This report describes recent efforts to modify, test, and evaluate an experimental online database consisting of 15 vendor-supplied, controlled subject vocabularies or thesauri. The experimental database, called the Vocabulary Switching System (VSS), is designed to enhance search strategies and ultimately retrieval performance for users of online…

The question of whether adolescents turn to arcade video games for gratifications similar to those met by television viewing was investigated with 244 children 10 to 14 years old, who were attending a statewide summer sports camp. A questionnaire required subjects to rate the importance of 17 need statements and provide basic demographic…

This study of 50 pairs of popular (written for layman) and technical (designed for those having specialized knowledge in particular discipline) monographs matched by subject, date of publication, and date of acquisition indicates that although technical works circulated more than popular, difference was not statistically significant. Seven…

Study comparing statistical use in 99 journals from four subject areas (library and information science [LIS], education, social work, business) found that: LIS produced more articles making no use of statistics; and only in LIS were there more articles using only descriptive techniques than articles using inferential techniques. (17 references)…

This study investigates whether the recommendations for increased emphasis on computer technology in education made by such organizations as the National Commission on Excellence in Education, the National Science Board, and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Educational Research and Improvement are being heeded formally in the public…

Reports results of a survey of online catalog users in an academic library in Saudi Arabia that examined search patterns, levels of satisfaction, and user attitudes toward the online catalog. The special problems encountered when searching in a foreign language are discussed, and systems improvements are suggested. (CLB)

This review of the research on the use of card catalogs and online catalogs highlights research methodologies and significant findings. Discussion of the results focuses on user needs and satisfaction, and the need to separate bibliographic practices that are universally sound from those that are an adaptation to the medium. (CLB)

This review of the literature on the effect of information overload on users' information-seeking behavior focuses on librarians' opinions about the number of references that constitute too many, and users' preferences for maximum numbers of references from online searches, online public access catalog postings, and manual indexes. (35 references)…

Requests for published materials made over a two-year period by 79 research fellows in the humanities are analyzed by format, date of publication, subject, and language. The results of this study are compared with results of citation and library use studies, and discrepancies are noted. (Author/CLB)

Detailed analysis of 462 university faculty search request forms identifies similarities and differences among representatives of academic disciplines in their approaches to seeking information online. Search particulars noted include comprehensiveness, scope, language, retrospectiveness, relevant citations, search purpose, funding, clarity, and…

Presents results of two equivalent questionnaires distributed to college faculty and students to determine if faculty expectations of student library use differed from students' perceptions of their actual use; and if expectations and use were affected by college division, student class level, or class level taught. (Author/EJS)

Designed to evaluate the usefulness of the BIOSIS PREVIEWS database when searching the psychiatric literature, this study compared the effectiveness of this online database with the effectiveness of two other computerized databases, MEDLINE and PsycINFO (Psychological Abstracts), which psychiatric researchers and clinicians usually rely on when…

Describes a model enumerating cost factors for comparing costs for paper, online, and CD-ROM indexes and abstracts. The model is applied to start-up and annual costs, and to the cost of storing and providing access to ERIC, Applied Science and Fisheries Abstracts, and Excerpta Medica, based on anticipated academic library usage. (MBR)

Comparison of return rates of materials from Ohio State University Libraries to other home loan studies for academic staff and students indicates that due date may be less important than previously thought, and publicity should be tested as means to encourage students to return materials at earlier date. (12 references) (EJS)

Reviews the literature on user studies in both online catalogs and bibliographic retrieval systems. User problems with both mechanical and conceptual aspects are reviewed and potential sources of problems due either to individual characteristics or system variables are discussed. Possible solutions and areas that need further research are noted.…