Defines and discusses bibliometrics, particularly as carried out in automated systems. The specific requirements to which data should conform to support bibliometric analysis are detailed and explained, and the Intelligent Gateway of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is described. (15 references) (Author/CLB)

OCLC-MARC subscription service tapes can be used as a convenient source of statistical data for collection management. New acquisitions can be analyzed using monthly and annual cumulative tapes to obtain numbers of new titles added by subject, types of material, text languages, and intellectual levels. There are three references. (Author/RAA)

Describes the partnership between the public and private sectors in developing and marketing the ERIC database in CD-ROM format. Particular emphasis is given to the marketing research and protocols of partnership that were developed. (Author/CLB)

Tips for designing user-friendly online surveys that can collect valuable data via the World Wide Web include the following: edit the questions, pretest, title the survey, provide an introduction, develop screening questions, determine length, offer promotional tie-ins, include the "other" option, make "no response" the default, provide a "clear…

Decision support systems integrate information from multiple data sources, both internal and external, to produce concise analytic reports for both decision making and planning. The administrator requiring information for decision making is usually not concerned with daily, detailed changes, but rather with aggregated numbers, from fixed points in…

Outlines evaluative criteria and compares optical data disk products used in library technical processes, including bibliographic records for cataloging, acquisition databases, and local public access catalogs. An extensive table provides information on specific products, including updates, interfaces, edit screens, installation help, manuals,…

Concentrates on the practical, everyday aspects of online search strategy, specifically offering ideas and comments on search strategies for STAIRS users. Included are tables listing the logical operators available on the system and the search level (document, paragraph, sentence, word) of each. (Author/JD)

Summarizes the two phases in the preparation of an electronic version of the "New Oxford English Dictionary" and discusses possible uses of machine-readable dictionaries. (seven references) (MES)

Discusses the problems plaguing ISORID, particularly the unresolved stresses that hinder the effective contribution to the world community that this interactive system for information scientists was envisioned to make. (FM)

Identifies various facets of the use of consultants in library automation, including kinds of consultants, their roles, contexts in which they may be used, functional areas in which their values may differ, and equipment alternatives. A bibliography is provided. (FM)

This article reports results of a case study of text-based online and CD-ROM databases that identified design characteristics that are important to high school students' use for higher-level learning as well as for information access and retrieval. Implications for the design of databases are suggested. (Contains 62 references.) (LRW)

Examines the relationships between purchases of optical data disk products, publishers, and software suppliers. The discussion covers current pricing strategies for optical data disk software and information products, and possible future developments in marketing and pricing. (CLB)

Discusses issues which will have an impact on database searching for the next five years: (1) quality control; (2) more inhouse databases; (3) changes in database visuals; (4) pricing policies; and (5) market changes. A number of favorable and unfavorable changes unlikely to occur within five years are also noted. (MES)

Considers the appropriateness of using CD-ROM versus online systems. Topics discussed include cost effectiveness; how current the information is; full-text capabilities; a variety of interfaces; graphical user interfaces on CD-ROM; and possibilities for image representations. (LRW)

Designed to characterize journals as part of the selection process for journals to be included in an information retrieval database, two studies used bibliometric techniques to examine patterns of publishing and topic patterns and coverage, and a third developed a rule-based system to evaluate the qualities of a journal. (CLB)