Reviews commonly used search engines (AltaVista, Excite, infoseek, Lycos, HotBot, WebCrawler), focusing on existing comparative studies; considers quality dimensions from the customer's point of view based on a SERVQUAL framework; and groups these quality expectations in five dimensions: tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and…

Discusses the control of pornography on the Internet. Highlights include the Communications Decency Act (CDA); "Time" magazine's article on cyberporn and critiques of it; the unconstitutionality of the CDA under First Amendment protection of free speech; and non-legislative software solutions, including PICS (Platform for Internet…

Describes HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and its use on the Internet's World Wide Web, including main HTML tags and their syntaxes. Alternatives to HTML, such as Adobe's Acrobat software and Sun's new Java application language, are briefly described. (Author/LRW)

Examines legal issues important to the library and information sector of the European Union. Discusses European Commission directives on length of copyright term, software, renting and lending, and database copyright. Reports on the Magill case on copyright in, and abuse of dominant position by, the copyright owners of television listings.…

Identifies and describes methods of compiling datasets, search interfaces and etymological metaphors and mythologies of three of the first generation of automated indexing systems: archie, veronica, and robots and search engines. (Author/JKP)

Explores the extent of information technology (IT) adoption in Hong Kong, the perceived benefits of IT, and the problems encountered in adopting IT, based on a postal survey of 116 companies. Topics include government policy, previous studies, annual expenditures on IT, IT personnel, IT applications, software used, and problems. (Author/LRW)

Reports results of a United Kingdom-based mail survey of database users, CD-ROM producers, and hosts to assess trends and views concerning documentation in machine-readable form. Cost, convenience, and ease of use of print manuals are cited as reasons for the reluctance to switch to machine-readable documentation. Sample surveys are included.…

Discussion of information systems methodologies that can contribute to interface design for public access systems covers: the systems life cycle; advantages of adopting information systems methodologies; soft systems methodologies; task-oriented approaches to user interface design; holistic design, the Star model, and prototyping; the…

This study of an online search strategy based on word frequency found that it provided 98% sensitivity in retrieving systematic reviews of health-care interventions in MEDLINE, while retaining a low (20%) but acceptable precision. Presents other strategies with other levels of sensitivity and precision and discusses factors that may affect the…