Explores the utility of using prior domain knowledge (in the form of taxonomies over attributes, attribute values and concept classes) to constrain the rule learner's search by requiring it to be consistent with what is already known about the domain. Spreading Activation Learning (SAL) is used to efficiently learn over taxonomically structured…

Explains sublanguages in restricted domains in natural language processing and describes methods of comparing sublanguages through Case Hierarchy representation. Highlights include case grammar representations of natural language; case systems of sublanguages; sublanguage comparisons, including matching relationships and mapping relationships; and…

The National Library of Medicine is supporting a research project on full-text search and retrieval. The project includes a fully deployed system, HSTAT, to provide access to government-supported health information. The retrieval system is an object-oriented client-server model and the data is stored in an object-oriented database management…

Discussion of information retrieval and information seeking behavior focuses on a multi-dimensional conceptual model called MISE (multiple information-seeking episodes). Identifies eight different reasons why people engage in multiple information-seeking episodes, characterizes them in terms of traits of Multiple Information Seeking Episode…

Reports ongoing developmental research at the Department of Agriculture to build a high-performance knowledge base for four agencies within the Department. Describes data gathering for the information system; planning to support knowledge management practices; theory elaboration through qualitative case analysis; and use of an activity theory…

Describes an extensible object-oriented view system that supports the integration of both structured and unstructured data sources in either the multidatabase or data warehouse environment. Discusses related work and data mining issues. (AEF)

Discusses the conceptual framework for developing a rapid-prototype high-performance knowledge base for the four mission agencies of the United States Department of Agriculture and their university partners. Describes the background of the project and methods used for establishing the requirements; examines issues and problems surrounding semantic…

Describes the first stage in a study of home information systems in the United Kingdom that is being conducted to develop a theory of household information systems that will inform investors, producers, and consumers in a given region. Highlights include methodology, questions for structured interviews, task model, and technical model. (Author/LRW)

This research is concerned with reusing texts produced by audio describers as a source for automatically deriving shot-level indexing for film and video products. Results reinforce the notion that audio description is not sufficient on its own as a source for generating an index to the image, but it is valuable because it describes what is going…

Presents an abstract for a planned session on the need to coordinate user studies and information retrieval system design research. Topics include human-based research and system-based research; children's information use; usability and cartographic information systems; and ethnomethodology and system design. Panelists included: Nick Belkin, Dania…

Examines the implications of incorporating user-centered design within information systems design practices. Highlights include a definition of user-centered design based on human-computer interface; questions asked about users, including outcome, process, and task variables; and three criteria for when to use this approach in information systems…

Discussion of federal information policy focuses on a study that was conducted to identify federal information/locator systems, i.e., databases that identify information resources. The development of a database containing information on the systems is described, and the concept of a governmentwide information inventory/locator system (GIILS) is…

Discusses participatory strategic planning and describes the use of IBM's Application Transfer Study process at Jacksonville State University to develop a master plan for a campuswide information system. Planning in academe is discussed, and the use of questionnaires and interviews for needs assessment is described. (three references) (LRW)

Reports on a three-year research project entitled "The Preservation of the Integrity of Electronic Records." The project aims to identify and define in a purely theoretical way both the by-products of electronic systems and the methods for protecting the integrity of those which constitute evidence of action. (AEF)

Provides a knowledge representation frame for describing walking directions on a university campus. Directional and nondirectional content of messages that were sent by either electronic mail or voice messaging are examined; sublanguage techniques used to analyze messages are explained; and future work is discussed. (nine references) (LRW)