Discusses library use studies that examined library catalog search failures and demonstrates types of online catalog access that can reduce the failures caused by card catalog flaws or by user search errors by half. The use of single keyword, implied Boolean, or derived truncated key retrieval is suggested. (14 references) (LRW)

An understanding of where a user is in a research project (the research script) combined with an understanding of the discourse-level features of empirical abstracts (as revealed by lexical clues) can improve information retrieval. An information retrieval system which takes situational and linguistic factors into account is proposed. (47…

Describes a hypertext learning system in the United Kingdom that is designed to assist community pharmacists in recommending over-the-counter remedies to patients. The combination of hypertext's linking features with the knowledge-based components of expert systems is discussed, and the application of this model to other domains is explored. (five…

This report, selected from the results of a larger study of online searching, focuses on the sources of search terms. Terms from users, professional intermediaries, thesauri, and relevance feedback are examined; and the relevance of retrieved items is discussed for each source of search terms as well as for combinations of sources. (12 references)…

For a music history research class, the students at the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) must examine a musical artifact of their choice, thus learning standard and nonstandard research strategies. Utilizing both group instruction and individual tutorials, the music librarian and course professor teach cooperatively so that students use critical…

Describes a study that addressed the problem of predicting pertinence of documents from citations. The difference between pertinence and relevance is discussed; the use of eye movement monitoring and verbal reports is explained; and citation viewing is discussed in terms of extensity, intensity, and motility. (20 references) (LRW)

The availability of electronic information sources in libraries has revived the debate over user fees. As increasing amounts of information are available only electronically, the cost of providing access becomes higher and harder to predict. User fees help to defray the increased costs of electronic information while allowing libraries to continue…

Lists and compares specifications, properties, and test results of eight microcomputer software programs for information storage and retrieval by endusers. This is one of a series of articles that have reported the results of a software evaluation project conducted by The Netherlands Association of Users of Online Information Systems (VOGIN). (22…

Discusses the application of theories of cognitive modeling to information systems design and describes research that investigated the validity of the repertory grid for incorporation into intelligent front-end interfaces for information storage and retrieval systems. Personal construct theory is discussed and future research is suggested. (67…

Describes issues and advances in the design of appropriate inference engines and knowledge structures needed by commercially feasible intelligent intermediary systems for information retrieval. Issues associated with the design of interfaces to such functions are discussed in detail. Design principles for guiding implementation of these interfaces…

Describes an online public access catalog for children, called the Kid's Catalog. Design objectives include eliminating the barriers to information retrieval outlined in the research literature; being fun, interactive, and respectful of children's intelligence and creativity; motivating children with an expansive range of subjects and search…

Reviews the literature of networked information retrieval tools to explore the concept of an interactive text-based virtual reality environment that would encompass resources currently available on the Internet. Highlights include academic libraries, electronic mail, hypertext navigation systems, wide area information servers, knowbots and…

Humanists use a wide variety of textual, graphic, and aural materials in their research, each of which presents indexing challenges. Research into the nature of these materials and humanists' information-seeking behaviors indicate that indexing models from the sciences are not adequate. New controlled vocabulary and indexing frameworks are needed.…

Describes document image management systems that are used for optical storage to facilitate information retrieval. Document image management applications are described, considerations in evaluating system features and functions are presented, and criteria for evaluating vendors of document image management systems are suggested. (two references)…

Investigates whether information abstracts reporting on empirical work possess a predictable discourse-level structure and whether there are lexical clues revealing this structure. Results support the presence of a detectable structure in the text-type of empirical abstracts, which may be of use in a variety of text-based information processing…