Reports on the creation of a prototype, Web-based expert system that helps users better navigate library databases at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Discusses concerns that gave rise to the project. Summarizes previous work/research and common approaches in academic libraries today. Describes plans for testing the prototype,…

Millennial students make up a large portion of undergraduate students attending colleges and universities, and they have a variety of online resources available to them to complete academically related information searches, primarily Web based and library-based online information retrieval systems. The content, ease of use, and required search…

Suggests a unified concept of a lexical subsystem as part of an information system to deal with lexical problems in local and network environments. The linguistic and control functions of the lexical subsystems in solving problems for large computer systems are described, and references are included. (Author/BK)

This special issues comprises nine papers presenting a wide selection of approaches to handling subjectivity, vagueness, and imprecision in information retrieval (IR) and database management necessary for success in designing, developing and implementing effective tools for information access. (LRW)

Although hypertext system usage has been studied, little research has examined the relationship of searcher performance and perception of performance, particularly for hypertext-based information retrieval systems for bibliographic data. This article reports preliminary findings of a study at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in which 83…

Database Tomography (DT) is a system which includes algorithms for extracting multi-word phrase frequencies and performing phrase proximity analyses on any type of large textual database. DT was used to derive technical intelligence from a near-earth space (NES) database derived from the Science Citation Index and the Engineering Compendex.…

Reports the preliminary findings of a research project that investigated users' mental models in the course of an image search. Generalist users searched a database of 1500 earth and space science images using a system that provided for both textual and content-based retrieval modalities. Factors such as ease of use and satisfaction with the…

Flexibility in query handling can be important if one types a search engine query that is misspelled, contains terms not in the database, or requires knowledge of a controlled vocabulary. Presents results of experiments that suggest the optimal form of similarity functions that are applicable to the task of phrase based retrieval to find either…

This report examines the features of computer information systems, differentiating between data files, search systems, and computer information organizations. An annotated listing is provided of those computer information retrieval files of interest to the music education researcher. This listing is divided into five categories: (1) music and…

Describes an information retrieval system in which advanced natural language processing is used to enhance the effectiveness of term-based document retrieval by preprocessing the documents; discovering interterm dependencies and build a conceptual hierarchy specific to database domain; and processing the user's natural language requests into…

The resolution power of a key is its ability, in the context of other keys for a given request, to increase query performance. This article studies the statistical properties of search keys, methods of characterizing the resolution power of keys automatically, and effects keys of varying resolution power have on retrieval effectiveness. (AEF)

This document lists and describes briefly the organizations which provide computerized searches of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) data base. All sites providing search services on a regular basis are included. The survey of 212 entries is organized geographically and entries are grouped by state and city. Foreign entries…

Points out the need for informed and experienced users of data bases. Discusses the definition of a data base, creating a data base for research, comparison use, and checking written text as a data base. (EL)

This user guide is comprised of the text of a series of lectures designed to establish an understanding of available data resources in several scientific and technological areas. Presentations of general information on this subject and more detailed examples of specific scientific, medical, and governmental systems are included. The following…

Reports views of six professionals--a psychologist, an educator, an administrative assistant at a medical college, a chemist, and a labor lawyer--who conduct their own online searching. The uses of microcomputers and online databases, costs, time involved, information needs, and satisfaction with the accuracy of search results are discussed. (EJS)