This report describes Phase 1 of a research project with the over-all objective of exploring the applicability of automatic methods in the indexing of drug information appearing in English natural language text. Two major phases of the research have been completed: (1) development of the automatic indexing method and its implementation on the test…

This report describes the searching methods and the search program for the automatic indexing method which was developed and implemented in an earlie r phase of the project. The indexing method generates index tags automatically from English language text and creates a machine searchable file of index records for the document being processed.…

Improvements in the technology associated with the information sciences will have their primary potential impact on the distribution of costs, information flow level, information availability, and use among information channels. This improvement implied not only a capability to perform a given function, but a lower cost. For example, the trend…

Reports on a series of programs that have been developed to process data bases, consisting of textual items, and to index and arrange (classify) the data items in accordance with an automatically generated classification system. (Author)

SOLAR is an interactive Storage and On-Line Automatic Retrieval system which is operational at Washington State University. It can run continuously with virtually any mix of tasks in a general purpose computing environment. (22 references) (Author)

TRIAL is an information processing system that will perform editing, indexing, and retrieval of textual and certain types of numeric information. The system allows for: (1) the creation and maintenance of a master file, (2) indexing on words designated as 'key' words or, alternatively, on every word in the text, excluding those common terms that…

Three projects, each covering certain selected aspects of a potential information storage and retrieval system, were part of a study by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority (OECA) to explore various means for extending the usefulness of audiovisual materials. Project Dataset began the collection, classification, and cataloging of…

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…

STARTING FROM A MODEL OF CONTEMPORARY MECHANIZED RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS AND THE CHARACTERISTICS OF INDEXING LANGUAGES USED THEREIN, THE AUTHORS DEVELOP A RATIONAL BASIS FOR USE OF THE UNIVERSAL DECIMAL CLASSIFICATION (UDC) IN THIS CONTEXT. PRACTICAL DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE USE OF UDC IN A MECHANIZED RETRIEVAL SYSTEM ARE DISCUSSED. EXAMPLES ARE…

This report describes work concerned with the statistical evaluation of the output of MEDICO automatic indexing procedure. The statistical tests were designed to examine the validity of the assumptions which formed the bases of the indexing algorithms with primary emphasis on the algorithm development for the computation of weights and links. Some…

The purpose of this document is to present a final description of the original MEDLARS system as it evolved through four years of operation. The system is described as it was functioning on January 1, 1968. Among the various system elements discussed are: (1) the input subsystem, including journal selection and coverage, Medical Subject Headings…

The broad objective of this investigation was to explore the potential and applicability of automatic methods for the indexing of drug-related information appearing in English natural language text and to find out what can be learned about automatic indexing in general from the experience. More specific objectives were the development,…

Questions of the automation of input, output and data processing on computers in systems of information services are covered in the discussion of peculiarities of applied computers and processed information, general characteristics of processing algorithms and problems of information input and output. This is followed by a discussion of the…

AREAS INVESTIGATED INCLUDE SLOW MEMORY DATA STORAGE, THE PROBLEM OF DECODING FROM AN INDEX TO A SLOW MEMORY ADDRESS, THE STRUCTURE OF DATA LISTS AND DATA LIST OPERATORS, COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE HUMAN USER AND THE SYSTEM, PROCESSING OF RETRIEVAL REQUESTS, AND THE USER'S CONTROL OVER THE RETURN OF INFORMATION RETRIEVED. LINEAR, LINKED AND…

A description of a retrospective document retrieval system is given in which equifrequent fragments are used as language elements for compression coding and retrieval. The critical parameters governing the system are identified, and restrictions imposed by the parameters on the selection of fragments are outlined. Changes necessary in the…