Discusses computer use in practice of trademark law by following adoption, filing, and prior use of the trademark "Aspen" (for a fruit juice drink). Databases searched to track previous use of mark, trace possible conflicts, and assist in their resolution are mentioned. Database chart and list of vendors is included. (EJS)

Presents a review, an analysis, and a projection of the use of machine-readable databases, including online search and support services, and emphasizes the application of bibliographic databases for special libraries. More than 40 references are cited. (FM)

Data bases in the social sciences are briefly surveyed with emphasis on content, coverage, and currency. Coverage of certain topics are quantitatively compared among several social science and more general files. Techniques for on line thesaurus utilization and a systematic application of the same search strategies across multiple files are…

Information culled from the literature and from the author's experience on criteria for selecting on-line computerized bibliographic services covers user needs, hardware (terminals), transmission, system and vendor, data bases, search strategy and evaluation measures, and user-system interface. (LS)

Describes experiences involved in the development of a private file (software and hardware) at The Pillsbury Company over a period of approximately two decades. Evolution of the file, use of STAIRS (a sophisticated file-management system and search program), sample reports and entries, database structure, and online searching are highlighted. (EJS)

Description of NOMAD, a database management system with flexibility and "friendly" design in use at the Bank of America library, focuses on costs, objectives, database structure, access, and its use to create an automated book catalog and spending reports. Six references are included. (EJS)

The low rate of relevant titles (fewer than 50 percent) retrieved by online searching of keywords in titles in study conducted at the Mechanized Information Center, Ohio State University, is attributed to three sources: titles themselves, user ignorance of subject vocabulary, and general language problems. Eight references are cited. (EJS)

Describes a study of professional searchers that investigated their decisions about using search terms. The use of descriptors from a controlled vocabulary versus the use of textwords for free-text searching is examined, searching styles and differences in subject areas are discussed, and the quality of thesauri and indexing is considered. (six…

This report suggest guidelines to library administrators and educators for staff development and continuing education in automated bibliographic retrieval services through the projection of an academically programmed learning module. A two-day course of instruction for those with a minimal background in online information retrieval is outlined.…

An analysis of retrieved citations and user feedback shows that no single data base for agriculture is sufficiently comprehensive in coverage. In terms of maximum information yield and relative ease of effective profile construction, BIOSIS Previews and the Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux file were the most productive data bases. (Author)

Describes how the physical sciences library at Western Michigan University introduced a mathematical database on CD-ROM and trained patrons to conduct their own searches. The "Mathematical Reviews" database (entitled MathSci Disc) is described, and three types of training are discussed: informal demonstrations, self-instructional guides,…