The feasibility of using the verbal protocol method as a means of conducting field research on the online catalog is examined. As 10 undergraduate students conducted research they talked aloud about what was happening. Potential usefulness of the method in online catalog research is assessed, as a development tool and as a tool to assist reference…

Examines how undergraduate students used four search engines--Alta Vista, Excite, Infoseek, and Lycos--to retrieve information for their studies or personal interests and how they evaluated the interaction and search results retrieved by the four engines. Measures were based on five evaluation criteria: relevance, efficiency, utility, user…

Presents an overview of "Q&A," a Web-based question-answering system that mediates interactions between an expert and a question-asking user. Discusses the system's components and features; details of the implementation; evaluation; and future work. (AEF)

Describes a study that was conducted to describe and interpret the cognition of a graduate student during information retrieval using the World Wide Web. Results of observation, think aloud protocols, and an in-depth interview are discussed within a theory of information processing, and implications for future research are suggested. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of distance learning and new information and communication technologies focuses on the role of the library. Highlights include the need for lifelong learning; online courses; adult training needs; new technologies in education and training contexts; digital libraries; acquiring, storing, finding, and filtering information; and user…

The emergence of computer and network technologies has presented the archival profession with daunting challenges as well as inspiring opportunities. Archivists have been actively imagining and realizing the application of advanced technologies to their professional functions and activities. Using advanced technologies, archivists have been…

The study investigated implications of variations in EAD [Encoded Archival Description]-encoded finding aids on the Web. A content analysis methodology was used to examine five different aspects of EAD finding aids: (1) data elements; (2) labeling terminology; (3) navigation; (4) browsing; (5) searching. Seventeen EAD finding aid web sites…

Librarians use subject guides to introduce students to library materials. Surveys, usability tests, and usage statistics demonstrate that students do not relate well to subject guides. We suggest that library resources organized or delivered at a course level are more in line with how undergraduate students approach library research. (Contains 26…

This manual familiarizes data users with the procedures followed for data collection and processing of the high school transcript component of the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88). A second objective is to provide the necessary documentation for using the data files. Chapter 6 and appendix F, in particular, contain…

The World Wide Web allows users to interact with a graphic interface to search information in a hypermedia and multimedia environment. Graphics serve as reference points on the World Wide Web for searching and retrieving information. This study analyzed the culturally constructed syntax patterns, or codes, embedded in the icons of library…

While the expansion of worldwide hypermedia systems has opened new gateways in the information industry, the result has been material being archived faster than it can be read. Users need to be able to scan information quickly and have more control in information seeking and retrieval. A new area of research is in the development of multimedia…

Information literacy is an set of acquired skills and strategies which encompass the abilities to recognize a need for information, to retrieve the required information, and to evaluate and utilize it effectively. Teaching students how to structure, acquire, analyze, and synthesize information must start much earlier than at the post-secondary…

The research process has been a constant feature of the curriculum in primary and secondary schools for many years. The purpose of this process has traditionally been to develop student research skills and to enhance their knowledge within a particular area. The Information Process diagram, developed by the Australian School Library Association in…

Describing the "I-Search" as an approach to research that uses the power of student interests, builds a personal understanding of the research process, and encourages stronger student writing, this manual puts forward the I-Search process as the best tool which exists for connecting students effectively to the research process. The…

This review of Council on Library Resources (CLR) activities for 1991/92 begins by providing status descriptions on the four program areas identified by the Council as the focus of its attention and resources for the next several years. Programs described in the first area, Human Resources, are the Academic Library Management Program and the…