The variety and complexity of potentially-related data resources available for querying--webpages, databases, data warehouses--has been growing ever more rapidly. There is a growing need to pose integrative queries "across" multiple such sources, exploiting foreign keys and other means of interlinking data to merge information from diverse…

Discussion of information needs in a business environment focuses on how to build a shared information network. Highlights include the evolution of corporate intelligence systems; results of a survey that examined the information networking needs of large corporations; and a case study of the development of an information network at Citibank N.A.…

Describes the design of an electronic performance support system (PSS) that was developed to help sales and support personnel access relevant information needed for good job performance. Highlights include expert systems, databases, interactive video discs, formatting information online, information retrieval techniques, HyperCard, computer-based…

PubMed® is an on-line literature database hosted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Containing over 21 million citations for biomedical literature--both abstracts and full text--in the areas of the life sciences, behavioral studies, chemistry, and bioengineering, PubMed® represents an important tool for researchers. PubMed® searches return…

This paper discusses a generic query tool that enables an end user to query a metadata store through filters that impose search criteria on attributes. The Metadata Query Tool (MQT) is generic in the sense that it dynamically creates its user interface, based on configuration files that define the metadata scheme and the query functionalities.…

Discusses the history and structure of the online database of the second edition of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) and the software tools developed at the University of Waterloo to manipulate the unusually complex database. Four sample searches that indicate some types of problems that might be encountered are appended. (DB)

This report presents a model combining the emerging technologies of hypertext and expert systems. Hypertext is relatively unexplored but promises an innovative approach to information retrieval. In contrast, expert systems have been used experimentally in many different application areas ranging from medical diagnosis to oil exploration. The…

Describes a method of organizing the hypertext software files in a database containing legal information on housing discrimination to prevent the user from becoming disoriented in the system. The expert system of which the database is a part is explained, and the disorientation problem is discussed. (six references) (LRW)

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 the design of a customized online service at the Lister Hill Library (Alabama) that used a dial-in modem system to provide remote access to medical research materials. Problems with hardware and software incompatibility are discussed, user training is described, and the successful results are reviewed. (LRW)

Presents a conceptual framework for building an intelligent documentation system (IDS) for computer software by integrating hypermedia and expert systems technologies. The need for online computer documentation for end-users is discussed, and elements of the synergetic model are described, including knowledge representation, the hypermedia…

Examines the Museum Educational Site Licensing (MESL) Project--a cooperative project between seven cultural heritage repositories and seven universities--as well as other developments of cultural heritage image databases for academic use. Reviews recent literature on image indexing and retrieval, interface design, and tool development, urging a…

There are a variety of reasons which prevent users from making the most of information products. The practitioner must keep current with the myriad of information sources available and try to stay aware of changes in coverage. This paper categorizes the types of data in a large financial institution as follows: press sources, mergers and…

Describes the design and development of a prototype expert system called ONLINE-EXPERT that helps users select online databases and vendors that meet users' needs. Search strategies are discussed; knowledge acquisition and knowledge bases are described; and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a decision analysis technique that ranks databases,…

Describes the redesign of a CD-ROM database interface by the Congressional Information Service (CIS) that addressed the needs of novice, casual, and expert searchers in academic libraries. Topics discussed include the user profile, the task profile, redesign goals, interaction style, menu design and implementation, system structure and the search…