Search results

Four simulations of online services have been produced by students of the Department of Information Studies, University of Sheffield; FOSSILS, a simulation of Lockheed Dialog; BLAISERS, a simulation of BLAISE MARC information retrieval, editing MUTE, a simulation of BLAISE MEDLINE, and SSDC, a simulation of SDC. These have proved valuable in teaching use of a keyboard, basic commands and more advanced techniques. Written in BASIC, the programs have been transferred successfully to a wide range of computers including microcomputers, in several countries.

The project was designed to provide a framework for a comprehensive user evaluation of both software packages and hypertext environments. User evaluation constituted an integral part of the design and development process. The learning packages and hypertext systems were evaluated in terms of the extent to which they provide flexibility for learners to follow their preferred learning styles. Evaluation was carried out in relation to: (1) hypertext packages; (2) learning styles and learning outcomes; and (3) system design. Two sets of learning experiments were conducted. In the first, the package related to ‘1992’ — the Single European Market—was tested with postgraduate MBA and Information Studies students, whose individual learning approaches were assessed. In the second, the package was in the field of food and wine and was tested with further education students on a catering course. Those with a holist predisposition strongly favoured the use of global features such as the map. On the other hand, serialists preferred the rapid access allowed by the index. The ‘Wine and Food’ experiment, with a smaller sample, produced no significant findings to reinforce the ‘1992’ results. However, there was an interesting positive correlation (though not statistically different) between field dependence and performance on the learning test. Cognitive styles were demonstrated to be a significant component of individual behaviour within the hypertext environment. Providing a variety of tools optimised for preferred modes of usage creates a rough equality of overall task‐related performance between those with differing cognitive styles, and allows the user to evolve an appropriate strategy for effective performance. The ‘lost in hyperspace’ phenomenon was rarely evident and may be eliminated by improved semantic content in navigational aids. Hypertext has been confirmed as a useful medium for searching, learning and recall, but must include as many alternative modes of usage as possible within the design of a particular system.

Sixty‐seven searchers carried out 275 searches, both with and without postings information, of a LISA CDROM. This provided an opportunity to investigate the effect of cognitive styles on searching behaviour which has substantial implications both for the teaching of searching and for search system design. Subjects were tested for field‐dependence/ field‐independence and for Comprehension/Operation/ Versatile learning styles. Statistically significant differences in both searching behaviour and search outcomes were obtained by those with different learning styles, with and without postings information. These results are presented and implications for training are discussed.

Since 1983. CITI (Centro de Informação Técnica para a Indústria/Centre for Technical Information for Industry) at LNETI (Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia e Tecnologia Industrial) has been providing online information searching to researchers, academia, industry and business in Portugal, to support R&D activities, innovation and transfer of technology and to contribute to the competitiveness of Portuguese industry in world markets. This paper presents an analysis of the use of this service from 1986 to 1990 and highlights the most often searched databases, as well as the subjects most searched, by type of user. Information is also presented on the online costs and trends in costs over the period. Despite the increased use of this service throughout the period analysed, there is considerable scope for improvement in the way it is marketed as an effective and efficient way to retrieve relevant information and, consequently, in how it can enhance the productivity of scientists, engineers and business personnel.

This paper describes INSTRUCT, an interactive computer program which has been developed as a teaching aid for use within schools of librarianship and information science. The program demonstrates some of the techniques that have been suggested for implementing document retrieval systems in the future, and currently runs on a search file that comprises 6,004 documents from the Library and Information Science Abstracts database. INSTRUCT has facilities for natural language query processing, including the use of a stop‐word list, a stemming algorithm and a fuzzy‐matching routine that allows the automatic identification of a range of word variants; the provision of ranked output using automatic term weighting and a nearest‐neighbour searching procedure; and automatic relevance feedback using probabilistic relevance weights. The program is menu‐driven and can be used by searchers with little or no user training.

INSTRUCT is an interactive computer program illustrating some of the techniques which have been suggested for use in future text retrieval systems. The program is designed as a computerised teaching aid for students in schools of librarianship and information science. A previous paper has provided a general overview of the novel retrieval facilities provided by INSTRUCT. The present paper discusses the means by which these facilities have been implemented: in particular, detailed descriptions are given of the nearest‐neighbour search algorithm that underlies the string similarity and ranked output modules of the program, and of the term‐weighting schemes that are used. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential enhancements to the present program.

This paper reports a study of the use and value of MSc in Information Studies/Information Management dissertations produced during the seven years, 1988–89 to 1994–95, at the Department of Information Studies in the University of Sheffield. Responses to a questionnaire that was sent to students, supervisors and external collaborating organisations showed that they all used the dissertations in various ways, as did other Departmental staff and students. Some dissertations lead to publications in the open literature, and a citation analysis showed that these publications are successful in bringing dissertation results to a wider readership.

THE following abstract in tabular form has been prepared by some junior members of the Islington Public Libraries staff for the use of candidates in Section V. of the Library Association Examination. It does not pretend to do more than set out the chief provisions of the various Public Libraries Acts in a clear manner, as an aid to the memorization of the principal powers and duties conferred upon library authorities. The whole of the Acts can be purchased through any bookseller for 1s. 4½d., and every student of librarianship is advised to procure them.

If you were asked to envision some information services in your library that could feasibly be offered for a fee, what would you choose? A list of such services probably would include many that are currently being offered for free and others that could be offered under the right circumstances.

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