Defines the domains that specific hypertext environments (DSHE) represent and examines DSHE for the domains of journal and book publishing, insurance policy management, and software engineering. The discussion covers seven dimensions along which the power of DSHE can be defined; organizational costs; and topics for further investigation. (27…

Examines published and unpublished writings of Vannevar Bush to better determine why he created the memex and what he hoped to accomplish with such a machine. The discussion covers the extent to which hypertext and modern technology have fulfilled Bush's predictions. (24 references) (CLB)

Reviews previous work on producing knowledge by the use of information retrieval or classification schemes, and describes techniques by which hidden knowledge may be retrieved, i.e., serendipity in browsing and use of appropriate search strategies. Possible future methods based on relational indexing or artificial intelligence are also explored.…

Describes the linguistic phenomenon of anaphora; surveys the approaches to anaphora undertaken in theoretical linguistics and natural language processing (NLP); presents results of research conducted at Syracuse University on anaphora in information retrieval; and discusses the future of anaphora research in regard to information retrieval tasks.…

Discusses the special characteristics of personal file management software and compares four microcomputer software packages: Notebook II with Bibliography and Convert, Pro-Cite with Biblio-Links, askSam, and Reference Manager. Each package is evaluated in terms of the user interface, file maintenance, retrieval capabilities, output, and…

Describes two conceptual teaching models that facilitate end users' interrogations of online information retrieval systems. These models represent the systems' internal structures and functional outcomes based on the users' experiential frameworks. (16 references) (Author/CLB)

Discusses the effect of including relevance data on the calculation of term discrimination values in bibliographic databases. Algorithms that calculate the ability of index terms to discriminate between relevant and non-relevant documents are described and tested. The results are discussed in terms of the relationship between term frequency and…

Discusses the need for a subject cataloging code in order to evaluate subject catalog effectiveness, take advantage of online technologies, and keep the subject headings list current. Impediments to a code, both practical and philosophical, are identified. Practical suggestions for improving subject cataloging without a theoretical code are…

Argues that users' needs should play a more prominent role in the design or choice of an online catalog in a specific library, and outlines requirements which enhance ease of use. Areas discussed include operational control, search formulation control, access points, output control, user assistance, and hardware requirements. (nine references)…

Reviews recent research into the use of hierarchic agglomerative clustering methods for document retrieval. The topics discussed include the calculation of interdocument similarities, algorithms used to implement clustering methods on large databases, validity testing of document hierarchies, appropriate search strategies, and other applications…

Describes the use of a highly parallel array processor for pattern matching operations in a bibliographic retrieval system. The discussion covers the hardware and software features of the processor, the pattern matching algorithm used, and the results of experimental tests of the system. (37 references) (Author/CLB)

Examines the knowledge base of an intermediary expert system that provides advice about search term selection. Topics include a proposal for an integrated approach, including an option focusing on terminological attributes based on knowledge acquired from professional searchers; and the content of the knowledge base and the research needed to…

Discusses the use of the World Wide Web in school libraries based on examples from Juneau-Douglas (Arkansas) High School. Highlights include using the Web for students' research, evaluating the quality of information found, criteria for selecting Internet resources, and creating a home page with Hypertext Markup Language. (LRW)

Discussion of acceptable use policies that elementary and secondary schools develop to address issues related to use of the Internet focuses on how to deal with accessing and transmitting information inappropriate to the school setting, and how to maintain the efficient operation of the network. (LRW)

Compares the coverage of women's studies titles contained in "Feminist Periodicals: A Current Listing of Contents" with three general table of contents services (Current Contents, UnCover, Contents First), and evaluates the coverage of these titles within these services. Found that some subject areas, such as women's studies, require the…