Describes New Haven (Connecticut) Public Schools' decentralized computer network system, which links its 42 schools electronically, keeps better track of students, and has allowed the district to centralize its school registration. A sidebar describes New Haven's computerized curriculum network designed to help teachers track students' daily…

Discusses the increasing complexity of dealing with interlibrary loan requests and describes a database management system for interlibrary loans used at Texas Tech University. System functions are described, including file control, records maintenance, and report generation, and the impact on staff productivity is discussed. (CLB)

Presents a new model of searching in online and other information systems, and reviews the literature of manual information seeking behavior for suggestions of capabilities users might like in online systems. Based on the model--called "berrypicking"--and research, suggestions are made for how new search capabilities could be implemented…

Describes an experiment that compared the performance of online and print tools in answering two types of ready reference questions: conceptual questions (requests for citations) and factual questions. The results show that online tools perform best for conceptual questions, but simple factual questions can be answered more quickly using print…

Examines and compares online sources for primary and secondary federal and state tax information. The criteria used to evaluate the four systems (CCH ACCESS, LEXIS, PHINet, and WESTLAW) include the contents of each database, search features, hardware requirements, software, pricing, availability of CD-ROM, online billing, and network…

Describes desired software enhancements identified by the Southern California Online Users Group in the areas of search language, database selection, document retrieval and display, user interface, customer support, and cost and economic issues. The need to prioritize these wishes and to determine whether features should reside in the mainframe or…

Clarifies the definition of hypertext by contrasting traditional database management systems and associative information management systems software. Relative strengths and weaknesses of each approach are discussed, and useful applications of hypertext on personal computers are described. A glossary and a directory of product information are…

Describes the new concept of HYPERBASE and its relationship to classical hypermedia; a multimedia database retrieval system (SOPHIADOC) and its features in relation to the HYPERBASE concept; and an experimental use of SOPHIADOC to organize and scroll selected images on the "First Emperor of China" videodisk. Fifteen project publications…

Argues that access to hypertext documents in read-only forms contradicts the assumption that hypertext removes the distinction between author and reader, and discusses the implications for authors of hypertext documents. The creation of hypertext versions of journal articles and a database of such articles are described. (four references) (CLB)

Presents a model for the a priori analysis of natural language queries which uses an algorithm to transform the query into a logical pattern that is used to determine the answerability of the query. The results of testing by a prototype system implemented in PROLOG are discussed. (20 references) (CLB)

The first of two papers discusses natural language searching as a user performance enhancement tool, focusing on artificial intelligence applications for information retrieval and problems with natural language processing. The second presents a conceptual framework for further development and future design of front ends to online bibliographic…

Information technology may help physicians to manage information more effectively through more accessible clinical indexes, databases of diagnostic test characteristics, computerized audits of clinical activities, on-line access to medical literature, etc. Medical informatics, a new discipline dedicated to the solution of information problems in…

Discusses how computerized databases (collected information arranged in categories) can be used successfully in the language arts classroom. (MM)

Describes microform sources of government information available in Canada. The information contained in these sources includes a union list of Canadian newspapers, government statistics, revised federal statutes, products of the Atmosphere Environment Service, and the documentary history of records relating to Indian affairs. (17 references) (CLB)

Discusses the use of a relational database as a data management and analysis tool for nonexperimental qualitative research, and describes the use of the Reflex Plus database in the Vitrine 2001 project in Quebec to study computer-based learning environments. Information systems are also discussed, and the use of a conceptual model is explained.…