Any general systems approach has five basic elements, which serve as the tasks for the researcher using systems analysis. The five are (1) the objectives, (2) the alternatives, (3) the costs, (4) the model (or models), and (5) the decision rule. With these five steps, the researcher should be able to specify the objectives, select alternatives,…

The development of a mathematical model of the Illinois Library and Information Network (ILLINET) is described. Based on queueing network theory, the model predicts the probability of a request being satisfied, the average time from the initiation of a request to the receipt of the desired resources, the costs, and the processing loads. Using a…

A bibliogrpahy of about 4,000 entries was compiled as a first step in assessing the state of the art of the systems approach to training (SAT). It was concluded that the voluminous SAT literature reveals an underlying confusion concerning the nature of SAT. The same terms are used to refer to different methodologies, thereby yielding the illusion…