Search

Purpose — This paper seeks to report selective findings of a wider study to identify the mechanisms that end users employ to overcome their information seeking failure on the web. Design/methodology/approach — Data collection was conducted by semi-structured and in-depth interviews. The study adopted a qualitative approach and was carried out based on grounded theory. The biology community at the University of Sheffield was selected as the research population. Findings — Identified coping strategies are divided into active and passive categories. Active strategies such as revising and help-seeking require further actions to obtain more satisfactory results. In contrast, passive strategies entail less action to modify the situation and mainly relate to accepting the existing circumstances. Web users prioritise their coping strategies according to the importance of the search topic and their determination to fulfill the search successfully. They develop coping strategies through training courses, using trial and error, knowledge sharing and employing pre-web coping strategies. Research limitations/implications — This study was limited to a small group of web users in academia that cannot be easily considered as an acceptable representative of the heterogeneous population of web users. Moreover, the collected data was based on web users' perception of their search failure rather than an objective measure of it. Originality/value — Most studies in this area are concerned with users' information seeking behaviour and focus on how people find what they want. However, this paper addresses an aspect of this process that has received little attention up to now. The paper explores users' reaction to, and conceptualisation of, information seeking failure and their coping strategies to overcome the failure in web searching. The findings provide us with a better understanding of users' information seeking behaviour on the web. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To outline the conceptual and technical difficulties encountered, as well as the opportunities created, when developing an interlinked collection of web-based digitised primary sources on eighteenth century London. Design/methodology/approach - As a pilot study for a larger project, a variety of primary sources, including the Old Bailey Proceedings (OBP), were digitised and then interlinked using names. The paper outlines the solutions adopted for dealing with uncertainties in record linkage and for displaying a range of different historical sources while preserving their archival integrity. Findings - Records should be linked with varying degrees of probability, allowing users to participate in the choice of which records truly concern the same individuals. Research limitations/implications - Further work is necessary to create mechanisms for allowing users to specify levels of certainty in record linkage, and to develop methods for searching and displaying results when working with multiple collections of archival sources. Originality/value - This paper shows the potential of combining XML markup with flexible record linkage strategies to interlink complex collections of digitised sources. The resulting source will allow historians to ask new historical questions; in this case concerning the role played by individuals in shaping the evolution of social welfare provision in London. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the 6th International Conference on Music Information Retrieval held at Queen Mary and Goldsmiths College at the University of London in England from September 11 to 15, 2005. The conference covered varied issues related to computer music, such as the Music Information Retrieval Evaluation eXchange and the significance of Music Information Retrieval research to musicologists and information analysts. The paper sessions featured works on music information retrieval, music classification, dataset collection and the applications of interactive retrieval and music visualization.

Purpose - Reports on the trial of an automated order routine for the University Library in Newcastle which began in April 1966. Design/methodology/approach - Presents the author's experiences of the manual order processing system, and the impetus for trialling an automated system. The stages of the automated system are described in detail. Findings - Time spent on processing recommendation slips was reduced by 30 percent using the automated system. Important data and printouts can be produced which should lead to a reduction in clerical time and enable accounting to be done automatically. Originality/value - The paper has historical value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]