The purpose of this paper is to summarize an evaluation of the PLATO career information development system (CIDS) at two sites in Illinois: Truman College, Chicago, and the Champaign Comprehensive Employment and Training Act Consortium. Data were obtained between March 31 and June 28, 1982 from 229 users in regard to six questions/issues that were identified as central to any CIDS evaluation: (1) length of time required by students for system use; (2) implications of an automated system for the role of counselors and teachers; (3) cost feasibility; (4) benefits to students, counselors, faculty, and institutions as a whole; (5) patterns of response in system use and problems of special groups, disadvantaged students, and older users; and (6) factors most likely to affect system use. Following the discussion of the evaluation and the narrative account of findings, evaluation techniques used to study each of the issues are described, together with advantages and disadvantages of each and alternative approaches that could be utilized. Appendixes include screen copies of the on-line user log, an interview form and questionnaire used in the evaluation, and a description of PLATO CIDS. (YLB)