Librarians rely on the Institute for Scientific Information's journal impact factor as a tool for selecting periodicals, primarily in scientific disciplines. A current trend is to use this data as a means for evaluating the performance of departments, institutions, and even researchers in academic institutions--a process that is now being tied to…

Since 1959 the Young Adult Library Services Association's (YALSA) Outstanding Books for the College Bound committees have debated and selected both classic and contemporary book titles for recommended reading lists of books for young adults who are planning to continue their education beyond high school. This book presents their cumulative…

Shows how a well-respected collection development tool contains ideological frames, using the "Public Library Catalog" (PLC) as an example. Evaluation by library science graduate students indicate that the PLC makes recommendations that have an imbalance of perspectives, overemphasize a particular facet or theory within a field, lack authority,…

Proposes evaluation methods based on the use of nondichotomous relevance judgements in information retrieval (IR) experiments. Argues that evaluation methods should credit IR methods for their ability to retrieve highly relevant documents. This is desirable from the user point of view in modern large IR environments. (Author/AEF)

To select an adapted mobility device for a 5-year-old boy with blindness and spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, a multidisciplinary team used 8-millimeter videography to evaluate the subject's joint angle during ambulation with one of three canes and with no cane. The I-style cane provided optimal posture and gait pattern. (Contains references.) (CR)

Collecting full-text CD-ROMs for a humanities library requires an examination of literary research and the way literature is taught. It is within this context that selectors must establish selection criteria and develop plans for promoting use of these new resources. Includes a checklist of literary and technical criteria for selection. (Contains…

This article summarizes guidelines developed by the Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services Early Childhood Research Institute for selecting and adapting materials for young children and their families. Recommendations are provided that community teams should consider in collecting, selecting, and reflecting on materials. Tips are also…

Collection development in the highly specialized area of the United States merchant marine, which includes navigation, marine engineering, shipping, naval architecture and shipbuilding, and seamanship, requires familiarity with the national and international organizations, governmental and other, which regulate and oversee the marine industry.…

Applies content analysis to compare assessments of 153 titles in U.S. history, each reviewed in "Choice,""American Historical Review," and "Journal of American History" between 1988 and 1995. A numerical rating system is used to quantify reviewers' overall opinions and their use of specific evaluative criteria. (Author/LRW)

Presents a 1992 study which discovered and investigated collection development bias in academic and public libraries in California. The investigation was carried out in five stages: (1) selected a controversial topic; (2) identified representative works; (3) ranked works by qualified judges; (4) measured holdings via library online computer…

Describes the authors' research behind the Historic Cancellation of Fact method, a solution to the information explosion crisis. Each existing paper is evaluated in the light of new papers published the day before, and any "old" paper which has suffered obsolescence is immediately pulled and republished in its entirety in SCRUB (Science Culling…

Choosing the right training technology for an organization should be based on the effectiveness and the costs of alternative delivery methods. ADVISOR 2.0 (a media selection/cost analysis tool) uses a systematic approach to analyze a training course, focusing on evaluation of direct and hidden costs, amount of up-front investment required, and…

The four basic criteria for the selection of library materials--quality, library relevancy, aesthetic and technical aspects, and cost--remain the same in the electronic era of information. What they mean and how they are used has changed. But even quality and cost, the two most controversial criteria, carry great importance for the responsible…

This epilogue discusses potentials in future clinical decision-making using the emerging functional neuroimaging technology, including identification of the mechanisms underlying cognitive functions and prediction of spared/impaired cognitive functions, those related to recovery of function and prediction of treatment candidacy; and those related…

Undergraduate recruitment is a significant activity for all universities. This brief report sets out the results of a survey regarding the course and institutional choices of the 2005-06 entry cohort of bioscience students in four universities. The key findings show that enjoyment of the subject and the wish to learn more are the primary reasons…