Provides an overview of journal evaluation indicators, highlighting strengths and weaknesses and their range of applicability. Topics include the definition of a quality journal; different notions of impact factors; citation models; electronic journals; ranking journals; possible biases in citation databases; and using the journal impact in…

Presents a new method to improve the performance of query processing in a spatial database. Experiments demonstrated that performance of database systems can be improved because both the number of objects accessed and number of objects requiring detailed inspection are much less than those in the previous approach. (AEF)

Explains portals as tools that gather a variety of electronic information resources, including local library resources, into a single Web page. Highlights include cross-database searching; integration with university portals and course management software; the ARL (Association of Research Libraries) Scholars Portal Initiative; and selected vendors…

Provides a history of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union and its information services and research functions. Examines the research department and the influence of technology, shifting from collecting information to using information from the Internet and online databases that has made access easier. Analyzes information services with…

Reviews three database systems available for searching generic chemical structure representations: (1) Derwent's Chemical Code System; (2) IDC's Gremas System; and (3) Derwent's Markush DARC System. Various types of searches are described, features desirable to users are discussed, and comparison searches are described that measured recall and…

This inventory of current bibliographical sources in education includes listings of sources by country, international organizations, and national organizations; a listing of national and international databases on education; and a bibliographical listing of thesauri. Introductory materials appear in both English and French; the lists include…

Discusses issues relating to recent introductions of CD-ROM technologies in libraries and considerations that have motivated libraries to choose networking CD-ROMs over the standalone approach. Factors discussed include cost effectiveness, the flexibility of the networking approach, and performance considerations. A glossary of terms is provided.…

Presents suggestions from online searchers for using online services. Topics discussed include decreasing costs by using less expensive files; modifying searches on Dialog; use of controlled vocabularies and free text; using a variety of databases; the importance of search intermediaries understanding the topic; and patent searching. (LRW)

Summarizes various linguistic approaches proposed for document analysis in information retrieval environments. Topics discussed include syntactic analysis; use of machine-readable dictionary information; knowledge base construction; the PLNLP English Grammar (PEG) system; phrase normalization; and statistical and syntactic phrase evaluation used…

Describes specific techniques for using the MAP command for business searches on DIALOG that use more than one file. Limits of the MAPping function are discussed, and modification of these techniques for application to other databases and systems is explained. (Four references) (LRW)

Discusses the use of optical character recognition (OCR) technology to produce an ASCII text database. A tutorial on digital scanning and OCR is provided, and a systems integration project which used the Calera CDP-3000XF scanner and text retrieval software to construct a database of dissertations at George Mason University is described. (four…

Migrating from a traditional to a relational database technology requires more than traditional project management techniques. An overview of what to consider before migrating to relational database technology is presented. Leadership, staffing, vendor support, hardware, software, and application development are discussed. (MLW)

Reviews the subject access literature for 1988 in the format of an annotated bibliography. Topics covered in the review include online subject access, standard subject heading lists, proposed alternatives to subject heading lists, authority work, classification schemes, and new product information. (CLB)

Discusses the use of computer information retrieval (on-line electronic search methods). Examines advantages and disadvantages of on-line searching versus manual searching. Offers questions to help in the decision to purchase and use on-line searching with students. (MS)

Describes the background of and the concept, and purpose of a local file in the Pikes Peak Library District's community resource and information system. The year established, scope and function, and sample records are reviewed for the nine files that currently comprise the system. (two references) (MES)