Describes the development and contents of a computer database which helps social studies educators identify available curriculum materials. Materials can be located by using one or a combination of the following elements: Acquisition number, publisher, institution or sponsor, author, title, grade level, copyright date, cost, number of pages, and…

Describes the operation and numerous capabilities of a British computerized data retrieval system named Prestel. It provides access, through the regular telephone network and a TV screen, to computer-based information supplied by many companies, agencies and commercial outlets. (GA)

Conference Papers Index gives both bibliographic and ordering information for papers presented at engineering, life sciences, and physical sciences conferences held throughout the world. This database description includes information on access points, sample citations, searchable fields, and data base specifications. (JPF)

As part of the Federal Data Processing Reorganization Study submitted by the Science and Technology Team, the Federal Government's role in the management of scientific and technical information is discussed. Findings identifying information needs and problems are included, as well as recommendations. (CMV)

A study subsidizing student use of online literature searching services examined how this new technology met student needs. Student search patterns and overall satisfaction with online searches were evaluated. The implications of student use of computer searches for reference services are also discussed. (Author)

Fourth installment of a directory published in four parts in "Database" (June and August) and "Online" (July and September) provides descriptions of 12 laserdisk products together with information on the producer, compatibility, type of laserdisk, search and retrieval software, interface with magnetic media, conditions of usage, price, and status.…

This evaluation of Predicasts' PROMT megafile and its implications for online searchers includes a comparison of sample searches of company and product data in PROMT and a control database, a critical evaluation of company documentation, and a survey of PROMT users. (CLB)

Recommends the use of microcomputers for computer-assisted indexing; describes five case studies; and provides a list of representative software programs including title, producer, compatible hardware, price, and a short description. (EM)

Responses to a survey from the acquisition coordinators in 15 of the 16 ERIC clearinghouses indicate that the acceptance rate for unsolicited manuscripts averages approximately 50 percent, and that academic credentials of their reviewers and their selection criteria either parallel or are very similar to those of traditional refereed journals. (9…

References indexed for Australian Education Index (AEI) were sampled and compared where possible with same references indexed for ERIC and Australian Public Affairs Information Service (APAIS) databases. An analysis of coverage of Australian references reveals indexing consistency figures of 22 percent for ERIC/AEI and 18 percent for AEI/APAIS.…

Addresses the importance of item specific information to online public access catalog users and conversion planning. Options for attaching item specific information to bibliographic records are described: conversion via local system terminal, automatic item creation from OCLC bibliographic records, custom label programs. Examples of bar codes are…

An Education Department plan to restructure ERIC, the government's network of education-research clearinghouses, has members of Congress concerned and they have asked that the plan not be put into effect until they can study it further. The department's plan follows a year-long review of ERIC. (MLW)

Classifies and briefly describes several types of optical storage media available today--read-only and write-once analog disks, read-only and write-once digital disks and erasable disks. The appropriateness of CD-ROM (compact disk read-only memory) for use in libraries of developing nations is discussed in terms of users' information needs and…

Discusses the problems encountered in viewing original works of art for scholarship purposes, and argues that a combination of videodisks and computers offers a cost effective method of reproduction. A description of the development of the Perseus Project, a visual database of ancient Greece, focuses on advantages to scholars. (CLB)

Summarizes presentations on profitability in the information industry from the viewpoints of producers, who have to have a reason to be in business, and users, whose businesses are often driven by the information they can access and the price of that information. (Author/CLB)