Massive amount of data is generated everyday through sensors, Internet transactions, social networks, video, and all other digital sources available. Many organizations store this data to enable breakthrough discoveries and innovation in science, engineering, medicine, and commerce. Such massive scale of data poses new research problems called big…

In this thesis, we study the importance of background knowledge in relation extraction systems. We not only demonstrate the benefits of leveraging background knowledge to improve the systems' performance but also propose a principled framework that allows one to effectively incorporate knowledge into statistical machine learning models for…

Some salient concepts derived from the information sciences and currently used in theories of human memory are critically reviewed. The application of automata theory is proposed as a new approach in this field. The approach is illustrated by applying it to verbal memory. (Author)

This paper provides a conceptual framework for addressing the issue of effectiveness and efficiency in education. It considers alternative criteria for identifying efficiency and discusses constraints on improving efficiency. The first section distinguishes efficiency from effectiveness, and also distinguishes "internal" from "external" efficiency…

The Comparative Systems Laboratory (CSL) proposed to deal with the problem of testing retrieval systems by examining a number of processes involved in such systems, with particular attention to the human factor. It is hoped that the results of the project will be useful in refining methodologies for experimentation with information retrieval (IR)…

The broad objective of this investigation was to explore the potential and applicability of automatic methods for the indexing of drug-related information appearing in English natural language text and to find out what can be learned about automatic indexing in general from the experience. More specific objectives were the development,…

A proposed classification system was studied to determine its efficacy to the Air Force Control-Display Area. Based on negative outcomes from a logical assessment of the proposed system, an alternate system was proposed to include the coordinate index concept. Upon development of a thesaurus and an index system for 106 documents on VSTOL/VTOL…

Describes computer program which converts text of user input and system responses from online search system into fixed format records describing interaction. Query language syntax, format of output record produced by parser, problems in constructing parser, its performance characteristics, and recommendations for improving process of logging…

Objectives of this project were to develop and test a method for automatically processing the text of abstracts for a document retrieval system. The test corpus consisted of 768 abstracts from the metallurgical section of Chemical Abstracts (CA). The system, based on a subject indexing rational, had two components: (1) a stored dictionary of words…

A correlation between recall (the retrieval of all available relevant documents) and quantity of text which served as a source of index terms on input can reasonably be expected. Specifically, recall should decrease as the quantity of text serving as a source of index terms is restricted. On the other hand, the time for indexing and therefore the…

A translating-computer-interface approach to providing a common, or virtual-system, mode of access to a network of heterogeneous online bibliographic retrieval systems has been investigated. Enhanced access to such systems by end users has been demonstrated through test usage of an experimental interface. A table-driven, rule-based message…

Explores relationships between holdings data input into an online catalog and the output, including specific housing location, call number, size information, full-piece-specific hierarchy and enumeration, status of piece, and bibliographic or local notes. Record structure for holdings segment of Triangle Research Libraries Network online catalog…

This third volume of the Comparative Systems Laboratory (CSL) Final Technical Report is a collection of relatively independent studies performed on CSL materials. Covered in this document are studies on: (1) properties of files, including a study of the growth rate of a dictionary of index terms as influenced by number of documents in the file and…

The purpose of this project was to provide guidance to ERIC on how to facilitate product information retrieval. Information on practitioner needs, on the use of descriptors and abstracting procedures, and on alternatives for improving the system was gathered and circulated to NIE staff members. The resulting document described three alternative…