The National Library of Medicine's Current Information Transfer in English public access online catalog offers unique subject search capabilities--natural-language query input, automatic medical subject headings display, closest match search strategy, ranked document output, dynamic end user feedback for search refinement. References, description…

Designed to characterize journals as part of the selection process for journals to be included in an information retrieval database, two studies used bibliometric techniques to examine patterns of publishing and topic patterns and coverage, and a third developed a rule-based system to evaluate the qualities of a journal. (CLB)

This editorial addresses the issue of whether or not to provide free-text, keyword/boolean search capabilities in the information retrieval mechanisms of online public access catalogs and discusses online catalogs developed prior to 1980--keyword searching, phrase searching, and precoordination and postcoordination. (EJS)

A hierarchical extension to the American National Standard for Bibliographic Information Interchange on Magnetic Tape is defined and described. The accommodation of the extension within the existing standard is discussed, modifications to the existing standard are proposed, and applications of the hierarchical format are presented. (21 references)…

Discusses the distinctive differences between the English and Chinese languages from the system designer's point of view and explores the potential problems for Chinese information retrieval systems, focusing on character entry and retrieval. The advantages and disadvantages of current approaches are discussed, and a regular expression search…

Discussion of factors which led Division of Library Automation, University of California, to configure its computing resources as they are now, notes distributed processing, centralized processing, machine architecture, selection of operating system, telecommunications software, software packages for online catalogs, and problems of overhead and…

Describes design and implementation of the Research Libraries Information Network Reports System, which provides generalized computer programs for selecting MARC records and preparing bibliographic lists. Discussion includes overview of list production, establishing control languages, selection (library and status filtering, logical filtering,…

Recommends an expansion of MARC codes for decimal class numbers to enhance automated subject retrieval. Five values for a second indicator and two new subfields are suggested for encoding hierarchical relationships among decimal class numbers. Additional subfields are suggested to enhance retrieval through analysis of synthesized numbers in…

Discusses some of the problems in creating bibliographic descriptions for materials published in languages which employ nonroman scripts, analyzes the impact of online catalog systems in overcoming some of these difficulties, and describes some of the computer hardware, particularly terminals, being developed to handle nonroman scripts. (JL)

Summarizes difficulties in creating formal bibliographic citations to public access machine-readable documents (PAMD): no established format for PAMD references in tradition of scholarly writing; structure of computer conferencing results in authors using language different from that used in written communications; information storage problems of…

Describes a videodisc-based information display system in which a computer terminal is used to search the online PATSEARCH database from a remote host with local microcomputer control to select and display drawings from the retrieved records. System features and system components are discussed and criteria for system evaluation are presented.…

Discusses intelligent front-end processors designed to impose uniform standards on multiple databases and assist searchers, including motivation for development, prototypes from research community, commercial systems using microcomputers, capabilities and problems encountered in developing Franklin Institute's Online Database Search Assistance…

Describes ongoing project to automate production of 26 indexes and catalogs produced by H. W. Wilson Company through use of the BEACON system and its online screen-edit program, SCREED. System objectives, system architecture, specifications, components (data entry, validation, release, file generation, retrieval, publication, photocomposition,…

Retrievability of titles of 152 periodicals were compared in a fixed-length algorithmic search (Library Computer System) and a keyword search (Washington Library Network) to determine which type of search algorithm is more successful with titles of varying lengths. Three references and a list of English language stopwords are appended. (EJS)

Academic clientele expect their library to select the best information and organize it effectively for their personal consumption. Some answers to a hierarchical approach are customization through a MyLibrary feature, a role-based vertical view, and a powerful search engine all built on a rich resource database. Each is discussed. (AEF)