Examines the distribution of bibliographic records in online bibliographic databases using 14 different search topics on DIALOG. Discusses the presence of duplicate records and problems with lexical ambiguity, and concludes that the number of databases needed for searches with varying complexities of search strategies is much more topic dependent…

Presents an approach to automatic matching and linkage of citations between databases which applied 14 coding techniques and measured their effectiveness in terms of efficiency of retrieval of duplicates with minimal false hits, reliability, and performance. (EAM)

Reports results of searching four social science databases to determine if "information society" has reached paradigmatic status. Results found a decline in the use of the term and concluded that it is not yet possible to say that "information society" is a paradigm. An appendix lists journals carrying articles on the…

An obvious and natural approach to organizing a large corpus of data is a hierarchical index--akin to a book's table of contents. The type of corpus dealt with here is a bibliographical repository, with entries form a limited domain. Given such an index, it is desirable that search results point to relevant locations in the hierarchy, rather than…

This study examines precision and recall for title and keyword searches performed in the "FirstSearch" WorldCat database when keywords are used with and without adjacency of terms specified. A random sample of 68 titles in economics were searched in the OCLC (Online Computer Library Center) Online Union Catalog in order to obtain their…

This paper provides the documentation for the program that provides access to the University of Illinois Online Catalog (OLC), together with a script to be used with 17 slides explaining the development of the program. Advantages of connecting a database to a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) system are outlined and sources of additional…

Describes a study that examined four sources of LC-MARC cataloging records (a CD-ROM version available through Bibliofile, an online version from DIALOG, and two bibliographic utilities, OCLC and the Research Libraries Information Network) to determine the extent to which exact and/or helpful cataloging is present in each. (two references) (CLB)

Describes a project that examined the effects of incorporating subject terms from the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) into a bibliographic database. It is concluded that the incorporation of DDC and possibly other library classifications into online catalogs can enhance subject access and provide additional subject searching strategies. (11…

Reviews literature about cataloging large microform sets. Subjects include: determination of location by remote users of online catalogs, guidelines for prioritizing cataloging of unanalyzed and underused microform collections, catalog versus finding aid, and catalog credibility. (JKP)

This study examines the Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC's) CJK350 system with which one is able to input and retrieve Chinese, Japanese, and Korean bibliographic records containing both alphabetical and vernacular characters. In order to study the effectiveness of the system from the Chinese language users' point of view, a field test was…

Explores to what extent the germ theory, when it was still a relatively new idea, is evident in the bibliographic records in the "Index-Catalogue of the Library of the Surgeon-General's Office of the United States Army" (Index Cat), the largest medical bibliographical tool ever published. Data suggest that scientists are quick to apply the new…

Describes a study that investigated the value of various access points in online catalog records by determining their usefulness to searchers who requested location information for items. Results of a transaction log analysis of the Illinois Library Computer Systems Office online union catalog for 45 academic libraries are discussed. (LRW)

Describes the implementation of a new set of indexes in the NOTIS/LUIS system that provide author, title, and subject access to bibliographic and authority records in the NOTIS/MARC format. The discussion covers index record structure and content, the design philosophy and process, and functions supported by the system. (Author/CLB)

An outline is given of a workshop session on copyright issues held at the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) 1992 annual meeting. The IFLA Copyright Committee advises the IFLA on the implications of worldwide developments in copyright and related rights for the acquisition, distribution, and use of recorded…

The virtual Canadian union catalog (vCuc) project is a project among Canadian libraries to use Z39.50 (an information protocol standard) for searching distributed individual library catalogs and union catalogs. This paper summarizes the major technical, vendor, bibliographic data, and administrative issues that must be resolved before the…