Discusses bibliographic instruction in academic libraries as an appropriate teaching strategy to encourage and reinforce the development of critical thinking in the college curriculum. Theories about critical thinking are examined, and an example of how bibliographic instruction is related to critical thinking in a course at North Park College is…

Shows that content analysis performed on a database of newspaper stories yielded (in unpredictable ways) results different from the hand search. Cautions researchers to be careful when comparing content-analysis research results of online searches to hand searches, noting that all databases do not provide the same access to information. (SR)

Discussion of user-managed online search processes in libraries and the search strategies of novices focuses on a study of Western Australia undergraduates while they performed an information search task. Considers measurement of search behavior and reports results that showed problems in formulating an effective search strategy and the need for…

Describes indexes to Web resources that have been created by librarians to be more discriminating than the usual Web search engines, some of which are organized by standard classification systems. Includes indexes by solo librarians as well as by groups of librarians, some in public libraries and some in higher education. (LRW)

Reports on a study of the information-seeking behavior of users of Infotrac, OCLC, Newsbank Electronic Index, and LS/2 at the Bowling Green State University Libraries. Data gathered via interviews are discussed as they pertain to the user's profile; understanding of systems functions; effects on information-seeking behavior; and appropriateness of…

Indicates that printed bibliographic information, numerical data, and methods of computer retrieval (both of numerical and bibliographic data) are among the topics that should be incorporated into an information science and documentation course for chemical engineering students. Experiences in teaching such a course are also given. (JN)

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…

The results of manual and online searching are compared during a unit on online chemical information retrieval taught at Hebrew University. Strategies and results obtained are provided for student searches on the synthesis of vitamin K(3) from 2-methylnaphthalene and polywater. (JN)

This issues paper, fifth in a series of eight, is intended to distill formative evaluation questions on topics that are central to the development of the higher and further education information environment in the United Kingdom. The term "portal" is so widely used by so many people with so many different perspectives that definition is…

This paper discusses personal resource discovery on the World Wide Web from the point of view of a reference librarian. Two key questions for finding information on the Internet are identified: (1) What are you actually looking for? and (2) Who is likely to have the information? Examples of this approach are provided, and some problems with using…

When helping undergraduates assess materials, academic librarians balance the reference interview with instruction in electronic databases. This article describes a method connecting these tasks with a search strategy dependent on the user's information needs. The connection is made by labeling the user's need with a diagnostic tool based on…

Provides a model for librarians to expand their traditional teaching roles in order to reach users outside the library building. Describes the development of a series of modules designed to teach users how to do research on the Web based on experiences at Widener University, and considers future possibilities. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of student advising highlights the development of a personalized electronic advising system (EAS) to supplement the university calendar. Word processing programs that are used as the basis for the EAS are discussed, the inclusion of student records is described, and the ease with which information can be modified is emphasized. (LRW)

Discussion of humanities research focuses on the humanist patron as author of the text. Highlights include the research process; style of expression; interpretation; multivocality; reflexivity; social validation; repatriation; the image of the library for the author; patterns of searching behavior; and reference librarian responses. (37…

Examines the transition from traditional single database retrieval to the emerging networked resources retrieval, and presents research and experimental solutions developed at the University of California, Berkeley. Highlights include recall and relevance, network navigation, vocabulary, and extending retrieval records. (LRW)