This article discusses sources from which information used in in-house databases can be obtained and enumerates points to consider in database building phase (test database design ideas against external database if available, make arrangements for data entry, exercise quality control). Fourteen contractors or sources of computerized information…

Applies a prefix trie index, or trie hashing, to the problem of providing fast search times, fast load times, and fast update properties in a bibliographic or full-text retrieval system with inverted files. Statistics are given for a test database consisting of an online catalog at the University of Western Ontario. (Author/LRW)

Reviews selected research on the performance of bibliographic and full-text databases. A mathematical model for clarification of the relationship between user behavior and the performance measures of recall and precision is presented. (five references) (MES)

Describes a new signature file method, called the multiorganizational scheme, for accessing information from large databases containing both formatted and free-text data. Implementation issues are discussed, and computational results based on a mathematical model are presented, as well as results using a library database. (43 references) (MES)

Current issues and the future of the database business are discussed in five papers. Topics covered include aspects relating to the quality of database production; international ownership in the U.S. information marketplace; an overview of pricing strategies in the electronic information industry; and pricing issues from the viewpoints of online…

Describes a database course project which engages students in designing and developing their own data files. Asserts that the discussions which take place as students collect, organize, share their data, and consider ethical issues which arise from the proliferation of information systems, are most important. (RAE)

Describes computer-assisted reporting and the growing use of online databases for investigative reporting. The use of government databases, online services, and local records is discussed; creation of in-house databases is considered; software requirements are examined, including database management software; and organizational considerations are…

Discussion of graph-drawing algorithms compares and evaluates five algorithms for generated automatic graphic display of sentence dependency structures that have been implemented in the TEXTNET text structure management system. Evaluation criteria are discussed, and a test of the algorithms with a database of newspaper articles is described. (16…

Provides reviews of 10 online databases: Consumer Reports; Public Opinion Online; Encyclopedia of Associations; Official Airline Guide Adventure Atlas and Events Calendar; CENDATA; Hollywood Hotline; Fearless Taster; Soap Opera Summaries; and Human Sexuality. (LRW)

Describes how to find accurate, current information about telecommunications industries, products and services, rates and tariffs, and regulatory information using electronic information resources available from the private and public sectors. A sidebar article provides contact information for producers and service providers. (KRN)

Examines how online versions of databases vary on different systems. Differences are grouped into three categories: obvious differences, including easily available information such as updating, dates covered, and price; database choice, including subfile structure, field structure, and content; and system choice, including support and system…

Summarizes the best known methods of using the signature file access method as a storage structure in information retrieval in nonbusiness applications of multimedia data. The relationships between application area, type of data, and signature file organization are emphasized. Results are summarized in a selection guide. (Contains 26 references.)…

Contends that large databases contain hidden knowledge, or literature that is logically linked but not bibliographically linked, that contains academically interesting commonalities not retrievable by normal searching methods. Based on search methods for discovering previously unknown causes of medical syndromes, a method for discovering new…

Suggests that Web pages are no longer simple hand-crafted text objects, but dynamic groupings of text assembled moments before the reader views the page. Suggests that future technical editors require tighter control over information consistency and content to maximize the information content. Addresses pedagogical concerns and suggests possible…

The focus of this paper is to examine the current library practice of processing and delivering information and to introduce alternative scenarios that may keep librarians relevant in the technological era. In the scenarios presented here, the authors will attempt to challenge basic assumptions about the usefulness of and need for OPAC systems,…