Outlines the basic principles and research supporting the concept of narrative intelligence and its applicability to the ways in which people make sense of digital video. Explores relevant theory and research in sense-making, surrogates, narrative, and narrative intelligence and presents preliminary results of two research studies. Results have…

Investigates the design history of women's household sewing patterns as that history is recorded in United States Patent Records. Finds that the history of home sewing patterns illustrates a key aspect of usable design: the interrelationship between a device and its documentation and the way changes to both enhance overall product usability. (RS)

Advocates reexamining reference services and outreach programs, and relating them more closely. Argues that archival records are underutilized and that archivists should proactively reach out to researchers and encourage research use. Discusses researcher services; measuring and reporting on researcher use; electronic records; and creating…

This survey of 208 Internet users examined the factors underlying Internet usage and shopping. Data were gathered on Information shopping (IS) innovativeness, overall IS frequency, visit variety, purchase variety, network prevalence, education, age, gender, employment, extensiveness of Internet use, and non-shopping Internet applications. (MES)

Examines the Internet auction phenomenon as it relates to the marketing mix of online auction sellers. The data indicate that, while there is great diversity among businesses that utilize online auctions, distinct cost leadership and differentiation marketing strategies are both evident. These two approaches are further distinguished in terms of…

Explains the process of creating, implementing, and getting results from a usability study of a library Web site while spending little or no money, based on experiences at the Kansas City Public Library. Topics include how to design the test; finding volunteers to participate; and how to use the results. (LRW)

Describes two database systems in a law enforcement agency: one is a legacy, text-based system with cumbersome navigation; the newer system is a graphical user interface with simplified navigation. Discusses results of two user studies that showed personnel preferred the older more familiar system and considers implications for system design and…

Offers an account of how support for user testing at one company, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, evolved. (SR)

Describes the testing used by Department of Veteran Affairs Writing Teams to guide and validate document revisions. Presents their goals for document testing, methods of testing, and results of testing. (SR)

Demonstrated that acquiescence response set can inflate estimates of agency awareness in needs assessment studies of elderly. Acquiescence did not appear to inflate estimates of service utilization or service need. Less educated respondents were no more likely to exhibit acquiescence than better educated respondents. Hypothesis that African…

Investigated referral activities of 45 agencies with respect to agency referral patterns and professionals' appraisal of adolescents' health care status. Combined analysis of qualitative and quantitative data provided valuable insight into problems of unmet adolescent health care needs and underutilization of adolescent health care services.…

Reports findings on user avoidance of the help menu. Identifies five characteristics that may make any help-access method attractive to users. Examines dialog-box help, pop-up help for tools, and several other help-access methods. (PA)

Predictors of formal service utilization, waiting list use, and caregiving burden were assessed over a 4-year time period for 305 mothers of an adult child with mental retardation. Predictor variables included: residential status, burden, child behaviors at baseline, child placement; formal service use, co-residence at baseline, waiting list use,…

This article examines important questions related to the use of computer technology in Catholic schools. Under consideration are issues related to how teachers use the Internet in classrooms, communicate with parents, and design lessons with technological support. Differences in computer use between high-poverty and low-poverty schools are also…

The accelerated development of the information and communication technologies determined universities, companies and educational institutions to implement alternatives to the traditional teaching methods, thereby leading to the development of e-courses. New Information and Communication Technologies mediating learning represent an important…