The nature of IS technologies and the range of their appropriate and inappropriate uses continue to evolve and expand. MIS educational programs have a challenge to provide both the appropriate content to introduce students to classic information ethics problems, as well as the methods for analyzing possible actions within a complex realistic…

The rapidly increasing amount of information retrieval experimentation necessitates that considerable attention be paid to the problems of experimental methodology. The authors feel that the generalized and well-known experience in the physical, life and behavioral sciences concerning the role of methodology in scientific research must be applied…

The purpose of this work is to help build and bridge between total overviews of the fields of information science and empirical research. This is done by building a model for linking multidisciplinary approaches into a relevant and effective whole, and for deriving testable propositions from this new framework. (63 references) (Author/KE)

A taxonomy for modeling information systems is presented. Epistemology is used as a prescriptive modeling basis and it is shown how the different models can be made scientifically operational by using a special kind of systems analysis. Results of a preliminary experiment based on one of the models are presented. (60 references) (Author/KE)

Zipf's law states that if words in a text are arranged in decreasing order of occurrence, then the product of the rank of a word and the number of times it occurs is a constant of that text. Examination of the probabilities of occurrence of multi-word phrases in information retrieval in relation to the probabilities of occurrence of single words…

The Delphi method is an attractive method for graduate students completing masters and PhD level research. It is a flexible research technique that has been successfully used in our program at the University of Calgary to explore new concepts within and outside of the information systems body of knowledge. The Delphi method is an iterative process…

A group of readings was collected to provide a background on the problems of identifying information needs. The readings are divided into four parts: General Aspects and Concepts of Information, Studies of User Information Needs, Critiques of Use and User Studies, and an epilogue. Each part contains a general introduction and a selection of…

A national survey was conducted to validate an interdisciplinary curriculum called "Information Systems," which merges the traditional communication arts with computer, library, and management services. Samples were drawn from two populations: business world (professionals in information systems) and academic (chairpersons in computer…

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…

Measures, tools, and techniques applicable to the performance measurement of computer communication networks are described for technicians who procure computer services from a remote access network. Cost considerations are discussed as a major component of evaluation, and measurement and evaluation methodologies are surveyed. External measurement…

This book is developed from the proceedings of a symposium sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and the System Development Corporation. It presents a survey and a practical guide for formulating individual application requirements and forecasting future availability of data processing capabilities. Part I consists of seven articles covering…