Discussion of how student teachers build concrete concepts and defined concepts in telecommunication environments focuses on a study that used the AskERIC database to demonstrate the role of intellectual skills in developing conceptualizations, to compare and contrast elements of a lesson plan, and to define the role of telecommunication in…

Based on analysis of a computer corpus of 80 research articles and interviews with experienced writers, this study investigates the contextual variability of citations in eight disciplines and suggests how textual conventions point to distinctions in ways knowledge is negotiated and confirmed within different academic communities. (Author/VWL)

Stresses the importance of common understandings of cost definitions and data collection in order to create reliable databases with optimal utility for inter-institutional analysis. Examines definitions of common expenditure categories, discusses cost-accumulation rules governing financial reporting, and explains differences between direct costs…

Describes a method for measuring research information from thematic references such as headings and subheadings that are used in indexing, cataloging, and online searching, using the Rasch model as the measuring instrument. Discusses results of a search of anesthesiology in the Medline database that was used as a case study. (Author/LRW)

Discusses how educators can access the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database online to review summaries of more than 900,000 documents and journal articles, research reports, curriculum and teaching guides, conference papers, and books. Key search terms are provided, along with different access points. (CR)

Examines the issue of whether or not federal government-generated databases reside in the public domain. Discusses a 1973 Supreme Court decision (Williams & Wilkins v. The United States), the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, and terms and conditions listed on various government databases. (MES)

Analysis of the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) database determined the growth of frequency of use of the term globalization during 1989-1995. Lists globalized items during 1989-1995: business, industry, production, and technology. Notes that science has not become globalized because it is still supported and managed by national governments.…

Challenges experimental studies of children's lexical acquisition by analyzing the process of introducing lexical items as a collaborative activity between adult and child. Examines conversational exchanges in which new words are introduced, and shows that there are many types of introductions of lexical items that go beyond the strategies of…

Describes the development of the Korean system for submitting electronic theses and dissertations. Highlights include standards for document formats; format conversion and processing; full-text retrieval; and multilingual database and retrieval system issues. (LRW)

This case study at the Idaho State University library examines the relative merits of the features and functionality of the various free versions of the ERIC database in comparison with a commercial version. Recommends a commercial version of ERIC to take advantage of the enhanced search features. (Author/LRW)

Explores the development of the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) dataset and the relationship between that dataset and the disparate services that have emerged as a result of the Internet and the Web. Discusses the technical infrastructure; database content; services and resources; creating a unified knowledge base; and metadata…

Describes and quantifies aspects of the comparative clauses conjoined with correlatives "than" and "as." The data are compared to show patterns of distribution, their spread across different genres, and the similarity or otherwise of their use in Britain and Australia. Findings show that the scalar comparative clause does not…

A periodical database was searched to investigate the occurrence of favorable and unfavorable book reviews to determine the role of reviews in library selection. Compares book reviews with other types of reviews, examines relationships between review evaluations and other review characteristics, and compares the number of favorable and unfavorable…

Examines the traditional, historical applications of abstracts and summary notes by individual authors in typical databases in order to assess and develop applications for Internet information retrieval. Highlights include information seeking; guidelines for writers; models of abstracts and summary notes; metadata; and Internet standards,…

Presents a methodology for educators to assess coverage, overlaps, and gaps in their curricula, of validating their present course offerings, and of monitoring subject-matter trends by using descriptors from commercial bibliographic databases. Describes a study that modeled the curricula for Drexel University's College of Information Science and…