Reports on searching behavior of humanities scholars who were given unlimited, subsidized access to DIALOG databases. How much searching the scholars did, the kinds of techniques and DIALOG features they used, and their learning curves are analyzed. Search features studied included commands, Boolean logic, types of vocabulary, and proximity…

This paper provides a complete picture of the environment for numeric databases and a set of appropriate responses for modifying this environment. The emphasis is on the statistical database produced by the public and private sectors, with coverage of government and academic stakeholders in the statistical data transfer system. Part one describes…

Recently, to encourage secondary analysis, the federal government has begun to arrange for public policy data to be documented, archived and released to the public. The purpose of this document is to provide government project officers with guidelines for archiving government-sponsored data files. The guidelines represent a model for…

This paper proposes construction of a separate data base environment for university planning information, distinct from data bases and systems supporting operational functioning and management. The data base would receive some of its input from the management information systems (MIS)/transactional data bases and systems through a process of…

The Information Sciences section at Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute (IITRI) is now operating a Computer Search Center (CSC) for handling numerous machine-readable data bases. The computer programs are generalized in the sense that they will handle any incoming data base. This is accomplished by means of a preprocessor system…

The objectives of this study were to submit all the information necessary for making a decision on the establishment of a comprehensive materials data bank for West Germany. The problems investigated were: determination of the present state of the art, examination of a number of systems and other resources existing in the subject, site visits to…

Presents an approach to using online sources of information for competitor intelligence (i.e., monitoring industry and tracking activities of competitors); identifies principal sources; and suggests some ways of making use of online databases. Types and sources of information and sources and database charts are appended. Eight references are…

The citizen of tomorrow needs to understand the role of information in political systems; computer technology and information storage, retrieval, and use; the implications of information systems for individual rights; and the impact of computer crime, databanks, and systems analysis on the social, economic, and political spheres. (QKR)

Deals with the interaction of traditional library reference and the new services generated by online information retrieval capabilities. Described are the impact of online reference within the library context, problems resulting from implementation, and the librarian's influence on future prospects. (Author/SW)

Institutional researchers are often called on to compare financial performance across institutions as part of comprehensive institutional management teams. Several types and sources of national data, including databases and publications, are appropriate for this, each with particular strengths and limitations. Three sources also provide…

Investigates the impact of statewide database licensing for ProQuest on the users of public, school, and community college libraries in Washington State. Results of transaction log data and a study of how communities used information indicated that the database is used mainly in education and stressed the importance of implementation and promotion…

This digest describes datasets of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) that are related to rural education, discusses potential uses of NCES data, and offers practical tips for accessing these data. NCES has primarily two types of data; population data on the school universe and national surveys. Two population databases are the…

The usefulness of the 1980 Census for planning in postsecondary education, and specifically in California, was assessed. Attention is directed to the use of past census data by higher education planners as well as the development of the 1980 Census. The geographic subunits covered by the 1980 Census that may be of use to postsecondary education…

Designed for use by professionals interested in the field of environmental communications, this resource guide contains sources of information pertaining to employment opportunities especially in the area of written environmental communications. References are compiled under the headings of: (1) subject headings (listing key descriptors for…

This volume of "Archiving Methodology" provides contractors with standards for developing project-level documentation. This volume is designed to acquaint a potential data user with the research and/or evaluative effort that generated the archived data. It serves as both an introduction to and an overview of a collection of data files by…