Presents a framework--grounded in the classic rhetorical concept of "ethos"--for technical communicators to examine the unique characteristics of the World Wide Web and the audiences it serves. Suggests that technical and marketing communicators can use the idea of online "ethos" to evaluate existing Web sites and design new…

Discusses the history and development of the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC). Topics include the relationship with Dewey Decimal Classification; revision process; structure; facet analysis; lack of standard rules for application; application in automated systems; influence of UDC on classification development; links with thesauri; and use…

Describes how Mahopac Central School District in upstate New York used home-to-school communications software to help improve communications with parents. Software allows parents online access to their child's school data such as course schedule, grades, discipline issues, assignments, and daily attendance via a password-protected district Web…

Presents a new extraction pattern, modified Document Type Definition (mDTD), which relies on analytical interpretation to identify extraction target from the contents of Web documents. Experiments with 330 Korean and 220 English Web documents on audio and video shopping sites yielded an average extraction precision of 91.3% for Korean and 81.9%…

Describes a hybrid instructional format designed to improve large lecture courses that couples online homework with in-class, active learning exercises. Indicates that most students felt that student-instructor interaction was better than in traditional courses and that online homework aided time management and learning. Suggests that online…

Discusses the choices of online or hardcopy documentation for computer tasks. Recommends that technical writers consider the advantages and disadvantages of each format by analyzing the user's knowledge, the cognitive processes demanded by the task, and the technological benefits of each format. (SG)

Describes three groups of databases sponsored by the European Communities Commission: Eurobases, a textual database of the contents of the "Official Journal" of the European Community; the European Community Host Organization (ECHO) databases, which offer multilingual information about Europe; and statistical databases. Information on…

Provides a checklist of functions and capabilities of online searching systems that attempts to cover all system features, not just searching functions. The checklist is suggested as a tool for checking features of new systems, as a framework for comparing systems, and as a source of suggestions for developing new online systems. (10 references)…

The purposes for publishing a factbook at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are reviewed and then used as a context to illustrate why this evolution took place and what was learned from the experience. Fact sheets, an on-line electronic factbook, and electronic databases are now being used. (MLW)

This article surveys recent developments in hypertext software, a highly interactive nonsequential reading/writing/database approach to research and teaching that allows paths to be created through related materials including text, graphics, video, and animation sources. Described are uses, advantages, and problems of hypertext. (PB)

Outlines an approach to the automatic construction of a knowledge base resulting in a system that is able in each phase of its construction to acquire domain knowledge from all new information that it is building, particularly index terms. Topics covered include production rules, the use of semantic networks, and user interfaces. (32 references)…

Describes how online bulletin boards and information services can assist students in obtaining expert information and ideas. Reports that the rapidity of these online responses to queries provides an additional incentive for students. (MM)

Describes a study that examined the effect of the order of document presentation on the relevance scores assigned to documents, and the effect of the rating scale used (category rating or magnitude estimation) on order effects. Areas which need further investigation are identified. (13 references) (CLB)

Discussion of development and management of a CD-ROM workstation for library reference services covers: (1) IBM compatibles; (2) computer storage capacity; (3) compact disk drives and printers; (4) file management; (5) protecting the integrity of a hard disk; and (6) backing up software. (three references) (MES)

Discusses the background and the current situation of computer information retrieval systems in China. Problem areas considered include: (1) lack of coordination of activities; (2) lack of data on user demand; and (3) shortages of personnel in computer science, mathematics, and systems engineering. An agenda for the future is outlined. (MES)