The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food conducted an operational evaluation of the software packages CAIRS and STATUS, which were used to build databases and databanks. Setting up the trial, types of data involved (chemical products used as pesticides), searching and presentation of data, and the final choice are covered. (EJS)

Describes the National Library of Canada's videodisc project which provides keyword index access to more than 1,200 stills of text designed to demonstrate ability of videodisc to store and present library materials in various formats; information retrieval capability of combined videodisc and microcomputer systems; use of videodisc as research…

Discusses projects of the Graphic Information Research Unit at the Royal College of Art (England), which relates to the legibility of scientific and technical information. Summarizes the Unit's survey of problems in providing adequate guiding in libraries and museums, and reports two studies of Computer Output Microfilm library catalogues. (GT)

Described are types of programs used for processing text (editors, print formatters, and word processors), followed by the comparison of four word-processing packages: Auto Scribe, Electric Pencil, Magic Want and Word Star. With the exception of Auto Scribe, all programs reviewed are CP/M versions. (KC)

Presents guidelines for teachers in competency-based education settings to use in establishing and maintaining a system of classroom and individual student progress charts and records. Describes the development of an instructional materials file to help students become more responsible for obtaining the materials needed for each lesson. (LRA)

The newly-computerized WIRS bibliography includes over 1,100 indexed citations of mental health research published in journals, government documents, reports, papers presented to professional organizations; and doctoral dissertation abstracts. Journal availability: see RC 503 481. (DS)

Analyzes the use of weights to denote a query representation and/or the indexing of a document as a generalization of a Boolean retrieval system. Criteria are given for the functions used to evaluate the relevance of the records to a specific query and a new evaluation approach is suggested. (CWM)

Presents a new method of document retrieval based on the fundamental operations of fuzzy set theory. Basic notions are introduced. Then the syntax and semantics of the proposed language for document retrieval is given, and an algorithm allocating documents to particular queries is described and its properties are discussed. (Author/CWM)

The notion of strength is defined in several alternative ways for chains of associations connected in series and in parallel. Network strength theory is extended to handle retrieval dynamics for a network of associations, in a manner that permits various degrees of serial versus parallel manner that permits various degrees of serial versus…

A French-language version of stock footage videotapes from previous research (using English-language data) was prepared, using the same images. The most popular terms identified in each of the two studies for each of the shots are compared, to determine the rate of correspondence between potential indexing terms in each language. (Author/AEF)

Reports the results of a survey undertaken to identify language documentation centers at Canadian universities, to describe their chief characteristics and functions, and to assess the feasibility of linking several of them electronically to provide greater access to users throughout the country and internationally. (four references) (Author)

In Illinois, local governments need to know how to comply with the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act when using teleconferencing, electronic record keeping, and e-mail. Examines the application of existing provisions in these acts and outlines questions regarding electronic records and e-mail that can not be answered under…

Describes the development of a software system, SIMPR (Structured Information Management: Processing and Retrieval), that will process documents by indexing them and classifying their subjects. Topics discussed include information storage and retrieval, file inversion techniques, modelling the user, natural language searching, automatic indexing,…

Describes ArchiVISTA, an optical disk image retrieval system that provides access to cartoons and caricatures in the National Archives of Canada. Planning, evaluation, design and image capture, and retrieval are explained, as well as how the system developed from earlier efforts of bibliographic control and imaging technology. (10 references) (EAM)

Reviews ConSearch 3.0, a product that provides flexible searching of electronic files, allowing the location of related meanings as well as exact matches. ConSearch 3.0 differs from other file retrieval approaches by relating words in search phrases of questions to the "meaning" of the words, which are stored in a "conceptual…