Describes the Information Market Indicators survey that monitors online vendors, database producers, and specific databases in terms of the revenues generated and number of connect hours of usage. Highlights and facts relative to calendar years 1982 and 1983 (usage, revenue data, vendor databases, database producers, classes of users) are…

Discussion of issues surrounding the microcomputer's capability to download online search results covers types of downloading; scope of downloading; legal issues (copyright and database contract provisions and policies); and effects of downloading (widespread pricing changes, and provision of database subsets by database producers). (MBR)

Addresses uses and benefits ERIC receives from MICROsearch, a program for searching downloaded portions of the ERIC database on floppy disks. Use of MICROsearch as a reference tool and for teaching online searching is described, and its limitations and benefits to the online industry are discussed. (MBR)

This discussion of the major issues concerning online public access library catalogs highlights types of systems, user behavior, structure of systems and user-friendly information retrieval methods (menus, fuzzy matches, prompters), and additional search strategy features (limits, browsing, truncation). Three references are listed. (EJS)

Reviews literature on environmental information since 1986, with special emphasis on machine-readable sources as reported in the published literature. Highlights include a new model for studying environmental issues; environmental communication studies, including user studies; and environmental information sources, including pollution media and…

The results of personal interviews with 18 of the more experienced online searchers in Washington State are presented. A profile of respondents determines the experience of each in searching in years, number of searches per month, vendors used, and most used data bases. This information is used to analyze the answers given to questions about the…

Reviews of use studies of online systems at academic libraries support the need for aggressive public relations techniques to increase usage. An examination of user needs reveals the existence of a potential market of users that can substantially benefit from online services, but, so far, has not been reached by the libraries that supply these…

The first article describes SPORT, a database providing international coverage of athletics and physical education, and compares it to other online services in terms of coverage, thesauri, possible search strategies, and actual usage. The second article reviews available online information on sports medicine. (CLB)

This report outlines economic components that will eventually contribute to large models of electronic text services in institutions of higher education, and provides a simple and practical assessment of economic issues associated with electronic text for college administrators, faculty, and planners. This assessment constitutes a layman's guide…

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) software research and development project described explores information seeking behavior of end-user energy experts and develops software offering tutorials on front-end use of DOE/RECON databases and active help in performing online searches. Software development is described and results of prototype testing…

This overview of the ERIC system begins with a brief history of the system; a description of the types and numbers of materials contained in the database; sources of types of information for educators that are not processed by ERIC; and the various publications and reference materials produced by and for the system. The analysis of ERIC usage in…

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.…

Describes program of end user training designed to teach students rudiments of searching using Bibliographic Retrieval Service/After Dark. Results of participant responses to post-search questionnaire are reported, including suggestions of what to cover in basic training, problems of end users, and developing role of online searcher as consultant.…

Reviews the research on the role, importance, and impact of the federal technical report literature, and summarizes some ambiguities and gaps in the research. Different approaches to conceptual and methodological issues are discussed, and a typology of technical reports is provided. (38 notes with references) (Author/CLB)

Presents the opening remarks and keynote addresses of a conference held in Toronto June 1-3, 1988. In the first address W. David Penniman presents a brief history of information technology and discusses issues of current concern. In the second, Jeffrey Katzer questions current assumptions underlying information science and discusses communications…