Learning has transcended into a life-long endeavor in the information age. It is no longer restricted to confines of formal classrooms. Consequently, a student is not restricted to traditional learning resources like teachers, textbooks or printed content. Digital resources available on the Internet form a very significant component of…

The technique described enables an on line computer based information retrieval system to aid indexers by selecting possible indexing terms to be assigned to a new document entering the system. The economic aspect of implementing the technique in a working information retrieval system is considered. (16 references) (Author/MM)

Examines current activities in subject analysis of large bibliographic databases to assist database managers in making cost-effective decisions. Issues addressed include manual indexing aids, automatic indexing, and connecting indexing terms. Several software packages are described, and future research directions are suggested. (58 references)…

Describes automatic information retrieval system designed and built to handle Arabic data. Discusses cost-effectiveness of automatic indexing. Compares retrieval results using words as index terms versus stems and roots. Includes 19 tables; 60 queries using full words and relevance judgments are appended. (JAK)

Reviews several possible methods for individual libraries to use CODOC, a Canadian developed automatic system for processing government documents. Sample costs for one set of options and economic and tangible benefits to the library of the University of Guelph/CODOC system are discussed. Three references and a 17-item bibliography are provided.…

Describes a method for enhancing the subject index terms of a document with title terms from cited, citing, and cocited documents. Experimental results of this methodology are presented, and responses to criticisms of this strategy are made. (40 references) (CLB)

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)

Describes a study that compared the coverage of the nursing profession, subject heading specificity, and ease of retrieval of the MEDLINE and Nursing & Allied Health (CINAHL) online databases. The strengths and weaknesses of each database are discussed and hints for searching on both databases are provided. (four references) (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…

Presents costs and benefits of document information systems as well as a design methodology. Highlights include the method of working, method of modelling, multiple data types, access structure and indexing, and a case study of the implementation of a document information system in the Netherlands. (Author/LRW)

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…

Reviews the literature on enhancement of catalog records using table of contents information and reports on a study at San Diego State University that examined the proportion of catalog records in the collection that could be enhanced, the extent of enhancements, and the nature of the information that could be added to notes. (24 references) (EA)

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…

Discusses the technological advances attained by the International Consortium for Alternative Academic Publication (ACAAP) aimed at reforming the scholarly communication system and providing an alternative to high-priced commercial publishing. Describes the eXtended markup language, based on SGML and HTML, that provides indexing and…