Purpose: The paper aims to assess the utility of non-agriculture-specific information systems, databases, and respective controlled vocabularies (thesauri) in organising and retrieving agricultural information. The purpose is to identify thesaurus-linked tree structures, controlled subject headings/terms (heading words, descriptors), and principal…

The development of the INSPEC vocabulary system which comprises a unified indexing and classification scheme is described together with the reasons for its adoption. (Author)

This discussion of the general principles of structure and construction of numeric databases introduces the concept of data points, their relationship to each other, and their storage in a nonredundant way. The collection of numeric data and their integration into the database structure are explained. Eight references are cited. (EJS)

Describes work in progress at the Smithsonian Institution in developing a system to understand and articulate the information needed to support collection related functions. The discussion covers the data modeling methodology used and the advantages of this methodology in structuring museum collections information. (one reference) (CLB)

Three principles of classification are stressed in the development of electronic dental patient records and clinical databases: (1) the classification must have a suitable organizing principle; (2) use must be made of standard terminology; and (3) there must be standard operational criteria. (DB)

This examination of abstracting-indexing services for the field of history focuses on Historical Abstracts (HA) and America--History and Life (AHL), and their relationship to the American Bibliographical Center's Subject Profile Index (ABC-SPIndex). The history, scope, selection criteria, and classification arrangements of the two databases are…

The author describes development of a new National Occupational Classification (NOC) system for Canada. The NOC will be supplemented by JOBSCAN, a database of skills, specializations, licenses, and education levels that represent both hiring criteria and occupational experience. (CH)

Discusses the role of librarians in knowledge management in terms of designing information systems, creating classification systems and taxonomies, and implementing and operating the systems. Suggests the need for librarians to be involved in user education and training, including database searching, using current awareness services, and using…

This study examines the integration of heterogeneous bibliographic information resources from geographically distributed locations in an automated, unified, and controlled way using abstract data types called "classes" through the Message-Object Model defined in Smalltalk-80 software. The concept of achieving data consistency by…

Reports on two empirical studies that examined the nature and causes of information management indeterminism in an online research environment. A knowledge-based design for alleviating indeterminism which contains a system-generated thesaurus and an inferencing engine is proposed. (Contains 63 references.) (JLB)

The development of a new scheme for classifying the more than 7,000 documents on reading in the ERIC/CRIER data collection is described. An original scheme, developed in the early days of the clearinghouse, provided a means for listing documents in any of 45 broad subject categories in the field of reading and for identification by grade level.…

Suggests new method of external distribution called tree partitioning that involves use of binary tree to split incoming file into successively smaller partitions for internal sorting. Number of disc accesses during a tree-partitioning sort were calculated in simulation using files extracted from British National Bibliography catalog files. (19…

Introduces new procedures being used to extract knowledge from databases and discusses rationales for developing knowledge discovery methods. Methods are described for such techniques as classification, clustering, and the detection of deviations from pre-established norms. Examines potential uses of knowledge discovery in the information field.…

The Nonprofit Program Classification System being developed by the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) provides a way to enrich the information available on nonprofits and utilize the newly available NCCS/PRI National Nonprofit Organization database from the IRS Forms 990 filed annually by charities. It provides a method to organize…

The feasibility of developing a refined national reporting classification system for colleges and universities to complement the present classification system of the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) which categorizes institutions into five major classes was studied. For some types of national reporting the NCHEMS…