Compares WILSONDISC's Index to Legal Periodicals with LEGALTRAC's Legal Resources Index in terms of: contents; searching (including comparison of several identical searches run on both databases); and costs. (MES)

Describes a study that examined the effects of end-user CD-ROM MEDLINE on online mediated search requests when there was no fee for an online search. The findings indicate that requests for online searches remained fairly constant, while demand for CD-ROM searches steadily increased. Factors other than cost that affect the popularity of CD-ROM are…

Survey of currently available CD-ROM products discusses: (1) subject orientation; (2) database type; (3) update frequency; (4) price structure; (5) hardware configuration; (6) retrieval software; and (7) publisher/marketer. Several graphs depict data in these areas. (five references) (MES)

Summarizes the two phases in the preparation of an electronic version of the "New Oxford English Dictionary" and discusses possible uses of machine-readable dictionaries. (seven references) (MES)

Discusses online database searching and electronic information sources in Australia. Highlights include CD-ROM technology, the Internet, searching software, and content. A sidebar provides a list of 28 Australian and New Zealand electronic information sources. (AEF)

The current president of the American Society for Information Science shares his observations about the information industry, identifying positive and negative trends, and discusses the role ASIS can play in the continuing growth of the industry. (Author/CLB)

Compares and evaluates three CD-ROM products for the ERIC database: (1) DIALOG OnDISC; (2) OCLC's Search CD450; and (3) SilverPlatter. The focus is on search capabilities and features. (1 reference) (MES)

Describes the Tacoma Public Library's experience with "BIP Plus," the CD-ROM version of Books in Print. Memory requirements, search capabilities, automatic ordering, and the library staff's response are discussed. Keyword searching is explained as the system's most used feature, and price the area of most serious concern. (EM)

Discusses issues which will have an impact on database searching for the next five years: (1) quality control; (2) more inhouse databases; (3) changes in database visuals; (4) pricing policies; and (5) market changes. A number of favorable and unfavorable changes unlikely to occur within five years are also noted. (MES)

Provides background on ERIC and describes how to search the compact disc version of the ERIC database using SilverPlatter. (MES)

This study of INFOTRAC and WILSONDISC examined published reactions of librarians and users to these two products, as well as differences between the products in terms of search techniques and presentation of information. (25 references) (MES)

Discusses online search techniques that can be used to identify inaccuracies and inconsistencies in records of online and CD-ROM databases. Methods that can be used to sample a database for errors in descriptor, name, or coded fields are described, including browsing, matching, looking up cross-references, and searching for implausible record…

This text is intended as a guide for searching ERIC using the SilverPlatter CD-ROM database. The text describes the content and function of the ERIC database and demonstrates fundamental search techniques by following an example of a successful ERIC computer search. The search begins with the choice of a topic, the formulation of a search…

Discusses reasons for selecting ERIC with the Dialog OnDisc software for training information professionals in online searching at the University of California, Berkeley, and analyzes some of the features of the CD-ROM software. Pros and cons of online and OnDisc access are summarized, and three references are listed. (Author/MES)

The last three decades have shown a marked development in new technologies for storing and retrieving information: microform in the 1960s; online database in the 1970s, and CD-ROM in the 1980s. While microform lacks volatility and multiple access points, preservation programs find it to be ideal storage media: it has a longer life expectancy than…