Discusses criteria for evaluating microcomputer database management systems (DBMS) used for storage and retrieval of bibliographic data. Two popular types of microcomputer DBMS--file management systems and relational database management systems--are evaluated with respect to these criteria. (Author/MBR)

Provides an overview of methods for improving the effectiveness of Boolean retrieval systems, including document clustering, relevance feedback, weighted term searching, ranked output, and fuzzy set theory. The discussion of experimental studies with the SMART and SIRE systems focuses on the implementation and results of these methods. (69…

Results of comparison of online and manual searching of same subject favor online searching, which found 87 percent of relevant titles versus 33 percent for manual search. A simple search strategy produced nearly as many citations as complex search, and over two-thirds of records came from two of 13 files searched. (EJS)

Describes design and development of a thesaurus based on lexical-semantic relations, and compares results of experiments with queries enhanced using thesauri based on several different groups of relations against performance with original queries run on IRS information retrieval system developed at Illinois Institute of Technology. Twenty-one…

Little is known of children's knowledge of text search processes and the role of metacognition. This study examined middle school students' knowledge of text search strategies and the correlation between metacognitive awareness and search efficiency. Sixty-nine students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grade were observed as they searched in an…

This study attempts to analyze descriptors taken from subject categories in ERIC thesaurus and used as search terms on CROSS database Bibliographic Retrieval Services. An expectation ratio was computed and cluster analysis was conducted to discover subject relationships among databases. A list of databases retrieved and 12 references are appended.…

Summarizes the results of a study accessing music coverage in 11 databases--ABI/INFORM, AMERICA--HISTORY AND LIFE, ERIC, HISTORICAL ABSTRACTS, INSPEC, MAGAZINE INDEX, MLA BIBLIOGRAPHY, NATIONAL NEWSPAPER INDEX, PUBLIC AFFAIRS INFORMATION SERVICE INTERNATIONAL, PSYCHINFO, and SOCIOLOGICAL ABSTRACTS. Selection of search terms and relevance of items…

Researchers studying subject searching distributed an online questionnaire to users who access the University of California's online public access catalog, MELVYL, from public access terminals in the libraries of the University of California at Santa Cruz. This article discusses the results of transaction log analysis, comparison of in-library and…

Discussion of database searching by end-users versus mediated searching by library staff focuses on a user survey conducted at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, to determine reasons for end-user searching and mediated searching. Search expertise, cost factors, and time constraints are discussed as influences on search strategies. (LRW)

Describes a study that asked college students to compare CD-ROM and print versions of ERIC, PsycLit, and the Business Periodicals Index. The findings indicate that students found the CD-ROM versions to be faster and easier to use. Search strategies employed by students and the extent to which they required assistance are also discussed. (four…

Describes a study of undergraduates that examined differences in computer screen formats and their effects on search time and strategy. Row, diagonal, and column information formats are compared, as well as tightly packed and loosely packed displays, and results of regression and residual analyses are discussed. (38 references) (LRW)

Examines the search strategies of fifth graders who were asked locate the answers to three specific questions in an unfamiliar book, all of which contained terms that could be found in the book's index. Finds that students who were asked guiding questions before and during their search were more successful than their counterparts who were simply…

Describes a study that was conducted to determine whether the searching behavior of remote users of LIAS (Library Information Access System), Pennsylvania State University's online public access catalog (OPAC), differed from those using the OPAC within the library. Differences in search strategies and in user satisfaction are discussed. (eight…

Describes a study conducted to determine the main differences in online catalog searching styles and results among library staff, faculty, and patrons at Adelphi University (New York). Transaction log analysis, questionnaires, zero hit searches, keyword, author, title, subject, and other search strategies were evaluated to determine patterns of…

Three articles assess increased availability of information about individuals and corporations. The first discusses databases that provide information on individuals--e.g., court records, real estate transactions, motor vehicles records, and credit information. The second compares databases that provide corporate information, and the third…