Describes MANIS, an information system for retrieval of interdisciplinary information in management, which maintains traditional classification but allows the user to combine terms of his choice, where choice is restricted to terms belonging to the systems of traditional classification. (CWM)

The four chapters included in this report are based on LINCS project activities undertaken since 1968, with an emphasis on indexing tools in the language sciences and related problems. Chapter one, "Indexing Tools for the Language Sciences: Methodology," discusses the development of a LINCS thesaurus and its role in the LINCS network.…

This brief review of the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) system is intended to make users more aware of (1) the system as a whole, (2) the process of indexing educational literature for the database, and (3) the role of the Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors in the overall information dissemination process. An overview of the ERIC…

Investigated the relative merits of searching on titles, subject headings, abstracts, free-language terms, and combinations of these elements. The combination of titles and abstracts came the closest to 100 percent retrieval. (Author/PF)

Explains seven types of subject descriptions commonly used in databases--hierarchical classification, category codes, subject headings, descriptors, faceted classification, post-controlled vocabulary, and natural language--and describes specific search techniques for taking advantage of the strengths of particular types of vocabularies. An overall…

Discusses latent semantic indexing (LSI); considers the high cost associated with the singular value decomposition (SVD) of the large term-by-document matrix that becomes a barrier for its application to scalable information retrieval; and shows that information filtering using level search techniques can reduce the SVD computation cost for LSI.…

Demonstrates the property of inclusiveness of document retrieval systems where documents are indexed by unweighted terms and in which query search patterns are Boolean functions of descriptors and presents three methods for determining a partial ordering on a set of system responses to these queries. Eleven sources are listed. (FM)

PRECIS, The Preserved Context Index System, is explained in detail. (AP)

The Uniterm system of coordinate indexing, developed by the Armed Services Technical Information Agency, provides a method for the organization, storage, and retrieval of information. The contents of reports are analyzed, and terms are assigned to the documents. For each term there is a card upon which the accession number of documents assigned…

Describes the organization of the descriptors used in the ERIC database to indicate age, educational, and student levels, and suggests appropriate search strategies for the retrieval of information on specific age groups. (CLB)

This sixth and final course installment discusses subject access to information through the online catalog. Highlights include online catalog transaction logs (printouts showing each step in all searches done in system), search effectiveness, online user training, unified access, Library of Congress Subject Headings, and online catalog design.…

In this fourth of five course installments, statements by four practitioners and researchers on role of Library of Congress (LC) and its subject headings in improving subject access to United States libraries are presented. Comments from LC and a tabulation of suggestions from 10 respondents are included. (EJS)

Introduces HARFAX Industry Data Sources, a bibliographic database which provides access to international sources of statistics on 60 key industries. Criteria for inclusion of material in the database, indexing policy, and uses of the database are discussed. Sample searches are illustrated and exhibits containing facts on the file are attached.…

Describes a study that collected statistics on the occurrence of terms used in searching an online catalog and investigated the correlation of the selection of terms with their occurrence in indexing. The discussion of the results includes implications for indexing theories. (19 references) (CLB)

Describes a study that examined the rates of use of descriptors in the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) system during 1966-86 to determine whether certain levels of terms were used more than others and whether patterns of use were similar among hierarchies in the ERIC Thesaurus. (10 references) (LRW)