Describes a study that investigated the information-seeking behavior of users searching a card catalog and a comparable online catalog. The purpose was to explore whether a theory of human remembering, retrieval by reformulation, might be useful in explaining search behavior in bibliographic databases. (61 references) (CLB)

Discusses the results of modeling the performance of searching large text databases via various parallel hardware architectures and search algorithms. The performance under load and the cost of each configuration are compared, and a common search workload used in the modeling is described. (Contains 26 references.) (LRW)

Describes two search models for school libraries. Models include searches defined by the student but conducted by a trained searcher, and student-conducted searches which teach search skills. Decisions about which model (or combination) to use should be based on the available resources and the purposes for conducting the search. (AEF)

Presents the process of learning from information as the key concept for the library media center in the information age school. The Information Search Process Approach is described as a model for developing information skills fundamental to information literacy, and process learning is discussed. (Author/LRW)

Discusses general issues of computer and human understanding; contrasts three paradigms of information retrieval methodology, including statistical, deep semantic or natural language, and smart Boolean; describes CONIT, a knowledge-based intermediary retrieval assistance system; and examines system evaluation procedures, including a…

Explains the imposed query model of information seeking and incorporates findings and implications surrounding work on imposed queries into reference work with children. Highlights include a developmental view; types of reference questions; relevance; information services for children; stereotyping; modeling search behavior; and evaluating…

Explores the utility of using prior domain knowledge (in the form of taxonomies over attributes, attribute values and concept classes) to constrain the rule learner's search by requiring it to be consistent with what is already known about the domain. Spreading Activation Learning (SAL) is used to efficiently learn over taxonomically structured…

The activities and research directions of the Educational Search Strategies project are outlined in this progress report. A pilot project was undertaken to study the development of problems into research projects. The research was to be divided into three areas: problem perception and problem definition, information search and dissemination, and…

Discusses the impact of research in artificial intelligence and human computer interaction on the design of bibliographic information retrieval systems, and presents design principles of a prototype system that uses semantically based searches and a knowledge base consisting of conceptual frames. (10 references) (CLB)

The Drug-Interface, prototype system built to facilitate retrieval of drug related information, automatically connects to DIALOG Information Retrieval Service via available networks, aids user in formulating and/or revising search strategy, sends query to DIALOG, displays results of search, and downloads relevant pieces into Macintosh data file.…

MINDS (Multiple Intelligent Node Document Servers) is a distributed system of knowledge-based query engines for efficiently retrieving multimedia documents in an office environment of distributed workstations. By learning document distribution patterns and user interests and preferences during system usage, it customizes document retrievals for…

Reports algorithm for calculation of term discrimination values that is sufficiently fast in operation to permit use of exact values. Evidence is presented to show that relationship between term discrimination and term frequency is crucially dependent upon type of inter-document similarity measure used for calculation of discrimination values. (13…

Describes development of an online catalog for Dartmouth College Libraries by Dartmouth and Bibliographic Retrieval Services (BRS). Highlights include Dartmouth parameters; capability of creating a fully inverted file for entire bibliographic citation provided by BRS software; features of BRS/Dartmouth user interface; telecommunications links; and…

The 2000 ASIS (American Society for Information Science) conference explored knowledge innovation. The tracks in the conference program included knowledge discovery, capture, and creation; classification and representation; information retrieval; knowledge dissemination; and social, behavioral, ethical, and legal aspects. This proceedings is…

Describes a study that examined interactions between users and intermediaries prior to online searching to examine communication about the user's stage in the search process. A model of information seeking that views the information search process as a series of cognitive stages is presented, and implications for user-intermediary interactions are…