Presents guidelines for selecting World Wide Web search engines. Real-life questions were used to test six search engines. Queries sought company information, product reviews, medical information, foreign information, technical reports, and current events. Compares performance and features of AltaVista, Excite, HotBot, Infoseek, Lycos, and Open…

Highlights some popular search engines and presents guidelines on making queries, narrowing a search, using quotation marks and how and when to used advanced searches. Discusses special search tools for World Wide Web and CD-ROM products and homework assistance software. Lists the network locations of five popular search engines. (AEF)

This document provides an introduction to applications computer software packages that support functional managers in government and encourages the use of such packages as an alternative to in-house development. A review of current application areas includes budget/project management, financial management/accounting, payroll, personnel,…

Presents suggestions to librarians for helping patrons who want to perform their own online searches. Background information, end user training, equipment (hardware and software), continuing help, and document delivery are discussed. Ten references are included. (EJS)

Provides a checklist of functions and capabilities of online searching systems that attempts to cover all system features, not just searching functions. The checklist is suggested as a tool for checking features of new systems, as a framework for comparing systems, and as a source of suggestions for developing new online systems. (10 references)…

This introduction to the characteristics of software for CD-ROM describes programs used to format and create data stored on the disk, as well as retrieval programs. Criteria that need to be considered when evaluating CD-ROM software are discussed, including retrieval strategies (browsing vs. keyword searching), interfaces, index and file…

Opening with an introduction to the ERIC database, this guide provides a description of the organization and content of the SilverPlatter version of ERIC on CD-ROM. Citing examples of its uses, the guide explains the "Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors," and provides a diagram of the computer keyboard used for searching ERIC using…

Provides practical information for librarians beginning to use online searching for reference services at the high school level. Selection of equipment, software, and database vendors are discussed, as well as financing, involvement of the school administration, and working with users to determine their information needs. (CDD)

This paper describes the IFLA (International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions) guidelines for librarians charged with customizing OPAC (online public access catalog) software and vendors and producers of this software. The guidelines are intended to apply to all types of catalog, including World Wide Web-based catalogs, GUI…

Part of a larger report on the Four Directions Project, an American Indian technology innovation project, this section includes 10 "pathfinders" to locating information on learning and instructional technology resources. The pathfinders were designed by students in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University…