Discusses the cost of constructing a hypertext database and suggests cost forecasting approaches that can be used to determine whether organizations can internally fund a hypertext database, or whether producers can afford to market hypertext databases. Production costs in differing hypertext strategies are also compared. (27 references) (LRW)

Explores the use of analog optical disks as a practical, cost effective means of building picture databases. Questions that should be asked to determine whether optical disk is a suitable picture storage alternative for a particular application are identified and three implementation issues--imaging, indexing, and integrating--are discussed. (CLB)

The indexing and online searching of data bases have both conflicting and complementary structures, determined in part by the choice of indexing language. In the planning of a machine readable system, the Foundation Center, administrator of two data bases, initially chose a natural language for the lower cost, more rapid implementation, and…

Briefly describes use of off-site staffing--indexers, abstractors, editors--in the production of two major databases: Management Contents and The Computer Data Base. Discussion covers the production sequence; database administrator; off-site indexer; savings (office space, furniture and equipment costs, salaries, and overhead); and problems…

The emphasis of this text is that the problems of information retrieval are the intellectual ones of subject analysis and description. These problems are not easily solved by technology alone, although certain inroads are being made by knowledge-based expert systems and other computer aids to indexing. Linguistic approaches are also showing…

Describes Information on Demand, an information broker that provides database and manual research on a fee for service basis, and accesses more than a dozen online systems. Relative strengths and weaknesses of particular systems and the criteria used to select databases and online vendors are identified and discussed. (CLB)

Two programs addressed the development of information retrieval systems useful to a variety of users. One program was designed to examine aspects of indexing and information display. Experiments with different indexing and display systems revealed that for good relevance judgements, a display with full citation, keyboards, and abstract is…