This study investigated the relationship of baud rate, searcher experience, performance anxiety, and search outcome in the performance of an online bibliographic search. A significant interaction of baud rate and experience was observed, as well as a relationship between anxiety and search performance. Results contain implications for training and…

Describes the use of PROLOG to program knowledge-based information retrieval systems, in which the knowledge contained in a document is translated into machine processable logic. Several examples of the resulting search process, and the program rules supporting the process, are given. (10 references) (CLB)

Investigates methods of compressing headings identified by MARC subfield codes to reduce the size of browsable displays. An argument is made for sorting subdivisions by a conceptual, rather than an alphabetical, approach to present efficient browsable displays and relieve the user of the burden of data organization. (14 references) (Author/CLB)

Examines the definition and history of artificial intelligence (AI) and investigates the body of literature on AI found in "Library Literature" and "Library and Information Science Abstracts." The results reported include the number of articles by year and per journal, and the percentage of articles dealing with library…

Describes a model which uses patron arrival rate, length of time on the terminal, and library service policies to determine the minimum number of terminals needed. The model is then used to compare the effects of various service policies on the minimum number of terminals. (CLB)

Presents results of a study that examined the effectiveness of adjacency operators in improving precision and recall in FirstSearch title keyword searches. Compared subject headings of retrieved items to sample title subject headings and discovered that when keywords were limited in meaning and adjacency operators were used, precision was…

Describes Project Alexandria, a digital library initiative funded by the National Science Foundation based at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that provides online access to spatial data in a distributed environment with search options by areas of interest on a base map or by text, according to user preference. (Author/LRW)

Describes a survey that examined ways in which users interacted with the authority control of online catalogs developed commercially and locally. The two types of system are compared in terms of displayed messages related to authority control and system capabilities to aid users in understanding the relationships between headings. (CLB)

Describes a study which examined (1) the percentage of personal and corporate name authority records in the Library of Congress authority file that do not contain any references, and (2) the percentage of references present on existing authority records that are not needed in an automatic right hand truncation, keyword searching environment. (CLB)

Describes a study that examined the ability of the dBase database management system to perform secondary key retrieval on multivalued data items. The results are presented as time cost relative to the number of matching records, and situations in which a different management system might be appropriate are identified. (CLB)

Describes a computer program designed to manage statistics about online searches which reports the number of searches by vendor, purpose, and librarian; calculates charges to departments and individuals; and prints monthly invoices to users with standing accounts. (CLB)

Assesses the current state of reference structures in online public access catalogs (OPACs) in a framework defined by stagnation, progress, and future challenges. Outlines six areas for reference structure development. Twenty figures provide illustrations. (AEF)

Describes a pilot project by the University of California to provide access to biomedical and health sciences literature through the integration of the MEDLINE database into the University's MELVYL online union catalog. The discussion covers the design, implementation and evaluation of the system, current planning efforts, and key technical and…

Describes a prototype online search system called ASK (Assisted Search for Knowledge) that will provide Internet and dial-up access to an array of databases related to environmental and demographic change. The Global Change Data and Information system that is being organized by federal agencies is described. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the traditional alphabetical arrangement of library card catalogs and suggests this order should be reconsidered in online catalogs. Online searching in library catalogs is described; the ordering of records in online catalogs is examined; and filtering is considered as a method to order retrieved sets of bibliographic records. (Contains…