An investigation was made into the relative performance of the four major Chemical Abstracts Service magnetic tape data-bases. The overall retrieval efficiency of profiles searched against data-bases containing titles only, titles-plus-keywords, and titles-plus-digests, was calculated and these results are presented. (5 references) (Author/NH)

Describes a study that used qualitative and quantitative methodologies to analyze differences between Finnish and American Web searchers in their choice of initial search strategies (direct address, subject directory, and search engines) and their reasoning underlying their choices. Considers implications for considering cultural differences in…

Two statistical models for estimating search time have been developed for the CA Condensates data base using the University of Georgia Text Search System. Comparative timings between the Chemical Abstracts Service search program and the University of Georgia search program are made for the Ca Condensates data base. (5 references) (Author/NH)

The performance of a selective dissemination of information service based on computer scanning of Nuclear Science Abstracts tapes was compared with a current awareness service based on visual scanning of journals and reports by information specialists. (6 references) (Author/SJ)

Explains the Web impact factor (WIF) for comparing the relative attractiveness or influence of Web spaces, where the WIF is the number of pages linking to a Web space divided by the number of pages in the Web space. Compares WIFs for Australasian universities and for Australasian electronic journals. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of online public access catalogs focuses on a study that evaluated 3 different systems in Great Britain. Comparative evaluations were made using structured exercises to determine searching techniques and transaction logs to investigate user behavior. Comments on future research are also given. (12 references) (LRW)

Considers classifications produced by application of single linkage, complete linkage, group average, and word clustering methods to Keen and Cranfield document test collections, and studies structure of hierarchies produced, extent to which methods distort input similarity matrices during classification generation, and retrieval effectiveness…

Describes a study at the City University (London) that was conducted to evaluate the impact of an online catalog on subject searching behavior. Methods of using the catalog and browsing at the shelves are examined, and results are compared with an earlier study of subject searching with a manual PRECIS index. (25 references) (LRW)

Explains an interdisciplinary framework for library information science, especially information retrieval, which considers sociocultural context of search terms in a way that the cognitivist information processing paradigm does not. Limitations of cognitivist information processing conceptions are discussed, as well as the possible effects of the…