In order to facilitate the international exchange of machine-readable bibliographic descriptions, the International Federation of Library Associations Working Group on Content Designators was organized in 1973 to arrive at a standard means of identifying data elements or providing additional information about a data element. In three meetings the…

A new method for concentrating keywords of a thesaurus, based on a mathematical study of the distribution of characters in a defined natural language. (Author/KP)

Discusses current optical data disk databases, their uses, and factors that will affect database copyrights. The factors discussed include hardware and software developments, multimedia applications, multiuser capabilities, and downloading capacities. (7 references) (CLB)

This third article in a five-part series focuses on personal computer software (instructional packages for the computer itself). Topics covered include 11 categories of microcomputer software, evaluation and selection, purchase, version numbers and upgrades, copy protection, disk operating system commands, preparation of master disk, batch files,…

The computer system described was developed as a departmental aid in locating documents for use as teaching material or for research purposes in the area of information science. The data base of about 2,000 records includes a departmental library of manuals, reports, technical literature, and reprints, as well as journal references and book…

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)

Discusses the basic principles of the application of microfilm (analog) and electronic (digital) technologies for data storage. Image quality is examined, searching and retrieval capabilities are considered, and hardcopy output resolution is described. It is concluded that microfilm is still the preferred archival medium. (5 references) (LRW)

Discusses library applications of several specific CD-ROM products, including library catalogs, book reviews, databases, encyclopedias, and interactive video programs. Such factors as cost effectiveness, ease of use, and user satisfaction are discussed, and a bibliography of books about CD-ROM is provided. (CLB)

Business intelligence derived from data warehousing and data mining has become one of the most strategic management tools today, providing organizations with long-term competitive advantages. Business school curriculums and popular database textbooks cover data warehousing, but the examples and problem sets typically are small and unrealistic. The…

Rules and guidelines are provided for the preparation of abstracts and annotations for documents and journal articles entering the ERIC database. Various types of abstracts are defined, including the Informative, Indicative, and mixed Informative-Indicative. Advice is given on how to select the abstract type appropriate for the particular…

A new technique, known as discrimination value analysis, ranks the text words in accordance with how well they are able to discriminate the documents of a collection from each other. (Author/PF)

Rules and guidelines are provided for the preparation of abstracts and annotations for documents and journal articles entering the ERIC database. Various types of abstracts are defined, including the Informative, Indicative, and mixed Informative-Indicative. Advice is given on how to select the abstract type appropriate for the particular…

A syntax methodology provides a descriptive mechanism to enable machine readable storage and retrieval of numeric data contained in bibliographic documents. The body of this paper treats the nature of "the syntax,""the data element," and the language by which this syntax is expressed. A discussion of the methodology illustrates…

This manual is designed to provide an introduction and basic guide to the use of IBM's Advanced Text Management System (ATMS), the text processing system to be used for the creation of Australian data bases within AUSINET. Instructions are provided for using the system to enter, store, retrieve, and modify data, which may then be displayed at the…