SPIRES (Stanford Public Information REtrieval System) is a computer information storage and retrieval system being developed at Stanford University with funding from the National Science Foundation. SPIRES has two major goals: to provide a user-oriented, interactive, on-line retrieval system for a variety of researchers at Stanford; and to support…

Describes the "Toronto Globe and Mail" database-the first example of the entire text of a major daily newspaper online, and notes the file elements and possible search strategies. (RAA)

A syntax methodology provides a descriptive mechanism to enable machine readable storage and retrieval of numeric data contained in bibliographic documents. The body of this paper treats the nature of "the syntax,""the data element," and the language by which this syntax is expressed. A discussion of the methodology illustrates…

A modular program is recommended for automation of the clippings file of "The Daily Texan" (student newspaper of the University of Texas at Austin). The proposed system will lead ultimately to on-line storage of the index, on-line storage of local, staff-written news stories from the previous twenty-four months, micrographic storage for backup and…

Intrex is an experimental bibliographic and full text storage and retrieval system which has advanced the concept of the on-line interactive search of a computer stored bibliographic data base and the on-line access to a microfiche document storage. The Intrex system includes a set of computer programs designed for information retrieval, a…

This paper proposes solutions to technical, copyright, and financial problems of downloading (storage in machine-readable form at user's site as result of searches in machine-readable file held on vendor's computer). Challenges of downloading--establishing ground rules, new pricing structure, new sales possibilities--are discussed. Six references…

Gives an overview of MEDLARS II as an example of a major bibliographic processing system that supports on-line access to a number of very large files, has efficient throughput, and is operated on a single large-scale computer. (Author/PF)

Demonstrates that hierarchical naming schemes--one with a single namespace and fixed root spread over all machines in a distributed system, and a second with total namespace composed of some aggregation of individual namespaces of each component system's filestores--can coexist in distributed computer systems. Combined system's design is…

Describes an online library catalog in which bibliographic references have been compiled by simply transcribing the descriptive data found on the title page and elsewhere on the documents, and discusses the wider implications of the use of natural language descriptions without modifications. Eleven references are listed. (FM)

Describes ways of using Boolean questions with a clustered information file, and reviews an experiment studying the effect of such a retrieval method. (FM)

The virtues of interactive systems are speed, intimacy, and - if time-sharing is involved - economy. The major problems are the cost of the large computers and files necessary for bibliographic data, the still-high cost of communications, and the generally poor design of the user-system interfaces. (Author)

Describes the requirements, data elements, functions and systems design for an online search log which maintains records of search services provided. (CWM)

Examines design functions of present file organizations in the context of available data storage devices and identifies current developmental trends. (Author/RAA)

Because experience with large information retrieval (IR) and database management (DBM) systems has shown that they are not adequate for the handling of textual material, two Swedish companies--Paralog and AU-System Network--have joined in a venture to develop a software package which combines features from IR and DMB systems to form a Text Data…