Describes uses of the microcomputer by Instant Information, Inc., highlighting administrative tasks (accounting, correspondence, file maintenance) and microcomputer's ability to act as dumb terminal in information retrieval. Software selection, the company's computer program "Instantcom" which supports communication and retrieval, and…

Describes the use of a microcomputer system to generate a personal database of books read by adding titles, displaying title/author information, and editing title/author information and discusses the system design, i.e., file structure (author index, book index, book, author), the main driver, function subroutines, and screen subroutines. (EJS)

Discusses two topics which dominated the 12th American Society for Information Science meeting held May 22-25, 1983: pattern of growth and change in online industry and educating the information specialist versus training the end user. Opinions of several speakers are given. (EJS)

Examination of management information systems of three manufacturing firms highlights principal characteristics, document types and functions, main information flows, storage and retrieval systems, and common problems (corporate memory failure, records management, management information systems, general management). A literature review and…

Reviews information sources designed to assist the genealogical researcher with the arrival of his/her ancestors: "A Bibliography of Ship Passenger Lists 1538-1825"; "Passenger and Immigration Lists Index"; "Philadelphia Naturalization Records." Examples provided include name entry, source citation, annotation, and…

Offers characterization of sign-transmission which is more general than conventional signal-transmission theory. Concepts and terminology, formal description of individual communications process, reconciliation with classical signal-detection theory, applications of sign-detection formalism to information retrieval on MEDLINE database, and a…

Details distinction between digital and analog data, advantages of analog storage, and optical disc use to store analog data. Configuration and potential of three levels of laser disc systems are explained. Selection of display devices for use with laser disc systems and accessing audio data are addressed. (Continued in next issue.) (EJS)

Description of use of Search Helper--a newly developed, user-friendly software package designed to enable a microcomputer to be used in searching Information Access Company databases on Dialog bibliographic retrieval service--at California State University--Long Beach (CSULB). Highlights six databases available, necessary hardware, and reference…

Summarizes methods of searching currently available for OCLC, provides list of questions that can be answered with terminal (monographic series, mock subject searching, bibliography, government documents, serials, microforms, music, birth/death dates, corporate bodies, name authority, variant editions, artistic transpositions), and demonstrates…

Explores technique which may be used to enhance research by manipulation of databases to determine trends in literature. The online searcher's function supporting research's use of technique is emphasized. An example on the topic of "school desegregation" as covered by various databases, particularly ERIC, is included. Five sources are given. (EJS)

Offers a rationale to justify compilation and publication of an annual summary of reading research reports. (AEA)

The National Library of Medicine has discarded connect hour-only billing for a more equitable system, which distributes user costs by type and intensity of work performed and data delivered. User data (cost comparisons, interpolated input/output count per connect hours, connect hours per year) were analyzed and further improvements are planned.…

Computers make possible a variety of investigative and enforcement techniques. However, the technology of systematic data searching is subject to at least six sources of error, e.g., incorrectly entered data, none of which can be completely eliminated. Thus, a thought police as envisioned by Orwell remains a technological fiction. (RM)

This report constitutes the proceedings of the ninth Text REtrieval Conference (TREC-9). The conference was co-sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Advanced Research and Development Agency (ARDA). Approximately 175 people attended the conference,…

This report constitutes the proceedings of the 2001 Text REtrieval Conference (TREC 2001). The conference was co-sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and the Advanced Research and Development Agency (ARDA). Approximately 175 people attended the conference,…