In contrast to conventional information storage and retrieval systems in which a body of knowledge is thought of as an indexed codex of documents to which access is obtained by an appropriately indexed query, this interdisciplinary study aims at an understanding of what is "knowledge" as distinct from a "data file," how this knowledge is acquired,…

Feasibility study findings indicate that a potential reduction in drudgery for the scholar may be obtained through a combination of heretofore divergent solutions to the increasingly critical problem of how researchers will interface with computers for an efficient and effective review of the literature. Presently existing computer software…

SPIRES (Stanford Public Information Retrieval System) is a computerized information storage and retrieval system intended for use by students and faculty members who have little knowledge of computers but who need rapid and sophisticated retrieval and analysis. The functions and capabilities of the system from the user's point of view are…

Three specific contributions to the field of information retrieval are presented. The first two describe the establishment of an adaptive, interactive man-machine dialogue that produces a form of unsolicited librarian-like assistance for the user in his selection of index terms to characterize an indexing function. The data set upon which the…

A question answering system which permits a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) student greater initiative in the variety of questions he can ask is described. A method is presented to represent the dynamic processes of a subject matter area by augmented finite state automata, which permits efficient inferencing about dynamic processes and…

The trend toward on-line utilization of computers in recent years has included the emergence of computer support systems to fill the information processing needs of individuals engaged in scientific research. In this study, a new approach to document description is applied to the design of a personal information storage and retrieval system,…

The development of mechanized information services in a university library has the following design goals: (1) the center for information services should be operational, (2) it should be a general purpose system, (3) it should be adaptable, (4) it should be replicative, (5) it should encourage increased receptivity and use, and (6) it should be…

This paper discusses the differences between the storage problems encountered in a large library and those encountered in the human memory. Some of the properties of the human memory system and some of the major issues which affect the interaction between human users and the existing library systems are outlined. The problem of browsing is used as…

Three operations relevant to preparing a data base and supporting scripts are discussed in considerable detail. Section One enumerates the activities which constitute the collection and documentation of a data base. The material presented is relatively nontechnical and requires no knowledge of computers. Section Two discusses the preparation of…

Science education can be enhanced by facilitating student interactive access to scientific data bases. The main objective of the Science and Technology Information Transfer for Education (STITE) project was to study man-machine mechanisms for improving the transfer of science information from its present repositories into science learning systems,…