Descriptions of representative nonconventional information systems in use today are given in order to provide managers, management analysts, supervisors, and others with ideas as to how they might improve the dissemination, storage, and retrieval of information in their offices. No attempt was made to evaluate the relative merits of the systems…

The cost of an item of information in a storage system is defined as the sum of an initial cost, a time dependent cost, and a usage cost. Item usage is assumed to follow a simple exponential obsolescence pattern. A decision rule for the economic holding time of an item in storage is derived from the model and based on a policy of minimizing the…

Indexing and abstracting can be thought of as a way of modeling an actual document or textual item. Both are miniature versions of the actual thing. Normally, the indexing model is used to locate desired information, while the abstracting model is used as a screening medium to help the searcher decide which of the apparently correct actual items…

Nearly all organizations are faced with problems of classifying and coding financial data, management and technical information, components, stores, etc. and need to apply some logical and meaningful system of identification. This report examines the objectives and applications of classification and coding systems and reviews eight systems…

Proposes a new conceptual basis for visualizing the organization of information, or knowledge, which differentiates between the concept "vectors" for a field of knowledge represented in a multidimensional space, and the state "vectors" for a person based on his understanding of these concepts, and the representational…

Lists six steps for developing and maintaining a filing system for teachers' resource and reference materials. (MKM)

A new method for concentrating keywords of a thesaurus, based on a mathematical study of the distribution of characters in a defined natural language. (Author/KP)

Discusses various optical disk formats, including 5 1/4 inch and smaller, 12-inch, and 14-inch. Typical applications and factors to be considered in format selection are covered. (MES)

Presents criteria in the following areas for evaluation and selection of software for storage, management, and retrieval of text information: (1) input of information; (2) indexing; (3) interactive searching for information; (4) output; (5) selective dissemination of information; (6) security; (7) availability of cheaper, limited versions; and (8)…

Summary of the findings of a critical overview of more than 200 microcomputer programs using PC-DOS/MS-DOS for online information management discusses software for telecommunications, conversion/reformatting, storage and retrieval of text information, and word processing. (6 references) (MES)

Describes the technology, equipment, and procedures necessary for converting a historical newspaper clipping collection to optical disk storage. Alternative storage systems--microforms, laser scanners, optical storage--are also retrieved, and the advantages and disadvantages of optical storage are considered. (MES)

Describes automated storage and retrieval (AS/R) techniques and discusses benefits, conservation considerations, and costs of the AS/R approach to the storage of library books. Thirteen annotated references are listed. (MES)

This first installment of four-part "Online/Database Laserdisk Directory" reports on aspects of laserdisks including: product name; product description; company name; conpatibility information; type of laserdisk (compact disc read-only-memory, videodisk); software used; interface with magnetic media capability; conditions of usage;…

This third article in a five-part series focuses on personal computer software (instructional packages for the computer itself). Topics covered include 11 categories of microcomputer software, evaluation and selection, purchase, version numbers and upgrades, copy protection, disk operating system commands, preparation of master disk, batch files,…