Describes various ways in which software systems for online catalogs can be designed to enhance subject access. Highlights include what to search (subject headings, titles, notes, authority-file records, classification numbers, and associated text); truncation and stemming; spelling correction; search strategies (headings, keywords, Boolean…

Reports on comparative study of document classifications produced by use of single linkage, complete linkage, group average, and Ward clustering methods. Findings of work that compares use of clusters consisting of pairs of documents with conventional best match searches are also reported. Thirty-four references are provided. (EJS)

Assesses the major databases for retrieval of mental health information (PSYCINFO, MEDLINE, NIMH) on the basis of journal coverage, controlled vocabulary, abstracts, and performance in actual searches. Thirteen references, database information (producer, availability/cost, coverage, updates/currency), comparison of journal coverage by selected…

Based on a review of the literature, this discussion addresses such key aspects of the librarian's changing role in the online search process as the reference interview, online search evaluation, user training, and information service management. Future trends are noted, and 43 references are listed. (EJS)

Reviews the process of tailoring an online search that would span several files on the topic of music during the childbirth experience. Search strategies and terms used in PsycINFO, Mental Health Abstracts, MEDLINE, ERIC, Sociological Abstracts, Social Scisearch, Scisearch, and Dissertation Abstracts Online are noted. A nine-item bibliography is…

Considers classifications produced by application of single linkage, complete linkage, group average, and word clustering methods to Keen and Cranfield document test collections, and studies structure of hierarchies produced, extent to which methods distort input similarity matrices during classification generation, and retrieval effectiveness…

Describes an iterative method of document retrieval similar to relevance feedback in that user feedback is utilized in subsequent iterations. However, this method compares retrieved documents with each other using algebraic formulae which determine the boundaries of the area that contains descriptions of relevant documents. Fifteen references are…

Discusses two models of selecting information sources--Cost/Benefit (information seekers select sources on basis of expected benefits and costs), and Least-Effort (seekers select sources on basis of minimizing effort or cost). Results of a study proposing that users place different weights on costs and benefits are presented. (EJS)

Presents a dynamic model of user behavior when scanning an information storage and retrieval system output list, compares rules for determining the user's optimum stopping point, presents an algorithm for implementing the Bayesian model, and discusses implications for retrieval system design. Provided are 13 figures and 15 references. (Author/RBF)

Summarizes the findings of a survey taken to measure user satisfaction with General Electric's online search services, including search retrieval relevance and search benefits. Nine references are cited and a sample questionnaire is provided. (FM)

Answers such central questions as what information is, what relevance is, how one tells what a document is about, and what an information need is. These discussions lead to a description of an ideal information retrieval system. (Author/JD)

The Telemakus System builds on the areas of concept representation, schema theory, and information visualization to enhance knowledge discovery from scientific literature. This article describes the underlying theories and an overview of a working implementation designed to enhance the knowledge discovery process through retrieval, visual and…

Reviews the development of research and evaluation in information retrieval. Highlights include the Cranfield projects concerning recall and precision, the Medlars experiment that focused on relevance, TREC (Text Retrieval Conference), evaluation versus understanding, interface versus functionality, document length, and terms and user interaction.…

Examines a selection of innovative search tools that attempt to solve specific problems in searching. Topics include search difficulties, including controlled vocabularies and keyword searching; retrieval issues, including relevancy ranking; document discrimination problems; creating search tools for specific audiences; and interface design,…

Summarizes the experimental evidence that indicates that text indexing systems based on the assignment of appropriately weighted single terms produce retrieval results superior to those obtained with more elaborate text representations, and provides baseline single term indexing models with which more elaborate content analysis procedures can be…