Evaluates database searching and compares results of online and manual literature retrieval conducted in support of environmental research. Discussion covers search topic and construction of online profile, results and costs of online searches, results of manual searching, relevant references missed by online searching, and availability and…

Measures extent of coverage of Australian research and journal titles in 34 international databases: 17 in the area of science and technology and 17 in the social science and humanities. A comparison of American and British terms and grammar is included. Illustrative material is provided. (EJS)

Cites major U.S. encyclopedia publishers interested in developing machine-readable versions and suggests design possibilities for accessing encyclopedia databases. Full text searching, searching by fields, and sorting on fields are presented as techniques that provide online systems with significant advantages over print. There are five…

Describes the results of a survey conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago that compared faculty use of, preferences for, and satisfaction with two software interfaces for the locally loaded ERIC database. Use of other local online databases was also examined. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of the use of CD-ROM databases focuses on a study conducted at Russell Sage College (New York) that examined user attitudes toward CD-ROM technology and shifts in journal usage patterns. Highlights include previous studies, comparisons of print indexes and CD-ROM databases, and suggestions for future research. (LRW)

Discussion of changes in academic library instruction needed for teaching Internet access to electronic databases focuses on a study at the University of Connecticut that compared differences in effectiveness between an online, real-time hands-on class with an eclectic format that combined lecture and a hands-on component. (Author/LRW)

Discusses enduser searching of online databases and describes a study conducted at Ohio State University that compared two methods of assessing the success of enduser searches. Reasons for dissatisfaction are discussed, problems with online searches are examined, possible solutions are described, and further research is suggested. (20 references)…

Describes a study that investigated subject retrieval in a group of humanities databases. Scatter by subject field and type of search term is discussed, the effectiveness of natural language and of controlled vocabulary are compared, and implications for system designers concerned with end-user searches in the humanities are suggested. (37…

Describes SAPHIRE, an experimental information retrieval system featuring concept-based automated indexing, natural language input, and relevance-based retrieval; and compares its retrieval effectiveness with other indexing approaches in a Boolean-based searching environment. Indexing in MEDLINE is described, and a test collection of AIDS…

Considers comparative prices for bibliographic data on CD-ROM and in print. Topics addressed include differences in the nature of bibliographic data in the two media, the relative complexities of pricing structure, varying policies on network pricing, and standardization of the licensing arrangement. (KRN)

Ways to improve data comparability among national college faculty surveys are discussed. The surveys and some of their attributes are identified. Faculty sizes are estimated and weights for faculty in selected disciplines and institutions calculated. Weights were designed specifically for surveys conducted in 1969, 1975, 1980, and 1988.…

Describes metasearch tools and explains their value in helping library media centers improve students' Web searches. Discusses Boolean queries and the emphasis on speed at the expense of comprehensiveness; and compares four metasearch tools, including the number of search engines consulted, user control, and databases included. (LRW)

Analyzes the discourse completion data collected through Japanese English-as-a-foreign-language learners with reference to four speech functions--thanking, apology, request, and offering. Compares Japanese learners' expressions with expressions obtained by native speakers of English stored in the London-Lund corpus of Spoken English. (Author/VWL)

Describes a case study which explored the extent to which CD-ROM products can support the information needs in developing countries; assessed the economics of a system of CD-ROM databases supplemented by an online system; and investigated the breakeven analysis of the costs of searching CD-ROM versus online. (Contains 34 references.) (LRW)

Presents a classification scheme and the results of applying this scheme to the coding of academic texts in a corpus. The texts are doctoral theses from agricultural botany and agricultural economics departments. Results lead to a comparison of the citation practices of writers in different disciplines and the different rhetorical practices of…