The use of bibliographic management software and its internal search interfaces is now pervasive among researchers. This study compares the results between searches conducted in academic databases' search interfaces versus the EndNote search interface. The results show mixed search reliability, depending on the database and type of search…

Perhaps the greatest power of folksonomies, especially when set against controlled vocabularies like the Library of Congress Subject Headings, lies in their capacity to empower user communities to name their own resources in their own terms. This article analyzes the potential and limitations of both folksonomies and controlled vocabularies for…

In this article, the authors compared the MLA International Bibliography database (MLAIB) across five vendor platforms to determine how and why seemingly comparable searches produced varying results. A number of tests were conducted using a variety of fields, terms, and parameters, and examples of results are provided. The authors' findings are…

Describes a study at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln that compared searches in two different keyword indexes with similar content where search results were dependent on search strategy quality, search engine execution, and content. Results showed search engine execution had an impact on the number of matches and that users ignored search help…

This study investigated the use patterns of four CD-ROM systems--Newsbank Electronic Index, SilverPlatter's ERIC and PsycLIT, and Dissertation Abstracts Ondisc--and their print index counterparts in the University of Georgia (UGA) Main Library, which houses collections and provides library services for the humanities, the social sciences, and…

Reports measures of the gains in search time and likelihood of success in known-item searches with the Acorn automated catalog at Vanderbilt University. User time and search success are valued in dollar terms to make the measures meaningful for system design choices. (Author/CLB)

Introduction: The Internet has radically changed the global availability of scholarly publications. Today, a substantial part of the resources accessible for researchers and university students are offered through electronic site licenses, making the supply of easily obtainable information larger than ever. This brings forth an important question:…

Discusses and compares the incorporation of technology by larger public libraries in Canada and the United States. Technology mentioned includes online public access catalogs; remote and local online database searching; microcomputers and software for public use; and fax, voice mail, and Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf and Teletype writer…

A three-year study at the University of Alabama compared a traditional lecture method for teaching library research skills with a course-integrated, computer-enhanced approach by assessing each method's impact on the quality of bibliographies from engineering students' term papers. In four of the five semesters, no significant differences were…