Only the most dedicated super-searchers are motivated to learn and control command systems, like DialogClassic, that rely on the user to input complex search strategies. Infrequent searchers and most end users choose interfaces that do some of the work for them and make the search process appear easy. However, the easier a good interface seems to…

Describes two new bibliographic information services being marketed to microcomputer owners by DIALOG, Inc. and Bibliographic Retrieval Services to allow access to databases at low rates during evening hours. Subject focus, selection of a database, search strategies employed on each system are discussed, and the two services are compared. (EJS)

Describes Web versions of online systems and considers advantages and trade-offs for information professionals and other searchers. Web versions highlighted include Dow Jones Interactive; Dialog; LEXIS-NEXIS; and STN. (LRW)

Presents guidelines for effective online searching developed over the last 20 years. Areas covered by the guidelines include preplanning, database selection, cost-effective search techniques, searching for names, awareness of differences between databases and systems, matching search strategies to databases, postsearch routines, and the…

This article examines the Harvard Business Review Online (HBRO) database (bibliographic description fields, abstracts, extracted information, full text, subject descriptors) and reports on 31 sample HBRO searches conducted in Bibliographic Retrieval Services to test differences between searching full text and searching bibliographic record. Sample…

Describes the digitization projects being undertaken by publishers to provide long runs of back issues of newspapers and journal articles, and the necessary indexing tools, to meet the need for older materials. Discusses search capabilities, links, the addition of metadata, and usage statistics. (LRW)

This study compares results of searching full text of journal articles available on standard inverted file systems with searching of various parts of a document's surrogate. Relative recall and precision ratios for four search methods (full text, abstract, controlled vocabulary, bibliographic union) are reported. Search topics are appended. (14…

Four information retrieval packages that run on single user microcomputers--CAIRS, INMAGIC, Sci-Mate, SIRE--are examined based on following criteria: storage requirements; hardware requirements; search features (Boolean logic, comparison searching, set building, truncation, and wild card characters); system output; security; system maintenance…

Discusses online searching and the characteristics that make librarians good searchers. Topics include curiosity; creativity; enjoying the research process; research methodology to help in decision making; information sources other than the Web, including print sources and commercial databases; Boolean logic; and job opportunities for searchers.…

Discussion of the use of CD-ROM databases for end-user searching versus online database searching in academic libraries focuses on a comparison of two databases, "Psychological Abstracts" and "Sociological Abstracts," that were searched in both formats. Factors of response time, coverage, content, and cost were investigated for…