Current methodologies for designing search strategies rely heavily on the knowledge and expertise of information specialists. Yet, the volume and complexity of scientific literature is overwhelming for even the most experienced information specialists, making it difficult to produce robust search strategies for complex systematic reviews. In this…

In various research areas, the availability of open datasets is considered as key for research and application purposes. These datasets are used as benchmarks to develop new algorithms and to compare them to other algorithms in given settings. Finding such available datasets for experimentation can be a challenging task in technology enhanced…

Compares and evaluates the databases covering the literature of sports and recreation. Discusses information scatter in the discipline, exhaustivity of coverage within particular databases, and search strategies, vocabulary control, and database overlap. Included are nine data tables and four appendices illustrating search results. (JL)

This study looks at the issue of using alternative databases to support research on historical topics. The literature on online searching in history is not as well developed, nor as extensive, as literature about online searching in other subject areas. In addition, there are only two major databases that are history-specific in terms of subject…

Presents a metric for comparing the performance of common classes of Internet information retrieval tools, including human indexed catalogs of Web resources and automatically indexed databases of Web pages. The benefit of the proposed metric is that it is relevance-based, and it facilitates the comparison of the performance of different classes of…

A comparison of dissertation titles was made between Dissertation Abstracts" and American Doctoral Dissertations." The results confirm American Doctoral Dissertations" as the more complete bibliographic source for dissertation information. (Author/NH)

Batch mode processing is compared, using cost-effectiveness, with on-line processing for computer-aided searching of chemical abstracts. Consideration for time, need, coverage, and adaptability are found to be the criteria by which a searcher selects a method, and sometimes both methods are used. There is a tradeoff between batch mode's slower…

Indexes to literature published in English-language little magazines are analyzed for duplication and completeness of coverage, and the number of little magazines founded since 1900 is estimated to determine the extent of literary work accessible by means of indexes. A 50-item annotated list of information sources and 12 references are included.

Compares the coverage of women's studies titles contained in "Feminist Periodicals: A Current Listing of Contents" with three general table of contents services (Current Contents, UnCover, Contents First), and evaluates the coverage of these titles within these services. Found that some subject areas, such as women's studies, require the…

In World Wide Web indexing: (1) the creation process is automated; (2) the indexes are merely descriptive, not analytical of document content; (3) results may be sorted differently depending on the search engine; and (4) indexes link directly to the resources. This article compares the indexing methods and querying options of the search engines…

Compares several "top-down" algorithms for identifying mirrored hosts on the Web. The algorithms operate on the basis of URL strings and linkage data: the type of information about Web pages easily available from Web proxies and crawlers. Results reveal that the best approach is a combination of five algorithms: on test data this…

Focuses on synthesis in research--the combination of thesis and antithesis in the dialectical process, producing a new and higher form of being. Discusses kinds of synthesis (unique communication, plan of operation, abstract relations); synthesizing information pieces; summary practice leading to synthesis; and questions of analysis and synthesis.…

Presents a chart comparing Web search engines. Discusses features covered in the chart: size; Boolean Operators and Parentheses; phrase searching; proximity; truncation; title, date and URL fields; links to a URL; language; media searching; name; case sensitivity; searches all common words; directory attached; gives count for answer; gives term…

Examines the potential of the World Wide Web as an information and bibliographic source for scientists. Analyzes through content analysis the Web pages retrieved by the major search engines on a particular date as a result of a query regarding informetrics, and compares results to data retrieved from commercial databases. (Author/LRW)

Three Web search engines--Alta Vista, Excite, and Lycos--were compared and evaluated in terms of their search capabilities and retrieval performances using sample queries drawn from real reference questions. Findings indicated Alta Vista outperformed Excite and Lycos in both search facilities and retrieval performance, although Lycos had the…