Describes a project that was designed to test the relative efficacy of index terms and full-text for the retrieval of documents in MEDLINE journals. Precision and relevance of citations retrieved from full-text databases versus bibliographic databases is discussed, and the addition of MEDLINE indexing to enhance full-text medical journals is…

A comparison of ERIC and LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts) indexing of the three journals--Online, Online Review, and Database--revealed some differences but more similarities in number of terms per article and concepts per article. A vocabulary which distinguished the field of online searching did emerge. (Author/EM)

Reports on a study that examined scope notes added to subject headings in the Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) Online User Manual. Types of messages conveyed by scope notes and word patterns within the notes are identified, and comparisons between the 1982 and 1987 editions of the manual are made. (16 references) (MES)

Examines the use of various statistical techniques for generating domain-oriented multiword vocabulary terms for natural language database systems. Conclusions show the vocabulary clustering effect should be considered when making significance calculations and that a simple ratio of subject matter relative frequency to total sample relative…

This report describes recent efforts to modify, test, and evaluate an experimental online database consisting of 15 vendor-supplied, controlled subject vocabularies or thesauri. The experimental database, called the Vocabulary Switching System (VSS), is designed to enhance search strategies and ultimately retrieval performance for users of online…

Examines the differences between terms used in four major computerized information retrieval systems in education--British National Bibliography (PRECIS); ERIC; European Documentation and Information System for Education (EUDISED); and the International Bureau of Education (IBE) thesaurus. The possibility of standardizing terminology across all…

Presents overview of commercially available databases useful to field of mental health. The availability, costs, coverage, currency, update frequency, and access points are compared for four major files--PsychINFO, National Clearinghouse for Mental Health Information, Social SciSearch, and MEDLINE. Forty-nine references are provided. (EJS)

This second report on a two-part study on the application of informetrics to information retrieval (IR) system design used models of database contents in a factorial simulation study at the University of Western Ontario. The study explored whether different file structures were better suited for different informetric environments. (32 references)…

Provides database descriptions of ABI/INFORM and Management Contents, two of the most heavily used files for current information on management practices and concepts, recent product development, and production and marketing statistics. Topics addressed include coverage of source publications and currency, indexing policies and practices, and…

This test of the Strategy of Unlimited Aliasing, an indexing method that places terms from several indexers for the same information object in one index, utilized bibliographic records from the ERIC, LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts), and ISA (Information Science Abstracts) databases. The test did not support the indexing method.…

Identifies and describes online databases containing references to materials on artificial intelligence, robotics, and expert systems, and compares them in terms of scope and usage. Recommendations for conducting online searches on artificial intelligence and related fields are offered. (CLB)

References indexed for Australian Education Index (AEI) were sampled and compared where possible with same references indexed for ERIC and Australian Public Affairs Information Service (APAIS) databases. An analysis of coverage of Australian references reveals indexing consistency figures of 22 percent for ERIC/AEI and 18 percent for AEI/APAIS.…

Four databases--PsycINFO, ERIC, Health Planning and Administration, Public Affairs Information Service--were examined to determine percentage of business journals indexed and degree of business terminology included in controlled vocabulary. Sample searches were compared to same search in Management Contents and ABI/INFORM. A list of business…

Identifies characteristics of the experienced online searcher and discusses the results of three searches carried out by a variety of searchers in widely differing subject fields--presence of arsenic in coal, problems of working alone in laboratory or work area, and spectral sensitivity of the insect eye. (8 references) (EJS)

Describes and compares the nine online databases that index the Washington Post. Points of comparison include materials that are excluded from the database, citations to excluded materials, citation formats, search vocabularies and strategies, full-text searching, cross-file searching, and search costs. (5 references) (CLB)