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Online kiosks have the potential to be a significant alternative to mobile technologies in retailing, information provision and service delivery. This article describes the development and use of different types of online kiosk in contexts where users are on the move and away from fixed technologies. A case study of a major UK airport terminal is used to illustrate different types of kiosk applications. Comparisons are made with mobile phone technologies. Online kiosks have a niche in allowing access to information, services and e‐commerce technologies for all potential consumers. However, they also have a much wider role in self‐managed, self‐service delivery of information, services, goods and relationships to consumers on the move.

Adumbrates the positives of using effective observation by researchers and managers among others. Posits that looking and watching should be embedded in all psyches of all researchers, learners and managers, and it is a skill that needs to be acquired and honed. Sums up that although some of the hazards and opportunities have an association with observation, it is often overlooked as a data collection methodology.

Summarizes the papers presented at The Second Marketing Science and the Internet Conference entitled: “Understanding Consumer Behaviour on the Internet”, held in Los Angeles, 28‐30 April 2000. Identifies key topical issues and future research agendas. Starts from the premise that research into consumer behaviour in the e‐marketplace is in its infancy, and that a variety of different types of contributions will be necessary to achieve a more informed understanding of consumer behaviour in this new context. Groups current work under four headings: cognition – concerned with the consumer response to specific features embedded in the interface between the consumer and the organisation; customisation – which reviews the various options for personalisation in the marketing exchange, and their effectiveness and acceptability to the consumer; cumulation – which explores the cumulative effect of consumer behaviour on the marketplace; and context – concerned with the relativities between online and traditional retailing and business environments.

Databases on CDROM are one of the more complex types of facility that will be accessed by the general public, either in their home, in airport lounges and other public arenas or in libraries. These databases extend over a wide range of different media types including bibliographic, full‐text and multimedia. Interfaces include DOS‐based and GUI‐based products. This paper reviews the literature on the design and evaluation of user interfaces on CDROM, with the objective of distilling guidelines for these activities. More specifically the article defines interfaces, dialogues and interaction, and explores the diversity in and issues associated with standardisation in interface design for CDROMs. Current criteria and guidelines for the evaluation of CDROM interfaces include those of the Special Interest Group on CDROM Applications and Technology (SIGCAT) and guidelines proposed by other authors. Using this earlier work as a basis an alternative set of guidelines is proposed.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/00242539610107578. When citing the article, please cite: Frances Slack, (1996), “End-user searches and search path maps: a discussion”, Library Review, Vol. 45 Iss: 2, pp. 41 - 51.

This article offers support and guidance for students undertaking a literature review as part of their dissertation during an undergraduate or Masters course. A literature review is a summary of a subject field that supports the identification of specific research questions. A literature review needs to draw on and evaluate a range of different types of sources including academic and professional journal articles, books, and web‐based resources. The literature search helps in the identification and location of relevant documents and other sources. Search engines can be used to search web resources and bibliographic databases. Conceptual frameworks can be a useful tool in developing an understanding of a subject area. Creating the literature review involves the stages of: scanning, making notes, structuring the literature review, writing the literature review, and building a bibliography.

The increase in subject access provision on British OPACs over the last decade is described: end‐users may carry out subject searches using such facilities as keyword access or Boolean operators; the use of browsing is particularly flexible and appeals to end‐users. A research programme at Manchester Polytechnic is discussed which has identified the conceptual problems created by subject searching, including general OPAC instructions, inputting of search terms, refining the search strategy and the subject description of each record. Progress is described on research into subject searching on a number of fronts and the enhancement of facilities discussed.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a multi‐dimensional taxonomy for information kiosk‐based self service technologies (SSTs). This taxonomy has an important contribution to make to the integration of research and development, in relation to information kiosks. There are aspects that may also be extended to e‐service, online service and self‐service.

The conceptual context for this work is established by a review of previous literature. This focuses on taxonomies and classification schemes relating to information kiosks, traditional services (p‐services) and e‐services. A comprehensive database of information kiosk technologies and their applications is constructed. Longitudinal observation of the development of information kiosk technologies is the basis for this and has been extended by web research.

An iterative analysis of the kiosk database defines the nature of service delivery from kiosks, and supports the identification and verification of the dimensions and sub‐dimensions of the taxonomy. It is informed by earlier classification schemes and taxonomies in the information kiosk, e‐service and p‐service literature.

This taxonomy has four main dimensions: Location, User, Task and Technology. Sub‐dimensions are developed for each of these main dimensions. It can be used to classify all information kiosks.

The increase in work‐based Master′s level research projects has led to a demand for the training and support of research supervisors. At Manchester Polytechnic (now the Manchester Metropolitan University) a training initiative was developed by the authors. A self‐managed independent learning package and a structured weekend course were used to develop and enhance the knowledge of research methods and supervisory skills in the lecturing staff of the Department of Library and Information Studies. Describes the way the initiative was set up, the variety of teaching and learning methods used and the outcomes from the away‐weekend. A mentoring system for research supervisors was developed and the role of higher level research in the department was enhanced. This training initiative should now be used to support research project supervisors outside academic institutions as well as within the UK′s universities.

Undertaking research generates much information and raw data that the researcher is required firstly to use to define the research process adopted, secondly to interpret and ultimately to draw conclusions and recommendations. All of these tasks require the researcher to organise and record the information in a manner that will be comprehensible when the time for writing up comes round.