Media like videogames (and novels, film, music, etc.) play an important role in most people's lives, and creation and comprehension of these works benefit from critical study. Scholarly analysis of media has been facilitated by information retrieval technology, which not only saves time, but also makes it possible to ask new kinds of questions.…

When a pandemic outbreak occurs, it seems logical that related scientific production should increase substantially; however, it is important to recognize its interdisciplinary usefulness to find a solution to the problem. The main aim of this research is to analyse the main keywords of the scientific research about COVID-19, by subject area. To…

Awareness of faculty research interests is an important aspect of a subject librarian's responsibilities. This paper illustrates the potential of Voyant Tools, an application in wide use among digital humanities researchers, to reveal word patterns in the research output of applied science faculty. A corpus of recent article citations from Web of…

Written examinations represent one of the most common assessment tools in education. Though typically perceived as measurement instruments, written examinations are primarily texts that perform a communicative function. To complement existing research, this study viewed written examinations as a distinct form of communication (i.e. 'register').…

This paper examines the problems involved in subject retrieval from full-text databases of secondary materials in the humanities. Ten such databases were studied and their search functionality evaluated, focusing on factors such as Boolean operators, document surrogates, limiting by subject area, proximity operators, phrase searching, wildcards,…

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a model for an intertextuality-oriented classification scheme for fiction, to be used by Humanities scholars studying fiction. The methodology used includes a literature review to establish background, followed by the development of a classification scheme by modifying and adding to existing fiction…

Examples are given of the kinds of machine-readable data bases that should be developed in order to extend attempts at universal bibliographical control into neglected areas, the results of which can be used by researchers in the humanities, specifically those using books printed before 1801. The principles of bibliographical description,…

Drawing upon an efficacious method for discovering previously unknown causes of medical syndromes and searching in the Humanities Index, an illuminating new humanities analogy between the epistemological ideas of Robert Frost and the ancient Greek philosopher Carneades was found by constructing a search statement in which proper names were coupled…

Describes textual database queries in the humanities based on poststructuralist theories and experiences with the ARTFL (American and French Research on the Treasury of the French Language) database. The use of computers for literary research and text interpretation and analysis is considered. (Contains nine references.) (LRW)

Discussion of information retrieval as a process of communication focuses on the concept of symbolic interaction. Topics addressed include communication, interaction, and information retrieval; information retrieval as symbolic interaction and as social interaction; and examples from a study of the information behavior of humanities scholars at…

Investigates vocabulary of the humanities by analyzing terms used as entry points in leading encyclopedias and dictionaries in humanities. Categories that distinguish entry terms by precision and potential for effectiveness in subject access are proposed and a sample of entry terms is classified into these categories. Thirty-five sources are…

Contrasts the nature of citation practices in the sciences and in the humanities, and details the workings of the Institute for Scientific Information's new Arts and Humanities Citation Index. Fifteen references are cited. (FM)

Reviews the development of secondary information services in the arts and humanities, discusses the services currently provided and the usage levels for those services, outlines some of the problems associated with online databases in the humanities, and considers some probable future developments. A 5-item reference list is included. (JL)

Describes the development of a system to retrieve images for an international project that is producing a pictorial dictionary of classical mythology, the Lexicon Iconographicum Mythologiae Classicae. Applications to other types of information are discussed, two classification systems for Art History are described, and design principles for…

This report presents the rationale, motivation, and formal description underlying the General Retrieval and Information Processor for Humanities Oriented Studies (GRIPHOS) Management Information System. This system was devised to handle "card catalog" types of information; perform searches that are usually carried out in archives,…