In 1996 the National Science Board of the National Science Foundation made _Science and Engineering Indicators 1996_ available via the web. This is the twelfth in a series of biennial reports that NSF has produced. "In an era of increased emphasis on assessment of government and university performance and industrial benchmarking, _Science and Engineering Indicators_ provides decisionmakers and analysts in both the public and private sectors with a broad base of quantitative information and analysis regarding science, engineering, research, and education in the United States. Additionally, the Indicators report offers valuable comparative information on science and technology in other countries." The report contains chapters on elementary and secondary science and mathematics education, higher education in science and engineering, the science and engineering workforce, research and development, technology development and diffusion, and public attitudes and understanding. The final chapter, "The Economic and Social Significance of Scientific and Engineering Research," is a new development in the report. The report is available only in Adobe Acrobat (.PDF) format. A pointer to the free Acrobat Reader is provided.