Describes traditional legal information retrieval systems--Juris, Lexis, Westlaw--and several new rule-based, knowledge-based, legal knowledge reasoning, and analytical legal information systems--Waterman and Peterson's Legal Decisionmaking System, Hafner's Legal Information Retrieval System, McCarty's TAXMAN, and the deBessonet representation of…

Describes Earth Resources Observation System online database, which provides access to computerized images of Earth obtained via satellite. Highlights include retrieval system and commands, types of images, search strategies, other online functions, and interpretation of accessions. Satellite information, sources and samples of accessions, and…

Identifies two fundamental properties of questions, i.e., they have a structure that consists of a subject and a query, and they presuppose a limited number of basic categories of human thought. A system for classifying questions by conceptual presupposition is proposed to assist information professionals in handling user questions effectively.…

This article deals with problem created by numerous schemes in use for transliteration of Cyrillic alphabet when attempting to obtain retrieval of Russian author's works in scientific databases available through Dialog, Bibliographic Retrieval Services, and System Development Corporation. Highlights include basic strategy and complications of…

Suggestions for the preparation and use of database guide sheets (idiot sheets) highlights when to make an idiot sheet; steps in preparation (define suitable format, gather pertinent information); production; adding notations to vendor-supplied guide sheets; and points to remember. Examples of DIALOG and homemade guide sheets are included. (EJS)

Using two sets of verbal protocols, three kinds of memory used by librarians for organizing facts are described and identified as they relate to the reference process--semantic (organizes things into categories), episodic (experiences), schematic (expectations). Implications for practice, education, and further research are suggested. Twenty-four…

Lists some 450 items covering the period 1963 to 1975. (PF)

Results obtained by processing a corpus of 2675 medical titles indicate that several properties definable in terms of inclusion relationships among terms have significance for vocabulary control. (Author)

This issues paper, eighth in a series of eight, is intended to distill formative evaluation questions on topics that are central to the development of the higher and further education information environment in the United Kingdom. This study focused on the searching behavior of higher education students as they attempted to locate electronic…

The present study was done to determine whether free retrieval of (all items from) a catergory in PS (permanent storage) could be increased by reminding Ss of items in that category. (Author/RK)

The Delphi technique is a valuable tool for collecting and organizing data to help in making decisions and to help increase the probabilities that the decisions made will be productive ones. This paper focuses on the Delphi's role in the administrator's repertoire of data collection devices. (Author)

Statistics gathered over five years of operation by the IIT Research Institute's Computer Search Center are summarized for profile terms and lists, use of truncation modes, use of logic operators, some characteristics of CA Condensates, etc. (Author/JB)

The operations of the New England Research Application Center's IBM 1130 are described and the problems of using it for chemical information retrieval are discussed. (Author/JB)

An experiment was conducted to design a corporate author index to a large bibliographic file. The nature of corporate entries necessitates a different search key construction from that of personal names or titles. Derivation of a search key to select distinct corporate entry records is discussed. (7 references) (Author)

Two systems, WLN and Ringcode, for retrieving structural information were analyzed qualitatively and evaluated for a series of chemical compounds. The studies ranged from specific to generic questions and also involved retrieval by fragments. Neither system was completely satisfactory for all types of searches. (6 references) (Author)