Open access institutional repositories can be ill-equipped to manage the complexity of research outputs from departments of fine arts, media, drama, music, cultural heritage, and the creative arts in general. The U.K.-based Kultur project was funded to create a flexible multimedia repository model using EPrints software. The project launched the…

This article presents a process for utilizing a bibliographic system built with Microsoft Excel as well as concept maps to organize and to synthesize information that can be included in a literature review. A review of the conceptual framework behind these tools is included as well as a detailed description about how to build the system in Excel.…

Researchers are often distressed to discover that the data they wanted to use in their landmark study is not configured in a way that is usable by a Statistical Analysis Software Package (SASP). For example, the data needed may come from two or more sources and it may not be clear to the researcher how to get them combined into one analyzable…

This article discusses Research Blogging, a community-run nonprofit organization that is promoting a suite of blogging software to scholars. Research Blogging itself does two things. First, it extends an invitation to a community, and it is open to anyone. Second, it requires its users to follow guidelines. The combination of rigorous guidelines…

This discussion of the development of database management systems specifically created to support qualitative research identifies two main problems in qualitative approaches, i.e., the issues of data collection and analysis, and the cumbersome nature of traditional qualitative approaches. These problems are reviewed with a comparison of the…

This article describes the World Wide Web (WWW) Entrez server which is based upon the National Center for Biotechnology Information's (NCBI) Entrez retrieval database and software. Entrez is a molecular sequence retrieval system that contains an integrated view of portions of Medline and all publicly available nucleotide and protein databases,…

A project at Brown University has developed a set of application and system software that provides access to a database of Classical Greek literature which is stored on a CD-ROM. Information on the origins of the project is provided and the technical development of the system is described in detail, including the creation of Classical Greek fonts,…

Describes a project at the University of Guelph (Ontario) that combined both bibliographical and archival references in one large machine readable database to facilitate local history research. The description covers research tool creation, planning activities, system design, the database management system used, material selection, record…

This interview with Bertrum MacDonald discusses the decisions that determined the character of a national bibliography on science and technology in Canadian history. Topics discussed include the scope of the project; classification and indexing decisions; the database management system used; unexpected problems; and predicted usage of the…

Implan (Impact Analysis for Planning) is a microcomputer-based system for constructing regional economic accounts and input-output tables. It is currently maintained by the U.S. Forest Service at the Fort Collins Computer Center (Colorado) with assistance from the University of Minnesota. It provides software capabilities and a data base for…

This paper uses a hypothetical application entitled "VAPORTRAILS" to examine how an integrated application can be used to solve the problems of search and retrieval from a range of qualitatively different databases, and the organization of the resulting information into a personal database resource. In addition, four general classes of databases…

Illustrates the use of computer data banks in history by examining the Medieval and Early Modern Data Bank (MEMDB) located at Rutgers University. States the database contains an expanding collection of historical monetary and price/wage data. Includes instructions, examples of search strategies, and an annotated bibliography. (CFR)

Examines current use of computers by historians and teachers of history. Attempts to predict extent of their use in next decade. Focuses on the use of four types of computer programs: word processors; spreadsheets and statistical packages; database management programs; and simulations. States that the computer is a tool historians can use to make…

Reviews database management software options for academic applications of pedagogy and research offering practical suggestions on choosing software. Software reviewed includes dBase III, Reflex, FYI 3000, Notebook II, AskSAM, Electra-Find, and Practicase. Program advantages, disadvantages, features, flexibility, and costs are discussed. A…

The GENESYS (GENeric Evaluation SYStem) evaluation system of the Austin, Texas school system is described, and its second year of operation--1989-90--is reviewed. GENESYS is a method of streamlining data collection and evaluation through the use of computer technology. It gathers and reports the following standard information on specified groups…