A computer-based data collection system is described. It captures all the qualitative and quantitative data necessary to print an abstract from a weed-control experiment. The output is in the form of a research report that contains many abstracts. Users of the system are weed workers in western Canada who wish to contribute to the annual edition of the Research Report of the Expert Committee on Weeds (Western Canada). Each year, users fill out a set of forms and send them to a central location where the data are entered into a computer. In 1976, 60% of the research report was successfully computer-printed. The computer system captured a higher percentage of weed-control information than was present in the old system with narrative reports. A survey of weed workers indicated that the type of information entered in the report was satisfactory.