Presents a general definition of a system; outlines a collection of properties identified through a review of the literature to be used as a criterion for determining whether an aggregation of objects is a system; and tests a computer-based system against the checklist to see how it measures up. (MBR)

Describes methods for effecting the partition of information systems consisting of many components and interconnections into subsystems which are later made to interface with one another achieving an overall system. Clustering algorithms for the specific case of information systems are obtained and exemplified. Twenty-seven references are…

Discusses the inability of the standard Boolean logic model of information retrieval to deal effectively with the inherent fallibility of retrieval decisions. Recent advances in information retrieval research are reviewed, and their practical potential for overcoming the deficiencies of the Boolean model is examined. (45 references) (Author/CLB)

Describes a comparative study of the "help" facilities of 16 interactive information retrieval systems. Guidelines for the design of a "help" facility are presented and then used to evaluate the quality and friendliness of each system. Suggestions for the improvement of online "help" facilities are discussed. (31…

Discusses the need for knowledge gateway systems to provide access to scattered information and the use of technologies in gateway building, including artificial intelligence and expert systems, networking, online retrieval systems, optical storage, and natural language processing. The status of four existing gateways is described. (20 references)…