The issue of free-text versus controlled vocabulary is examined. The history of the issue, which is seen as beginning with the debate over title term indexing in the nineteenth century, is reviewed and questions not satisfactorily addressed by previous research are raised. (Author/EM)

Discusses the need for accurate documentation of museum holdings and the feasibility of using online library catalogs as models for automated cataloging in museums. The description of museum computer projects covers problems that have impeded automation in the past and the current status of several projects. (34 references) (CLB)

Describes four approaches to art historical scholarship, including iconography, and identifies the common characteristics of several iconographical research collections. Topics discussed include the reasons for the limitation of some collections to secondary subject matter, and future directions in subject access to iconographic research…

Presents the advantages and disadvantages of free text and controlled vocabulary retrieval techniques and a methodology to assist in deciding on the optimal technique for a particular purpose. The relevance of the techniques for expert systems and full text contexts is also discussed and recommendations for further research are made. (Author/EM)

Explores the qualities of bibliographic and object entities that contribute to the similarities and differences in the data describing them and the possibility of cooperation between indexers of art objects and indexers of bibliographic information. The discussion covers the role of authority control as the linking component between bibliographic…

Explores the underlying concepts involved in the design of art scholarly databases and describes three systems definition projects currently in progress. The discussion covers the revisions of MARC formats and authority controls used in bibliographic information networks that might support an art scholarly database. (eight references) (CLB)

Describes the possible improvements in the quality of automatic indexing systems gained by using complex descriptors, and reports on the effectiveness of a simple nonsyntactic phrase indexing procedure. The discussion covers shortcomings of this approach, possible methods for improvement, and areas needing further research. (43 references) (CLB)

Review of the literature on international computerized indexing systems for visual materials also describes technologies available for reproducing images, highlighting videotex, videodisk, and digital storage. Advances in the ability to interface these technologies with each other and with online retrieval systems are discussed. (76 notes with…

This summary of the literature on document image processing from 1988-90 focuses on WORM (write once read many) technology and on rewritable (i.e., erasable) optical discs, and excludes CD-ROM. Highlights include vendors and products, standards, comparisons of storage media, software, legal issues, records management, indexing, and computer…

Using decision points from Esther Piercy's "Commonsense Cataloging" as a framework for analysis, this paper compares the opinions of experts on cataloging, classification, and shelf arrangement of audiovisual materials in school libraries, public libraries, and media centers with actual practices in four school and community libraries in…

Describes a study that investigated index access to the literature of recruitment of minorities to the library science profession by comparing 12 representative articles from "Library and Information Science Abstracts" (LISA) and "Library Literature." Underrepresentation of minorities and the issue of recruitment of minorities…

Evaluates the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database. Summarizes ERIC's history and organization, and discusses criticisms concerning access, currency, and database content. Reviews role of component clearinghouses, indexing practices, thesaurus structure, international coverage, and comparative studies. Finds ERIC a valuable…

Discussion of research in the humanities focuses on the "MLA International Bibliography," the primary database for literary research. Highlights include comparisons to research in the sciences; humanities vocabulary; database search techniques; contextual indexing; examples of searches; thesauri; and software. (43 references) (LRW)