Search

The various operational characteristics defined in this paper provide a basis for quantitative evaluation of the performance of an information retrieval system. Such evaluation is essential in guiding the design of a documentation system so that it may achieve an optimum margin of benefits provided over costs incurred. Insight gained by consideration of operational characteristics is particularly helpful in making decisions with regard to a wide range of technical questions that are encountered in designing documentation systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a study of the use of information sources by farm operation in the farm practice adoption process and develops a model to account for the differential use of sources as farmers progress toward adoption. Utilizing a less-structured interviewing technique, the findings from this study of 175 Pennsylvania dairy farmers lend support to previous investigations of the use of information sources in the various stages of the adoption process. The model constructed to account for the differential use of information sources as farmers progress toward adoption involves five considerations: (1) institutionalization of information sources, (2) the temporal sequence of sources, (3) the possibility of negative recommendations, (4) scheduling limitations, and (5) the need for local legitimation. A reasonably good fit was obtained between model and data. A prediction derived from the model, that farmers citing peer influences as sources in the early stages of the adoption process would make less progress toward adoption than farmers citing other sources, was also supported by the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper outlines some rough suggestions for a possible Nordic computer-based information system for storing, processing and delivering the output of theoretical and empirical research on human communication that is being carried out within scientific and applied contexts first and foremost in the Nordic region. Such a system may contribute towards an integrated body of knowledge of human communication systems. The suggested areas covered and some gross dimensions of a possible reference frame for the organization of information are indicated, and user relations and requests are commented upon. It is advocated that both processed empirical data and theoretical propositions be handled by the proposed information system (called CRISS for short), and reasons for the need of it being partly computerized are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a list of research papers on manual card systems. In the paper "A Simple and Versatile Punch Card System for Bibliographic Use," a punch card system is described, which should find application for general or specific bibliographic use. The system enables the individual to file a reference by subject, author and year. In the paper "A System for Cataloging Reference Material," the needle-sort card system for cataloging reference material is discussed. By this system, reports are cataloged according to subject matter by notching out appropriate holes that line the four edges of a card.

For more than two years the Center for Documentation and Communication Research of Western Reserve University has been actively engaged in operating the American Society for Metals Documentation Service. Since this has been a new venture in information retrieval, it is thought to be of sufficient interest to others to justify a report on our cost and operational experiences thus far. Five previous reports prepared under grant number G-10338 for the National Science Foundation have been concerned primarily with the `input' portion of an information retrieval system. Although this is the sixth in the series, it is the first to report specifically on the `output,' i.e., the provision of answers to questions by means of machine searching. It discusses in detail the procedures and costs of conducting searches, and it exposes several of the important but not easily predicted variables which affect the entire cost structure. Unlike Report No. IV, which analyzed the `input' costs of the Service and formulated a final figure of $6303 per abstract, Report No. VI presents ranges of costs which are applicable only to given situations. Future papers will expand on the phases of `output' which are mentioned only briefly here and will report on the progress made in improving and refining procedures and in establishing a more compact cost structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a program for enriching American library resources. This is not the place in which to debate the definition of a library and thereby to establish the limits of the word "resources." As the journal's legal colleagues might say, one may stipulate all that. Auxiliary media that is, non-originals in acquisitions programs need no defense. In 1949, at the request of the Association of Research Libraries the Library of Congress established in the Union Catalog Division a Microfilming Clearing House with the object of centralizing data on microfilming projects embracing newspapers, serials, and manuscripts (or archival) collections that were planned, in progress, or completed.

The article presents a collection of bibliographical notes on and abstracts of books and articles pertaining to various aspects of the organization of information is the sixth installment of the bibliography compiled cooperatively by the Committee on Organization of Information of the American Documentation Institute. "Abstracts of Corrosion Literature" published in the April 1951 issue of "Science," will be printed by the National Association of Corrosion Engineers on punch cards to reduce time needed to search literature for information. "The Association of Research Libraries Committee on National Needs," an article from the Library of Congress Information Bulletin, provides information on the committee, which was established recently to consider the adequacy of national resources of research materials in terms of the content, growth, organization and bibliographical control of library collections as those collections may be called upon to serve critical national needs in the present and in the future.

The main purpose of this paper is to seek classes of design implications in data-base oriented languages. Its scope is not limited to library automation, but extends to the problem of scientific and business databases. As a point of practical reference it reviews the lessons drawn from the application of the DIRAC-1 language to a variety of problems at Stanford. The second version of DIRAC, which is currently used in the organization and utilization of a geoscience data-base, is described. An attempt is made to relate the observation of these real-life systems to general characteristics and leads to hypotheses concerning future design trends. In this context two points are regarded as especially important, namely the handling of structure specification and the need to view the user as an operator rather than as a passive recipient of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper sets the ERIC information system in the context of the more general characteristics and problems of social science information storage and retrieval. Social science information studies and attempts at organizing social science information ore surveyed. The Educational Resource Information Center system is summarized, and the criticisms of that system in terms of decentralization, information quality, and indexing vocabulary and thesaurus structure are presented. The recommendations of the Fry study ore considered in the context of the whole problem of social science information handling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the significance of using computer-based data banks for future planning. A data bank is a system of storing useful information in such a way that it could be made available for future use. It highlights the benefits of utilizing computer technology for data banking to store relevant resources for regional and metropolitan planning. According to the author, the main advantage of computer storage of data is that it processed quickly and accurately. It outlines the criteria to be considered in developing a data bank including the specification for selected information, its communicator and the bases for the design of alternative plans.

The article presents information on several research papers and reports which focus on equipment and material descriptions related to information management. The paper Automatic Search Systems presents a brief discussion of the fundamentals of automatic search theory. Basic Information on Business Machines discusses methods and hardware used in the field of data-recording and data-processing. Emphasis is placed on the key-punch and other machines manufactured by Aritma Enterprises. The processes of punching, sorting, reproducing, verifying, and tabulating on the Aritma 220 electronic sorter with an operating speed of 60,000 cards per hour.

The article presents a list of reports on proposed library facilities. The research paper "Automated Routines in Technical Services," discusses the approach to automation taken by the AFCRL Research Library, applicable to libraries in general. A brief review of the current market of equipments and techniques is followed by guidelines this library will use in order to effect total systems automation. The paper "The Automated Approach to Technical Information Retrieval, Library Applications," describes in some detail measures the Bureau of Ships has taken in an attempt to resolve some of the attending problems inherent in the handling, storage.

The article presents a dictionary of terms related to documentation as of December 3, 1962. Some of the terms are classification, a system of arranging similar things into a unique order, a self-evident impossibility; computer, an enormously overgrown on-off machine; document, any conceivable scrap of paper with marks on it; documentalist, a harmless paper-shuffler; and index, a system of analyzing information in which the method used to choose categories is carefully hidden from the ultimate user.

This article focuses on present sources through which the Russians have access to Western scientific publications, without necessarily having to read them in the original Western tongue. On the other hand, it could be of value to find out to what extent the Russians have succeeded in documenting Western science and consequently in profiting from it. By the concept "Western sources," articles from English (both British and American), French, and German are most generally understood. No effort was spared to check these Russian documentation sources, but it must regrettably be said that only very few were as yet available in research libraries in the United States.

The article focuses on the use of automatic equipment to scan index entries recorded in the form of holes on punched cards, magnetized spots on tape, transparent spots on photographic film, etc. The purpose of machine searching might be defined as the identification of those records in a file that are characterized by a certain set of features. The records so characterized may be said to constitute a class in the logical sense of the word. This involves implications that are important both to the designer of the searching machine and to the designer of a system for analyzing and encoding records.

The article reports that since all objectives of the Office of Basic Instrumentation (OBI) program depend on adequate documentation, and since the literature in instrumentation is not so well organized as in more compact fields, OBI has perforce undertaken studies aimed at improving the documentation of instrumentation literature. The OBI is not, at this time, trying to accomplish a complete job of gathering and processing all information from all sources but is studying methods for doing it that will facilitate the easy and effective retrieval of information.

Although indexing coverage of national and international news items has been handled well by the New York Times Index and other sources, similar coverage of items which arc of local or regional interest has either been non-existent or provided for by card files which make the information accessible only with difficulty. A study wan conducted to determine the feasibility of tagging terms from newspaper headlines, adding descriptors for enrichment, and then using a computer to reformat the data and print out a keyword index. The results of the study indicate that this would be a straightforward, relatively inexpensive method of increasing the accessibility of this kind of information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of INFOR is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article features the benefits offered by the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). It is a nationwide information system designed to serve and advance education in the U.S. Its primary objective is to supply ideas and information on significant current documents such as research reports, articles, theoretical papers, tested methods, conference papers, news letters and curriculum guides or studies. The author also mentioned the various affiliations of this institution. The ERIC system is publishing a companion volume to Research in Education called Current Index to journals in Education.

A comparison is made of demographic data gathered using an experimental short interview form with that from the more traditional in-depth fertility and contraceptive KAP interview. The short form is weakest in measuring current fertility, somewhat more adequate in measuring cumulative fertility, and about equally as effective as the depth interview in measuring infant/child mortality. Most of the deficiency in the quality of the short-interview data can be attributed to accepting information from other household members or neighbors when the woman herself was not available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientific computer systems are defined as those which have an information content, which is primarily scientific, and which are designed to communicate scientific results. Such systems have many differences from data processing systems and therefore require different methods of analysis. The nature of scientific data files is considered, and a threefold classification system based on file size, system life-time, and computational requirements is proposed. An example of each type of system is given. A series of headings is given to guide an analyst in his approach to a scientific system. In addition, some guidelines are presented for the difficult process of cost-estimating scientific systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports offering by the Council for Exceptional Children Information Center of computer generated bibliographies of selected materials in the areas of gifted and handicapped in Arlington, Virginia. Each bibliography comprises complete abstracts with data bout the availability of the document and a synthesis of its content. The service is offered free of charge. Everybody is welcomed to present their specific request with regard to the disability and problem areas.

A computer system has been designed for storing, retrieving, and editing data for the Dictionary of American Regional English (D.A.R.E.). This dictionary, in contrast to most commercial dictionaries, will consist of words which have regional rather than national currency and will derive its entries from data collected by its own fieldworkers, readers, and researchers. Entries, consisting of a headword or phrase, plus descriptors for such items as the user, meaning, pronunciation, and collection technique for this word or phrase are stored in a central file. Interrogations on this file can be made on the value of any headword or description, or any logical combination of such values. Any portion of an entry which satisfies an interrogation may be designated for retrieval. An experimental editing system employing an on-line CRT terminal has been developed for the editing process, although a more flexible system will be needed for the actual editing which is scheduled to begin in approximately three years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates the relevance of computers and machinery in government offices. The computer is part of a wider management, information processing, and electronics revolution which is only just beginning to affect administrative behavior. At the same time changes in the structure and practice of private business will oblige public administration to take note of these new developments. The impact on departmental structure could be extensive in the longer term, but this would imply more sophisticated linkage and rationalization than seems politically or administratively practicable at present.

A semantic differential (SD) is a commonly used instrument which can be used to reliably measure attitudes toward a variety of objects or concepts. Each SD consists of a series of bipolar adjective scales on which a respondent reacts, in relation to the object or concept of interest. To interpret completed SDs, it simplifies the procedures and aids in the development of theory if the adjective scales are grouped into one or more independent clusters. The primary purpose of this study was to identify those clusters (or dimensions) applied by a user of an on-line user-oriented reference retrieval system when he reacts toward such a system. Seventy-one who used or were familiar with a working on-line reference retrieval system completed a pocket of 20 SDs, each consisting of the same 19 adjective scales. The correlations among the scales were factor analyzed. Three independent dimensions were identified. Factor I was labeled "evaluative-specific" and accounted for over 23% of the total variance. Factor II was called "desirability"; it accounted for over 17% of the total variance. And, Factor III, entitled "enormity" accounted for over 10% of the total variance. Another analysis showed the factor structure to be highly reliable. Therefore, if the derived three dimensional structure underlies users' attitudes toward a more general class of retrieval systems, then undimensional or unstructured system evaluations of users' attitudes will be simplistic and possibly misleading. ln order to construct a working semantic differential, 10 adjective scales were identified which best represented the three dimensions. Brief instructions are included which outline how to use this SD. The discussion is mainly concerned with the obtained factor structure and the need for a predictive replication of the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about information systems for sciences and professions. The term information system denotes physical and human resources for performing a full range of information functions. The educational information system Educational Resources Information Center, draws upon the educational knowledge base to meet the information needs not only of educators but also of psychologists, sociologist, economists, linguists, engineers, architects, etc. who happen to be working on problems within the field of education.

The set of different terms used to search a directory for information on a given topic varies considerably from one searcher to another. If the topic is represented by a written text, the characteristics of the text are among the variables which influence the formulation of search terms. The results of an experiment simulating a library catalog search indicated that a relation exists between the lexical content load of the text, used to define the search topic, and the number of query terms generated by a group of experimental subjects (college students). No connection was found between the content load of the text and the commonality of query term choices. Some of the properties of "popular," as opposed to "unique," query terms were examined. Only short terms enjoyed a high level of popularity. The repeated appearance of a term in the text favored the selection of that term by a large number of searchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of INFOR is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article provides information about Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC). ERIC is composed of a network of various decentralized clearinghouses in the U.S. Each of these clearinghouses concentrates on a specific area of education and creates its own plan on the acquisition, evaluation and storage of significant materials in the individual fields of interest. The central staff at the U.S. Office of Education has coordinated with the functions of various clearinghouses and supported their plan to expand through offering training sessions for key personnel and providing several guideline publications.

The article presents a study comparing the efficiency of the Select-Ed Prescriptive Materials Retrieval (PMR) System and the University of Texas Information Retrieval Program as information retrieval systems in the U.S. The study uses the Instructional Material Abstract Appropriateness Questionnaire and the Descriptive Clarity Questionnaire. It was found out that the Select-Ed PMR system was rated higher due to the clarity of its abstracts. The investigation also showed that the needs of educators will determine the usefulness of either retrieval system. In addition, the concerns on abstracting and describing materials supports the concern on descriptive clarity.

The article focuses on the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) Clearinghouse on Teacher Education sponsored by the National Commission on Teacher Education and Professional Standards, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and the Association for Student Teaching in the U.S. Significantly, the initiative provides a way to secure, evaluate, abstract, interpret, and disseminate documents related to teacher education. The author cites the aims and objectives of the Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse will be utilized in several ways such that: (1) they may be processed for publication; (2) they may be placed in the local Clearinghouse files to be used in the preparation of monographs and bibliographies; and (3) they may be used to suggest persons who can be contacted for relevant materials. The author discusses the advantages of the ERIC input-output processes. The author suggests that the extensive application of the service will bring about changes and could stimulate innovative preservice and in-service programs.

To evaluate the effectiveness of an information storage and retrieval system in terms of cost and end result, one must consider the operational characteristics of a system relative to the informational needs. If a system has what a user considers optimum operating characteristics at a reasonable cost, then he most likely will choose that system. The probability that a user will find all operational characteristics of a system exactly as he would like them is very low, and he usually must be willing to compromise on some characteristics of a system. This compromise almost surely will involve time and money. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article points out the possibility of using second and higher level association measures in reference retrieval applications, both for term-term and for document-document association. It might be objected that second and higher level association measures would require more computation than the corresponding first level measures. This is quite true, but it has to be remembered that as with first-level measures, the computations need be made only at the time when the system is first set up or when the collection makeup has been altered significantly; the computations need not be repeated for each search. If second-level measures do indeed tend to give superior results, it might be worth the extra initial computation. For third and higher level measures, however, it seems less likely that the additional computational investment would be justified.

The article focuses on computer-based document retrieval systems that provide capabilities for producing the union, intersection and absolute complements of sets of documents identified by searches. The operations that produce these results are often called OR, AND and NOT. Although this set of operations, and the names associated with them, are traditional in certain applications, including logical design and parts of logic, their use in computer-based retrieval systems may be a mistake and the source of many of the difficulties that users have in learning to use these capabilities.

Data summarizing a survey of citations over 2 years in the Journal of Animal Ecology and Ecology art presented They show that the literature of ecology is both extensive and widely dispersed m comparison with related sciences and provide a basis for estimation of the periodical needs of an ecological research library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article informs that the Ford Foundation has announced a grant of $8 million to the Council on Library Resources, Washington, D.C, for research into improved library methods, with emphasis on ways of storing and finding information in the library of the future. With part of the new grant, the Council will set up a laboratory to study photographic and electronic techniques designed to cope with the deluge of publications resulting from the accelerated rate of research. The laboratory will also attempt to develop pilot models to improve methods of storing and retrieving information, particularly in large research libraries.

This article focuses on the term "concept coordination." The term is meant to connote a system of multidimensional analysis of subject and coordinate searching in response to information requests. The word "concept" was chosen to connote that it is not mere words or symbols that are coordinated, but rather the ideas behind them, resulting from policing of the terminology used. The word "coordination" highlights the fact that the newer methods escape from the linearity imposed by a conventional index and allow the quick interaction of concepts which might be widely separated in a printed list.

This article focuses on the literature searching systems. In the interests of taking the first steps toward achieving agreement among documentalists as to various criteria which may be used to characterize systems and equipment, we should like to invite comments on the compilation as reported in Table I. In particular, suggestions are solicited with regard to: the criteria used; the classes of systems and machines established; and the specific examples used in connection with each of the classes.

The article presents a study that examines the quality control of digitized data and the inclusion of essential and meaningful checkpoints. The authors discuss the collection of vast amounts of data for biological research and methods of organized storage to ensure efficient retrieval. Models of data storage are detailed.