Examines the literature on the myth of "hard science-soft science" as a means of defining scientific specialties and classifying science literature, and discusses some shortcomings of scholarship in library and information science. Use of Toulmin's categorization of sciences to organize the literature and provide access for scientists is…

Reviews the use of artificial intelligence research techniques to create tools that can assist with ongoing library functions and with information skills both within and outside of the library setting. Major areas discussed include cataloging, indexing, database searching, reference services, knowledge acquisition and representation, user…

Reviews the literature on qualitative methods in information retrieval research. Qualitative research is shown to be noncontrolling, holistic and case oriented, about processes, open and flexible, diverse in methods, humanistic, inductive, and scientific. Relevance to library and information science and sources of information on qualitative…

Reviews the research and commentary on individuals' questions and specific reference queries that characterize two general approaches in librarianship and other disciplines: question itself as phenomenon of questioner's behavior, linguistic performance, or cognitive state; interaction between question and answer focusing on appropriateness of…

Describes British Library's work on Systems Dynamics, a set of techniques for building simulation models based on analysis of information feedback loops. Highlights include macro-simulation modelling activities of social science disciplines, systems analyses and models of information retrieval processes and library services, policy models, and…