This document presents very brief summaries of promising and effective practices identified by NCWIT social scientists and will evolve as more practices are developed and recognized. The practices summarized here aim to 1) Increase the numbers of girls and women in computing. They have goals or benefits related to recruiting, retaining, or advancing the diverse range of females. 2) Make diversity in computing matter to individuals, organizations, and society. They have goals or benefits related to innovation, communication, and talent development.

Managers and others can use this guide to find NCWIT resources that will help them create highly-productive, diverse technical teams. Resources are catalogued by the key “change areas” identified in the NCWIT Change Model for Industry: 1) Top Leadership Support, 2) Supervisory Relationships, 3) Recruitment and Selection, 4) Talent Development and Mentoring, 5) Performance Evaluation and Promotion, 6) Support for Competing Responsibilities, 7) Reduction of Subtle Biases, and 8) Ongoing Evaluation.  Space also exists for adding company-specific resources into the guide.

By removing time and location constraints, e-mentoring allows women to connect with many more women than face-to-face mentoring permits. It can also promote more open mentor-protégé communication by limiting status differences. MentorNet is an online resource for women in engineering and science who seek one-on-one guidance from mentors in their respective fields. By providing mentors with online resources for training, coaching, and consulting, MentorNet provides positive structure for the mentor- protégé relationship. Both mentors and protégés report benefiting from the program.

Entrepreneurial Series Report #1 summarizes research literature on women's entrepreneurship in the information technology field with a focus on gender differences in firm size, growth, and persistence.