This paper compares the subject indexing on articles pertaining to Immanuel Kant, agriculture, and aging that are found simultaneously in Humanities Index, Academic Search Elite (EBSCO) and Periodicals Research II (Micromedia ProQuest), in order to show that there are substantial variations in the depth and quality of indexing in these databases.…

The issue of free-text versus controlled vocabulary is examined. The history of the issue, which is seen as beginning with the debate over title term indexing in the nineteenth century, is reviewed and questions not satisfactorily addressed by previous research are raised. (Author/EM)

Compares two full featured database management systems for bibliographic information in terms of programs and documentation; record creation and editing; online database citations; search procedures; access to references in external text files; sorting and printing functions; style sheets; indexes; and file operations. (four references) (CLB)

Describes a study that compared retrieval obtained by searching hardcopy and online indexes. Measures of comparison were recall and precision, user preferences, and the amount of effort required to complete the search. The findings indicate that neither method offers an overall advantage and suggest that both search modes should be maintained. (12…

Compares OCLC, WLN, and RLIN in terms of the composition of the databases, indexes and searching, special uses for public services, costs, and documentation. Selected bibliographies of general public service uses and interlibrary loan applications are provided. (CLB)

Describes and compares several general interest periodical indexes available on CD-ROM. Features described include target audience, coverage, updates, subscription prices, licensing, the availability of turnkey systems, search features and interfaces, screen displays, full-text support, and installation and support. The addresses of the companies…

Examines how libraries and librarians can compare full-text general periodical indices, using ProQuest Direct, Periodical Abstracts (via Ovid), and EBSCOhost as examples. Explores breadth and depth of coverage; manipulation of results (email/download/print); ease of use (searching); and indexing quirks. (AEF)

With "Chemical Abstracts" and "Science Citation Index" both now available for citation searching, this study compares the duplication and uniqueness of citing references for works of chemistry researchers for the years 1999-2001. The two indexes cover very similar source material. This analysis of SciFinder Scholar and Web of…

An analysis of 205 records in the OCLC Online Union Catalog (OLUC) found considerable duplication among subject access points provided by title, subject heading, and classification number fields. On average, only 4.12 unique access points were found per record. The results suggest that online catalogs might outperform card catalogs more in…

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…

The object of this study was to assess the value of teaching online searching techniques to undergraduate students for the completion of a specific assignment in a human biology course, both as a research tool and as a means of supplementing the limited holdings of primary medical literature in a small college library. Students were divided into…

A meta-analytical literature review was performed on the literature in which computerized and paper based information retrieval systems were compared. Specifically, online catalogs were compared with card catalogs, and online bibliographic retrieval was compared with searching printed indexes. Studies which included information on relevance,…

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…

This review of the literature on the effect of information overload on users' information-seeking behavior focuses on librarians' opinions about the number of references that constitute too many, and users' preferences for maximum numbers of references from online searches, online public access catalog postings, and manual indexes. (35 references)…

Describes two CD-ROM reference systems and the reactions of undergraduate students, faculty, and librarians to these systems. The discussion covers criteria that influenced users' reactions (e.g. ease of use, expertise in Boolean logic, database currency, and multidisciplinary characteristics of databases) and conclusions about appropriate systems…