Discusses XML and information retrieval and describes a query language, ELIXIR (expressive and efficient language for XML information retrieval), with a textual similarity operator that can be used for similarity joins. Explains the algorithm for answering ELIXIR queries to generate intermediate relational data. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of information retrieval focuses on the use of binary trees and how to compact it to use less memory and take less time. Explains retrieval algorithms and describes data structure and hierarchical structure. (LRW)

In the modern world, higher education is transitioning from enrollment mode to recruitment mode. This shift paved the way for institutional research and policy making from historical data perspective. More and more universities in the U.S. are implementing and using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, which collect vast amounts of data.…

Businesses and higher education leaders are looking for students with the ability to evaluate and analyze information and to use this information to solve real-world problems. These are the information literacy skills students need for the 21st century. However, several recent studies on the ability of college freshmen to handle the rigor of…

This dissertation studies information extraction (IE), the problem of extracting structured information from unstructured data. Example IE tasks include extracting person names from news articles, product information from e-commerce Web pages, street addresses from emails, and names of emerging music bands from blogs. IE is all increasingly…

The amount of online information has grown exponentially over the past few decades, and users become more and more dependent on ranking and recommendation systems to address their information seeking needs. The advance in information technologies has enabled users to provide feedback on the utilities of the underlying ranking and recommendation…

The monitoring and support of university freshmen is considered very important at many educational institutions. In this paper we describe the results of the educational data mining case study aimed at predicting the Electrical Engineering (EE) students drop out after the first semester of their studies or even before they enter the study program…

Introduction: To explore the relationship between self-directed learning (SDL) needs, patterns, barriers, and outcomes among nonacademic general surgeons. Methods: Participants dictated details of SDL episodes associated with cancer patient management from October 2007 to March 2008. Transcripts were coded thematically. Frequencies were calculated…

This article explores the methodological challenges encountered during a study of destinations and outcomes for pupils permanently excluded from Pupil Referral Units (PRUs) and special schools in England. It outlines the manner in which the key phrases and assumptions embedded within the specification, terms such as routes and trajectories,…

Archivists have been creating finding aids for generations, and in the last three decades they have done this work via a succession of standardized formats. However, like many other disciplines, they have carried out such work in violation of systems analysis. Although purporting to have the users of finding aids systems first and foremost in…

A study was undertaken in 1980-81 to investigate the process of user adaptation to an unfamiliar interactive database search system. Adaptation was defined as performance on, knowledge of, and attitude toward the system being used. The experiment tested 44 students and staff members at the University of Sheffield and Sheffield City Polytechnic in…

Explores the use of data bases by scientists and discusses the role of libraries in assisting scientists with computerized literature searches. (JG)

A recently developed cost-effectiveness model for on-line retrieval systems is discussed through use of an example utilizing performance results collected from several independent sources and cost data derived for a recently completed study for the American Psychological Association. One of the primary attributes of the model rests in its great…

Differences in judged relevance of Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) abstracts identified by two different information systems were investigated. A national semi-private educational service agency which utilizes mechanical searching of the research literature was one information system, while the other was a regional,…

The history and significance of relevance as a concept in information retrieval is reviewed. The shift from the idea of relevance as an objective criterion for measures to the widespread acceptance of relevance as a manifestation of a highly subjective and inconsistent response is discussed. It is argued that relevance judgments can b e useful as…