Discussion of precision in information retrieval highlights a prototype online catalog, ILSA (Improving Library Subject Access), developed at Indiana University of Pennsylvania that uses subject clusters and classification. Topics addressed include problems with keyword searching, controlled vocabulary, and thesauri; natural language mapping…

Discussion of accessing visual resources focuses on possibilities for subject access. Projects in North America and Europe that represent current trends in accessing visual resources are described; computer-aided retrieval strategies are reviewed, including key words, comprehensive descriptors, and optical scanning; and user needs are considered.…

Describes a study that investigated subject retrieval in a group of humanities databases. Scatter by subject field and type of search term is discussed, the effectiveness of natural language and of controlled vocabulary are compared, and implications for system designers concerned with end-user searches in the humanities are suggested. (37…