Surveys the literature on the teaching of bibliographic search strategies to college students, emphasizing the areas of instructional content and teaching methods. (FM)

Presents a review, an analysis, and a projection of the use of machine-readable databases, including online search and support services, and emphasizes the application of bibliographic databases for special libraries. More than 40 references are cited. (FM)

As part of the study of human information search strategy the concept of the search tactic, or move made to further a search, is introduced. Twenty-nine tactics are named, defined, and discussed, and implications of search tactics for research in search strategy are considered. (Author/MBR)

Investigates performance of online searchers using a prototype expert system that automatically reformulates queries to improve results and ranks retrieved passages to speed identification of relevant information. Results indicated that the system significantly reduced the number of queries needed, produced marginally significant improvements in…

Examines how the use of expert systems has been applied to model the performance of an online search intermediary. Types of knowledge representation used in expert systems are reviewed, the role of the intermediary in online information retrieval is discussed, and both prototype and operational intermediary systems are described. (152 references)…

Discusses methods of browsing in online public access catalogs (OPACs) and describes one method that uses information pertaining to the physical description of books from MARC records to simulate images of books on a library shelf. Electronic browsing through MARC is discussed, and methods of enhancing OPACs are reviewed. (51 references) (LRW)

This study examined the importance of negative searching, or searching to discover topics not previously explored in writing, and its oversight in the library literature. A survey of university faculty revealed a tendency to view negative searching as necessary to scholarly endeavors, but an online literature search showed little discussion of…

Discusses the problems associated with using connect time as the basis of user fees for searching numeric online databases, and proposes a methodology for user charge estimation based on query formulation and results. (87 references) (CLB)

Reports on retrieval of patent information online and includes definition of patent family, basic and equivalent patents, "parents and children" applications, designated states, patent family databases--International Patent Documentation Center, World Patents Index, APIPAT (American Petroleum Institute), CLAIMS (IFI/Plenum). A table…

Examines several points in the cycle of publication of scientific research results--informal presentations, conference presentations, technical report literature, journal articles, abstracts, scientific reviews, treatises, textbooks--and recommends search strategies for locating needed references in a library. Eight references are listed. (EJS)

Considers a definition of online searching and discusses each of these factors--training, search aids, physical setting, search request form, interview and profile construction, terminal session, search evaluation, document delivery, professional reading, and online user groups. Eighteen sources are cited. (EJS)

Discussion of hypertext for computer-assisted instruction highlights SINS (Semistructured Intelligent Navigation System), a hypertext system that addresses and solves navigation problems common to hypertext environments. The semantic search mechanism of SINS is explained, and SINS is compared with HyperCard using searches performed by veterinary…

Discusses term position as a search tactic in Boolean retrieval systems and describes ranked output systems that have used term weighting. The use of term proximity devices in ranked output systems is proposed, the algorithms used are explained, and a search experiment with a test collection is described. (19 references) (LRW)

This study looked for patterns in the search tactics and behavior of Israeli high school students. A sample of 200 students that were engaged in final projects filled out questionnaires to reconstruct their bibliographic searches. The relation between search patterns and student characteristics--bibliographic instruction, project adviser, and home…

This review of research on subject searching in library catalogs includes a summary of research findings, reasons for search failures, free text versus controlled vocabulary searching, and studies of users' needs. Suggestions for future action to improve subject access in the online catalog are noted. A 52-item bibliography is included. (EJS)