Examines why the "paperless office" has failed to materialize despite the availability of appropriate information technology. Conceptual limits are discussed, including the continued reliance on relational database management systems; the use of free-text retrieval software is considered; and social limits are described, including access…

Discussion of information retrieval from online databases focuses on sorting techniques to help the user analyze the increasing number of references that may result from a search. Link analysis and Datalink software are described, and examples using keyword factorial analysis and research pole analysis are presented. (16 references) (LRW)

Presents a general overview of the development of Information Science Abstracts. The historical perspective, including the contributions of individuals and institutions, is discussed; its coverage is compared with that of other information science databases; and retrieval capabilities are described. (four references) (Author/CLB)

Presents an operational definition of personal information retrieval systems and describes design principles of current applications and existing systems, current trends, and research guidelines for general design principles. (4 references) (Author/CLB)

Compares OCLC's competitively priced online search services--EPIC, designed for librarians and experienced searchers, and FirstSearch, designed for end-users. Discussed are databases offered, ease of searching, holdings information, training needs, and pricing. Appendices of available databases and indexes for each service are included. (four…

Explains multimedia information systems (MMIS) and describes a pilot system with automatic content retrieval developed at the Victoria University of Manchester (England). Topics discussed include types of databases; requirements of the Manchester MMIS; system architecture and operation; semantic data and their representation of images; queries;…

Analyzes attributes of symbols and identifies the need for a suitable management system for retrieving images from a database. A classification structure that incorporates graphic, semantic, and bibliographic dimensions is described; experiments with describing, sorting, and drawing symbols are reviewed; and future work on a database management…

Discusses alternatives to the Boolean system that would enable users of online bibliographic databases--primarily those containing scientific and technical information--to obtain their required level of performance at lowest cost. Highlights include recall and precision factors (natural and controlled language, titles, abstracts, quorum function)…

Discusses the theoretical frameworks and design considerations for an experimental electronic library system named Cybermagazine and considers the potential of multimedia approaches to information retrieval and delivery. Issues considered include current awareness services, user interface, database management, cataloging, and document delivery.…

Description of the computerized information system that supports the editorial and manufacturing processes involved in creation of Wilson's subject indexes and catalogs includes the major subsystems--online data entry, batch input processing, validation and release, file generation and database management, online and offline retrieval, publication…

The impact of emerging information technologies on the information industry is discussed in four papers. Topics covered include electronic delivery of full text primary literature; a brief evaluation of new information processing technologies and software; networking technologies; and the use of gateway technologies to create new products and…

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 study conducted with British undergraduate library science students that compared natural language indexing and searching with controlled language searching on a computerized database. The use of the ERIC Thesaurus and Sears List of Subject Headings is explained, recall and precision measures are reported, and further research is…