Current issues and the future of the database business are discussed in five papers. Topics covered include aspects relating to the quality of database production; international ownership in the U.S. information marketplace; an overview of pricing strategies in the electronic information industry; and pricing issues from the viewpoints of online…

Traces the history of ways in which publishers of abstracts journals have provided readers with serial print products, the development of searchable products manipulated by the purchaser, and the economic impact of such products on the publisher. The discussion also covers major improvements needed in online searching systems. (CLB)

This issue presents selected papers from a World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/EURO) consultation (Munich, West Germany, May 8-10, 1989) which explored the creation of a metadatabase for European environmental health information systems (EEHIS). Topics discussed include environmental monitoring programs, environmental…

Describes Microcosm, an open hypermedia system for browsing through large bodies of multimedia information via links in external linkbases; explains HyTime (Hypermedia/Time-Based Structuring Language), an international standard for representing relationships between document objects; and examines HyTime features which are relevant to Microcosm.…

Discusses the use of telecommunications in museums; reviews existing museum documentary databases, including those that are accessible from remote locations; describes the RAMA (Remote Access to Museum Archive) project, a computer network linking image documentary databases of seven European museums; and discusses the outlook for electronic…

Discusses the general characteristics and problems of handling Sino-Japanese characters for bibliographic purposes, and describes features of Japanese databases, including requirements for database production, storage, searching, and retrieval of information stored as kanji characters. (9 references) (Author/CLB)

The first paper discusses the factors involved in a decision to provide document delivery services, including user needs, competitive climate, business potential, fit with current business, and logistics of providing the service. The second reviews the kinds of additional products that can be developed as a byproduct of conventional database…

Examines the Commission of the European Communities' draft directive on database copyright. Components of the directive are discussed, including a definition of a database, databases protected as literary works under copyright law, piracy protection, fair use, and licensing requirements; and problems with the directive are described. (four…

Describes the development of a thesaurus for indexing the databases of Engineering Information, Inc., that improved the former precoordinate indexing vocabulary with postcoordinate descriptors and an appropriate set of thesaurus relationships. Problems of incompatibility with old indexing are addressed, and the use of an outside consultant versus…

Approaches to improved productivity in the input cycle of database creation are discussed in three papers. The discussions include problems with and potential impacts of computer support for indexers; conversion from a minicomputer based indexing and abstracting production system to a microcomputer network; and a computerized system for…

Presents a general overview of the development of Information Science Abstracts. The historical perspective, including the contributions of individuals and institutions, is discussed; its coverage is compared with that of other information science databases; and retrieval capabilities are described. (four references) (Author/CLB)

Presents an operational definition of personal information retrieval systems and describes design principles of current applications and existing systems, current trends, and research guidelines for general design principles. (4 references) (Author/CLB)

Reviews the economic importance of applying computer technology to Chemical Abstracts Service database production from 1973 to 1983. Database building, technological applications for editorial processing (online editing, Author Index Manufacturing System), and benefits (increased staff productivity, reduced rate of increase of cost of services,…

These papers presented at a World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/EURO) Consultation explore current approaches to environmental health data in Europe. Topics discussed include unified environmental health databases, the use of national hospital registers, health statistics in small areas, expert systems, chemical databases,…

Includes five selected papers from the Thirty-Second Annual Conference of the National Federation of Abstracting and Information Services. Highlights include future possibilities of electronic information delivery; changes in information exchange between the United States and unified European governments; Japanese information systems; updating…