Describes an experiment that tested the effects of a vertical versus a horizontal arrangement of brief structured text entries on know-item search time. The results discussed include the effects of the searcher's age and entry arrangement on search times, and subjects' judgments on the ease of use of the entry arrangements. (Author/CLB)

Describes and discusses the findings of an experiment that tested the precision of full-text retrieval enhanced by 29 document term weighting algorithms at the lowest, middle, and highest levels of recall, and compared with the precision of full-text retrieval without algorithms and with paragraph retrieval. (29 references) (Author/CLB)

Categorizes software packages for microcomputer database creation by their typical features and strengths, and discusses appropriate applications of each category. A directory of vendors for each type of software--text retrieval, file managers, database management, information storage and retrieval, integrated bibliographic systems, and library…

Describes CANSEARCH, an intermediary computer system incorporating fundamental features of the expert systems approach. Designed to provide access to information on cancer therapy in the MEDLINE database for doctors with no experience in document retrieval, search strategies are explained and menu selection from a touch terminal is illustrated.…

Describes a microcomputer-based software package, Online Search Tutor (OST), which is designed to teach users online bibliographic searching. Modeled on software previously developed for the European Space Agency Information Retrieval Services (ESA-IRS), OST includes a database of 600 bibliographic records which will simulate actual search…

A survey of Library of Congress staff following implementation of four optical disk reader stations measured their satisfaction with training, documentation, equipment and printing, and system reliability and usefulness. Staff found no major flaws with the system, and they saw its usefulness primarily as an access tool. (CDD)

Reviews recent progress in the development and use of online retrieval services, integrated online library support software, and communication and networking standards. A description is provided of a prototype system that would combine a gateway capability with a locally managed facility to meet a library's total needs. (EM)

Online information services (e.g., DIALOG, ORBIT) and computer databases (e.g., Social Sciences Citation Index, Historical Abstracts) that historians can use in their historical research are discussed. The important differences among representative databases are described. (RM)

Presents data model based on text data model (TDM), universal relation model, and nonfirst normal form (NFNF) relations, and discusses applicability to text processing and document retrieval systems. Highlights include database technology applied to information retrieval, NFNF and universal relation, and TDM integration with NFNF universal…

Use of online bibliographic databases in Mexico is provided through Servicio de Consulta a Bancos de Informacion, a public service that provides information retrieval, document delivery, translation, technical support, and training services. Technical infrastructure is based on a public packet-switching network and institutional users may receive…

Summarizes difficulties in creating formal bibliographic citations to public access machine-readable documents (PAMD): no established format for PAMD references in tradition of scholarly writing; structure of computer conferencing results in authors using language different from that used in written communications; information storage problems of…

In 1975, Unesco's Computerized Documentation System was combined with Integrated Set of Information Systems to create a comprehensive collection of programs for input, management, and output. The system is being used to support an Integrated Documentation Network within Unesco and micro and minicomputer versions are soon to be released.…

Suggests new method of external distribution called tree partitioning that involves use of binary tree to split incoming file into successively smaller partitions for internal sorting. Number of disc accesses during a tree-partitioning sort were calculated in simulation using files extracted from British National Bibliography catalog files. (19…

Examines two primary roles played by natural language processing in storage and retrieval of information and outlines organization of natural language interface for data retrieval (question-answering system) and approaches being taken to text analysis. Research issues in computational linguistics and interactive knowledge acquisition are…

This study compares results of searching full text of journal articles available on standard inverted file systems with searching of various parts of a document's surrogate. Relative recall and precision ratios for four search methods (full text, abstract, controlled vocabulary, bibliographic union) are reported. Search topics are appended. (14…