Describes the need for bibliographic instruction and the benefits of providing in-class bibliographic instruction by librarians in lower and upper division psychology courses. (JDH)

This presented paper offers an elementary description of database characteristics and then provides a survey of databases that may be useful to the teacher and researcher in Slavic and East European languages and literatures. The survey focuses on commercial databases that are available, usable, and needed. Individual databases discussed include:…

Reviews the development of telecommunications networks and describes current technology being used for online information retrieval. Highlights include use for military and research needs; experiences in Europe versus those in the United States; value-added networks (VANs); local area networks (LANs) and personal computers; and the Integrated…

Describes the ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center) system, how it is organized, how to gain access to ERIC, how one uses RIE (Resources in Education) and CIJE (Current Index to Journals in Education), computer searches of ERIC, who publishes in ERIC, and how to learn more about ERIC. A sample ERIC resume is included. (CT)

Online information services (e.g., DIALOG, ORBIT) and computer databases (e.g., Social Sciences Citation Index, Historical Abstracts) that historians can use in their historical research are discussed. The important differences among representative databases are described. (RM)

This study investigated the efficacy of utilizing comprehensive database search strategies in performing an online literature search in the subject area of psychology, with special interest in the performance of the database PsycInfo. The DIALOG Information Retrieval Service's DIALINDEX subject category options were used as the major search…

Responds to an earlier article that suggested reforms in the journal communication system intended to reduce the number of articles published, thus easing the burden on libraries. The role of published articles in scholarly communication, research and information retrieval, and the library's responsibility to support these activities are…

Computer technology can liberate research from the bonds of time and distance and lead to a transformation of the library's role as an educational resource. (Author)

Reviews the history, current applications, and future of hypertext. Topics covered include current prototype applications, limitations of hypertext, and its possible impact on libraries. Hypertext-related definitions and a list of current hypertext systems and developers are provided. (12 references) (CLB)

Raises questions about the validity and reliability of doing research online via the proliferation of academic databases. Finds different versions of the Lexis-Nexis database have differing search capabilities. Argues that dependence on database research findings means dependence on decisions made by a few people who design search engines and…

Although scholars and policy analysts both value quality-controlled collections of research results, they evaluate research according to different criteria. Nevertheless, an examination of a pessimistic fictional research experience and a more productive actual experience indicate that, although differences in focus between scholars and policy…

Presents two differing perspectives on materials in Human Relations Area Files (HRAF), which provides ethnographic data to member institutions on paper slips or microfilm cards: focus on HRAF and supporting tools as data retrieval system; practical promise and limitations of HRAF materials as they relate to African cultures. (11 references) (EJS)

This paper describes the characteristics of lexicographic software programs used in a module on Alexander Pope's "The Rape of the Lock," a major component of a course on computer-assisted learning (CAL) at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada. Two of the databases are specific to that school and are small, individualized, and…

Examines fashioning of model for surrogate to facilitate user selection of appropriate film or video work for particular use. A matrix of time line and film or video document characteristics is proposed as primary aspect of surrogate graphic record, raising issues of description and sampling within abstracting process. (47 references) (EJS)

Guest columnist Paul D. Healey discusses World Wide Web as an Internet reference tool for librarians in adult reference services. Discussion highlights include an examination of Web uses in retrieving hypertext documents, a review of Web uses in law libraries, an analysis of quality control problems, and challenges faced by users. (JMV)