Compares three Web-based online reference services that are described as a cross between a traditional database service and a Web search engine: Ask Jeeves (http://www.ask.com), The Electric Library (http://www.elibrary.com), and Information Please (http://www.infoplease.com). Concludes that each has strengths and weaknesses and aren't directly…

Provides an overview of robots that retrieve World Wide Web documents and index data and then store it in a database. Nine robot-generated databases are described, including record content, services, search features, and sample search results; and sidebars discuss the controversy about Web robots and other resource discovery tools. (LRW)

Describes the use of the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and how it can be used to make informed comparisons of institutions of higher education. (EV)

This paper presents a practical research guide to world English, with particular emphasis on comparative studies of varieties of English. Part I is a select bibliography of journal articles, books, and book chapters relating to comparative studies of English dating from 1992 to 2002. Part II lists the journals included in Part I, and includes…

Colleges and universities have increasingly invested in specialized software and hardware designed to enhance and facilitate the instructional process for faculty and students. One type of technological assistance is commonly known as course management software (CMS). Once learned, these CMS packages can greatly enhance and enrich the classroom…

Exemplary Middle Grades Research: Evidence-Based Studies Linking Theory to Practice features research published throughout 2009 in MGRJ that has been identified by the Information Age Publishing's review board as the most useful in terms of assisting educators with making practical applications from evidence-based studies to classroom and school…

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)…

This description and comparison of the major economic statistical database services discusses such factors as public and proprietary data, value-added services, user training and support, data specialties, and pricing. (CLB)

Three online databases that provide information on regional, state, and local business news are compared in terms of publications indexed, indexing guidelines, record structure, span of coverage, currency, and availability. (CLB)

Reports the results of a study which examined costs and search results for 20 searchers conducted on both BRS After Dark and Knowledge Index. Various features of the two retrieval systems are reviewed, and advantages and disadvantages of each system are summarized. Data are presented in one table and several graphs. (24 references) (MES)

Compares the differences in coverage and utility of three substructure databases--Chemical Abstracts, Index Chemicus, and Chemical Information System's Nomenclature Search System. The differences between Chemical Abstracts with two different vendors--STN International and Questel--are described and a summary guide for choosing between databases is…

The last installment in a three part series compares commands and features for accessing and manipulating the results obtained from the DIALOG and QUESTEL information systems. Highlights include enhancements to syntax and defaults, options for output arrangement and retrieval, reformatting of selected data, memory, unique features, and examples.…

Reviews two databases covering state and federal legislation--Electronic Legislative Search System and Legi-Slate--by comparing database coverage, documentation and training, pricing, and evaluation. Three additional databases offered by Public Affairs Information, S & FA Reporting Services, and Legislex are mentioned. Five sources are given. (EJS)

This comparison of bibliographies/online databases regarding their classification schemes, periodicals list, coverage of articles, indexing, and overlap reveals that only five bibliographies cover whole of subject area, and differences exist between number of periodicals scanned (73 to 2,771) and percentage of articles included from six…

This second of a three-part series compares search features (i.e., truncation symbols, boolean operators, proximity operators, phrase searching, save searches) of two databases providing legal information. Search tips concerning charges and effective searching and tables listing functions of commands and proximity operators for both databases are…