This paper describes the results of a 6-year period of design, implementation, testing, and iterative redesign of a programming language, user aids, and curriculum materials for use by psychology students learning how to write simple computer programs. The SOLO language, which was the resulting product, is primarily a simple, database…

Relative cost and effectiveness of techniques for preparing a computer compatible data base consisting of approximately one million words of natural language are outlined. Considered are dollar cost, ease of editing, and time consumption. Facility for insertion of identifying information within the text, and updating of a text by merging with…

Proposes a "Model of Querying" for users of office filing facilities and discusses its motivation, aspects, attributes, and advantages. A review of current information systems and attempts to combine information retrieval, artificial intelligence, and database management techniques leads to conclusion that no resultant system is adequate…

This continuation of an earlier article discusses online vendors' responses to users' concerns as well as the future of online services. Maxwell Online, Dialog, Mead Data, Data-Star, and Dow Jones News/Retrieval address user needs, search strategies, databases, document retrieval and display, user interface, and cost and economic issues. (LRW)

This study investigated the usefulness of end user systems to library and information science students. Seventeen volunteers were offered free searching on BRS/After Dark and DIALOG's Knowledge Index. The search itself, postsearch questionnaire, and completed research papers were analyzed for databases used, cost and time online, and precision.…

Describes the design and development of an image database for photographs in the Ulster Museum (Northern Ireland) that used parallelism from a transputer network. Topics addressed include image processing techniques; documentation needed for the photographs, including indexing, classifying, and cataloging; problems; hardware and software aspects;…

Describes the Mercury Electronic Library, a project at Carnegie Mellon University that involved development of software for an electronic library, implementation of the software by the university libraries, and stimulation of the market for electronic publishing. The library information system interface and databases and the computing system…

Describes an educational computer network, SuperInterface, that could be used for telestudy for university education. Topics discussed include computer-supported collaborative work; computer-based learning; multimedia databases, or electronic books; human-machine interfaces; hardware, software, and groupware; learners; teachers; organizations and…

Highlights the changes that have occurred from 1987-93 in database access systems. Topics addressed include types of databases, including CD-ROMs; enduser interface; database selection; database access management, including library instruction and use of primary literature; economic issues; database users; the search process; and improving…

Describes a study that investigated the effects of cognitive style (field dependent and field independent) and online database search experience (novice and experienced) on undergraduate World Wide Web search performance. Considers user factors to predict search efficiency and discusses implications for Web interface design and user training…

This report focuses on the user of a prototype hypertext application designed to help coin collectors link ancient coins with relevant numismatic information. It is noted that hypertext systems promote the collection of information that may be multimedia in nature and may be linked so that information can be accessed in a non-linear manner. The…

The Library of Congress presents the history of its Machine Readable Cataloging (MARC) system. Descriptions of MARC pilot projects and distribution services are followed by a discussion of several conversion projects undertaken by libraries in order to implement MARC. Then MARC's influence on standardization of formats for information interchange,…

Describes the online catalog in a university library, including the database, the database index, user instruction, the command language and search capabilities, functions of various commands, statistics generated to monitor system use, and hardware for both public access and staff use. (CHC)

Describes the architecture of the prototype of an image management system that has been used to develop an application concerning images of frescoes in the Sistina Chapel in the Vatican. Hardware and software design are described, the use of local area networks (LANs) is discussed, and data organization is explained. (15 references) (LRW)

This paper proposes a model for a general interface between people and Computer Algebra Systems (CAS). The main features in the CAS interface are data navigation and the possibility of accessing powerful remote machines. This model is based on the idea of session management, in which the main engine of the tool enables interactions with the…