Discussion of local area networks and multiple file servers for concurrent information retrievals provides a rationale for workload and data allocation and presents an analytical model which will attain effective allocation policies. Nonlinear integer programming is discussed, and computational results show the effectiveness of the heuristic.…

Discusses licensing agreements and royalties to writers for the sale of articles from online databases. CARL Corporation is working with the National Writers' Union to devise a transaction-based method of paying royalty fees to authors whose articles are used through UnCover; this agreement could provide a model for use by all database services.…

Describes a study of Library of Congress (LC) Subject Headings that examined 1,000 records from the LC BOOKSM database (i.e., bibliographic records of monographs cataloged by LC) to determine current subject cataloging practices at LC. The process of constructing subject headings with free-floating subdivisions is discussed, and recommendations…

Traces the development of "The Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms" from its roots as a term list through six editions to a sophisticated searching and indexing tool, and describes the process for determining controlled vocabulary and forms of display. Features designed especially to assist novice users and nonpsychologists are also…

Describes a study of the current state of computer networks in the countries of the former Soviet Union (X-USSR). Four wide area networks are described; network uses and services are examined; social effects of computer networks are considered; and the development of the computer and telecommunications industry in X-USSR countries is discussed.…

Provides background on the organization and legislative process of the European Community (EC) and highlights the documents that form the cornerstones of the EC 1992 program to establish a unified economy. Materials described include reports, legislation, newsletters, periodicals, statistics, catalogs, and databases. (18 references) (MES)

Presents four principles for archive-based language research: maximum readability and minimum bias; consistent encoding for exhaustive computer search; systematic contrastiveness; and data comparability in elicitation, transcription and coding. Examples from existing computer archives illustrate these and other principles, and strategies are…

Reports on a study that examined scope notes added to subject headings in the Library and Information Science Abstracts (LISA) Online User Manual. Types of messages conveyed by scope notes and word patterns within the notes are identified, and comparisons between the 1982 and 1987 editions of the manual are made. (16 references) (MES)

Examined Cooperative Institutional Research Program participants' use of Freshman Survey data and their perceptions of data's effectiveness for institutional processes. Findings from 393 respondents revealed low level of use, possibly attributable to lack of knowledge about how to apply data effectively. Use of data and data's perceived…

Discusses the basic principles of the application of microfilm (analog) and electronic (digital) technologies for data storage. Image quality is examined, searching and retrieval capabilities are considered, and hardcopy output resolution is described. It is concluded that microfilm is still the preferred archival medium. (5 references) (LRW)

Examines the similarities, differences, and full-text features of the three most-used online systems for full-text searching in general libraries: DIALOG, Data-Star, and NEXIS. Overlapping databases, unique sources, search features, proximity operators, set building, language enhancement and word equivalencies, and display features are discussed.…

Reports on a survey which assessed automated authority control capabilities of 18 vendors' automated library systems, software, or services. Graphs rank vendors according to overall score, authority record source, format/storage of authority records, database dynamics, matching/linking authority and bibliographic records, syndetic structure,…

Describes a relational data model that can be used for knowledge representation and manipulation in rule-based medical consultation systems. Fuzzy queries or attribute values and fuzzy set theory are discussed, functional dependencies are described, and an example is presented of a system for diagnosing causes of eye inflammation. (15 references)…

Provides an overview of indexing in database management systems to provide librarians with more understanding of the possibilities and limitations of current information systems. Sequential, direct, indexed sequential, and virtual sequential file accessing methods are explained, and various binary tree structures are described. (EAM)

Describes Web versions of online systems and considers advantages and trade-offs for information professionals and other searchers. Web versions highlighted include Dow Jones Interactive; Dialog; LEXIS-NEXIS; and STN. (LRW)