*NET Analyst Occupational Abilities Ratings: Analysis Cycle Results (updated December 2006)

These reports describe the results of analyst ratings of abilities information for the initial 6 cycles of occupations.

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New and Emerging (N&E) Occupations Methodology Development Report (April 2006)

This report describes a process for identifying, evaluating, and incorporating New and Emerging (N&E) occupations which will be added to the O*NET-SOC classification system. The effort to identify N&E occupations is driven by the evolving nature of workforce requirements stemming from changes in technology, society, law, and business practices. Incorporating N&E occupations into the O*NET system makes O*NET information more beneficial and responsive to the needs of its many users in both the public and private sector.

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New and Emerging (N&E) Occupations Methodology Development Report (PDF - 323 KB)
N&E Occupations Initial Listings — Acrobat (PDF - 84 KB)
N&E Occupations Initial Listings — Excel (XLS - 119 KB)

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Updating the O*NET-SOC Taxonomy (April 2006)

This report provides an overview of O*NET-SOC 2006 taxonomy. The June 2006 release of the O*NET 10.0 database represents the first broad change to the O*NET taxonomy since the OMB mandated conversion to the SOC in 2000. In addition to the report that summarizes the update and implementation, 3 useful appendices are provided. Appendix A is a listing of occupations by type of change, Appendix B lists the occupations in the O*NET-SOC 2006 Data Collection Plan, and Appendix C lists occupations populated with revised legacy analyst data.

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Summary and Implementation only (PDF - 406 KB)
Appendix A: Occupations by Type of Change — Acrobat (PDF - 123 KB)
Appendix A: Occupations by Type of Change — Excel (XLS - 52 KB)
Appendix B: Occupations in the Data Collection Plan — Acrobat (PDF - 158 KB)
Appendix B: Occupations in the Data Collection Plan — Excel (XLS - 87 KB)
Appendix C: Occupations Populated with Revised Legacy Data — Acrobat (PDF - 81 KB)
Appendix C: Occupations Populated with Revised Legacy Data — Excel (XLS - 13 KB)

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O*NET Tools and Technology: A Synopsis of Data Development Procedures (March 2006)

Learn about the "tools and technology" (T2) now included in O*NET Online and as supplemental files in the O*NET database. T2 development focuses on collecting machines, equipment, tools, information technology, and software that are important to occupational performance. Emphasis is placed on cutting-edge technologies and emerging workplace practices. T2 data will be valuable for O*NET applications such as workforce development, employee training, and vocational and career guidance.

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O*NET Tools and Technology: A Synopsis of Data Development Procedures (PDF - 268 KB)

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O*NET Analyst Occupational Abilities Ratings: Procedures (August 2003)

This paper provides a description of the analyst data collection, including the preparation and distribution of the occupational data, the steps associated with the ratings process, and the collection and management of the ability ratings.

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O*NET Analyst Occupational Abilities Ratings: Procedures (PDF - 521 KB)

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Summary Report: Updating the Detailed Work Activities (March 2003)

This report describes the development of Detailed Work Activities (DWAs) included in the O*NET system. DWAs provide information on the common work activities required across occupations by coding the work activities to O*NET-SOC occupations. They provide a level of description between O*NET's General Work Activities and more detailed tasks. The DWA development work evolved from the USDOL/ETA Labor Exchange Skills Project as well as user feedback. DWAs have been incorporated into web applications such as America's Career InfoNet , O*NET OnLine, and O*NET Code Connector.

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Summary Report: Updating the Detailed Work Activities (PDF - 118 KB)

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A Preliminary Analysis of Occupational Task Statements from the O*NET Data Collection Program (October 2002; revised March 2003)

This report describes the methodology used in the analysis of occupational task statements for the O*NET database, beginning with the 5.0/5.1 release. The analysis included a review of current tasks drawn from a sample set of occupations and an analysis of write-in statements provided by job incumbents. The study provides a recommended procedure for identifying which of the current task statements are critical to the occupation and for a standardized process to analyze the write-in task.

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A Preliminary Analysis of Occupational Task Statements from the O*NET Data Collection Program (PDF - 244 KB)

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Combining Original "Analyst" O*NET Skill Questionnaire Constructs to Form More General Constructs for the Revised Incumbent Questionnaire (October 2001)

This report provides the rationale, supporting evidence, and plan for rolling-up fifteen skill constructs in the original skills survey questionnaire to form four new constructs in the current questionnaire.

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Combining Original "Analyst" O*NET Skill Questionnaire Constructs to Form More General Constructs for the Revised Incumbent Questionnaire (PDF - 152 KB)

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Protocol for Matching O*NET Work Context Questionnaire Item Response Scale Values Between the Original "Analyst" Form and the Revised Incumbent Form (October 2001)

This report provides the method for converting the rating scale anchor values in the original work context questionnaire to the corresponding anchor values in the current questionnaire.

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Protocol for Matching O*NET Work Context Questionnaire Item Response Scale Values Between the Original "Analyst" Form and the Revised Incumbent Form (PDF - 126 KB)

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Summary of O*NET 4.0 Content Model and Database (October 2001)

This report provides an overview of the O*NET 4.0 content model and database. In addition to the overview, two useful tables are provided. Appendix B lists all of the elements in the O*NET Content Model and indicates in which database version -- 3.1, 4.0, or 5.1 -- where ratings will be available. Appendix C list the elements in O*NET 4.0 for which no data currently exists, but that will exist in O*NET 5.1 and subsequent versions.

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Summary only (PDF - 130 KB)
Appendix A (PDF - 78 KB)
Appendix B — Acrobat (PDF - 311 KB)
Appendix B — Excel (XLS - 181 KB)
Appendix C — Acrobat (PDF - 90 KB)
Appendix C — Excel (XLS - 25 KB)

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Transitioning O*NET to the Standard Occupational Classification (May 2001)

This report describes the conversion process that O*NET's classification structure underwent to become compliant with the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). The Office of Management and Budget recently required all federal agencies responsible for collecting occupational information to comply with the SOC structure. This report explains this conversion process and provides examples of the various types of linkages between the SOC occupations and O*NET occupations that constitute the coding system in O*NET 3.1. The report also provides a complete mapping between SOC occupations, O*NET 98 occupational units, and O*NET 3.1 (O*NET-SOC) occupations. The mapping to O*NET-SOC occupations remains unchanged with subsequent database versions.

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Transitioning O*NET to the Standard Occupational Classification (PDF - 295 KB)

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Revision of O*NET Data Collection Instruments (October 2000)

The O*NET database contains several hundred variables that represent descriptors of work and worker characteristics. In order to remain current with occupational changes, the O*NET program collects data on a continuous basis. O*NET is also continually working to improve the quality of the data, which sometimes involves changing the variables for which data are collected. The Revision of O*NET Data Collection Instruments documents changes made to the O*NET data collection instruments used to collect data beginning in 1999. The response rate using these revised instruments was significantly improved compared to previous versions.

The changes to data variables documented in this report are not reflected in either the O*NET 98 database or the O*NET 3.1 database, but are reflected in the O*NET 4.0 database and subsequent database versions. Please note the updated appendices, especially Appendix A (changes in titles and wording of definitions in the questionnaires).

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Revision of O*NET Data Collection Instruments (PDF - 653 KB)

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