Describes three commercial, numeric databases that are available in microcomputer diskette format: Micro/Scan Disclosure; Wharton Econometric Forecasting Associates World Economic Service; and Trinet's Survey of Commercial Buying Power. Advantages and disadvantages of the diskette format, search strategies, and a selected list of eight suppliers…

InfoTrac is a laserdisc system that provides local computer-access to Information Access Company's periodical databases and offers libraries an extensive, self-contained reference system. The system, which employs an IBM PC microcomputer, a Hewlett-Packard Thinkjet printer, and a Pioneer videodisc player, provides advantages of online searching at…

Describes the "Toronto Globe and Mail" database-the first example of the entire text of a major daily newspaper online, and notes the file elements and possible search strategies. (RAA)

WISE is an on-line interactive information retrieval system designed particularly for bibliographic data bases, but it is potentially useful for any keyword-oriented data base. The WISE user searches a data base by entering and combining keywords that are appropriate to the data base and the subject area of interest. The user can also enter…

Acquaints information professionals with Digital Equipment Corporation's compact optical disk read-only-memory (CDROM) search and retrieval software and growing library of CDROM database publications (COMPENDEX, Chemical Abstracts Services). Highlights include MicroBASIS, boolean operators, range operators, word and phrase searching, proximity…

Discussion of office document search procedures focuses on variable bit-block compression (VBC) signature files and extends VBC signatures for document ranking. Topics include weighted VBC and aggregate VBC; word size, in bits, of term frequencies; storage and retrieval; logarithmic scaling and linear scaling; and ranking performance. (LRW)

Describes the requirements, data elements, functions and systems design for an online search log which maintains records of search services provided. (CWM)

Discusses information retrieval and the use of binary trees as a fast access method for search strategies such as hashing. Proposes new methods based on compact binary trees that provide faster access and more compact storage, explains the theoretical basis, and confirms the validity of the methods through empirical observations. (LRW)

Presents uniform and efficient approach for processing all truncated query terms in information retrieval which requires one disk access to obtain from the permuted dictionary all strings represented by truncated term. The problem of the overhead storage required to implement the permuted dictionary is discussed. Fifteen references are provided.…

Discusses Web sites as useful tools for information storage and retrieval and describes ways librarians can find information more easily. Highlights include finding useful Web sites in print, including magazines and newspapers; links pages; examples of helpful Web sites; and querying the Webmaster of favorite sites for further information. (LRW)

Modeled on public databases such as Lockheed and SDC, the information system described in this report was utilized in the creation of in-house databases in the Mobay Chemical Corporation's special library in Pittsburgh. Using IBM's Storage and Information Retrieval System (STAIRS), Mobay created two databases: one to hold product information, the…

Reviews and compares "Sci-Mate,""Reference Manager," and "BIBLIOPHILE" software packages used for storage and retrieval tasks involving bibliographic data. Each program handles search tasks well; major differences are in the amount of flexibility in customizing the database structure, their import and export…

Discusses digital video management and archiving issues, including processing power; software for browsing, searching, and indexing; media servers to handle streams; storage solutions; metadata; large file sizes; organizational issues; rights management issues, including licensing; and cataloging options, including segmentation of individual…

The Computer Assisted Reference Locator (CARL) is a computer-based information retrieval system which uses coordinate indexing. Objectives established in designing the system are: (1) simplicity of reference query and retrieval; (2) ease of system maintenance; and (3) adaptability for alternative computer systems. The source documents input into…

Reviews the special requirements of a bibliographic database, and shows how they are met in the DOBIS-LIBIS (Dortmund Library System-Leuven Library System) system. Full authority file control over the indexes to the database is discussed, and the DOBIS-LIBIS system is described in detail. References are included. (Author/BK)