Random samples of monographic materials from U.S. and Canadian public libraries were matched with collections from similar libraries of different sizes. Strong positive correlation appears between percentage find rate and target library size, with regression analysis suggesting linearity over a wide range of collection sizes. (Author)

The Test of Written English (TWE), administered with certain designated examinations of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), consists of a single essay prompt to which examinees have 30 minutes to respond. Questions have been raised about the comparability of different TWE prompts. This study was designed to elicit essays for prompts…

A comparative study of the cost effectiveness of retrospective manual and on-line bibliographic searching is described. Individual task times for question analysis, searching, photocopying, shelving and output distribution were measured, and component costs for labor, information, reproduction, physical space and telecommunications calculated. The…

A limited set of behaviors of three-, four-, and five-year-old children were observed in a day-care program designed to permit the children a maximum of freedom for environmental encounters. The sample consists of 20 children with day-care experience dating back to infancy and a group of 20 children (a contrast group) without prior day-care…

Discussion of search strategies in information retrieval systems focuses on the implementation of document ranking based on inverted files. Highlights include descriptions of three heuristic methods for implementing a weighting strategy and a comparison of two methods for estimating retrieval accuracy, including document movement and linear…

Examines the statistical distribution of relevance judgments by reviewing and comparing the results of several studies over the last three decades. A characteristic distribution is examined, and a hypothesis is offered to explain it based on human judging characteristics and the nature of relevance experimentation. (Contains 13 references.) (LRW)

The accuracy and bias of estimates of whisker length based on box, line, and midgap plots were examined. For each type of graph, 20 different undergraduates (n=60) viewed 48 single-plot graphs. Whisker-length estimates for box and line plots were more accurate and less biased than those for midgap plots. (TJH)

The costs of creating and maintaining permanent files and retrieving keyword title indexes in TRIAL (Technique for Retrieving Information from Abstracts of Literature) are presented. This system, which is used for bibliographic control and file efficiency, is relatively easy to learn and use, and popular with school, academic, business, and…

Three approaches to the graphic representation of similarity and dissimilarity matrices are compared and contrasted. Specifically, Kruskal's multidimensional scaling, Johnson's hierarchical clustering, and Waern's graphing techniques are employed to depict, in two dimensions, data representing the structure of a set of botanical concepts. Each of…

The author, an economist, discusses nine forms of international cooperation according to their strengths, and invites representatives of other disciplines to comment on international cooperation. Discusses relevant concepts and the estimation of optimal procedures for cooperation. Available from: Unipub, Box 433, Murray Hill Station, New York, New…

A method of two-stage clustering of literature based on citation frequency is applied to 5,065 articles from 57 journals in environmental and civil engineering. Results of related methods of citation analysis (hierarchical graph, clustering of journals, multidimensional scaling) applied to same set of articles are compared. Ten references are…

Discussion of bibliometrics focuses on methods of predicting the number of new journals carrying relevant articles in the future, using both established parametric approaches and newer empirical methods. Parametric models and empirical Bayes models are used to compare examples using previous bibliographies compiled by Bradford and Kendall. (13…

Estimation/smoothing methods that are flexible enough to fit a wide variety of test score distributions are reviewed: kernel method, strong true-score model-based method, and method that uses polynomial log-linear models. Applications of these methods include describing/comparing test score distributions, estimating norms, and estimating…

This National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) instructional module compares classical test theory and item response theory and describes their applications in test development. Related concepts, models, and methods are explored; and advantages and disadvantages of each framework are reviewed. (SLD)