The contributions in this volume represent a decade of OCLC's user behavior research findings that articulate the need for the design of future library services to be all about the user. Highlights include: (1) People associate the library with books and do not consider the library in relation to online resources or reference services; (2) People…

Describes the development of an information retrieval system designed for nonspecialist users that is based on the binary vector model. The syntactic structure of phrases used for indexing is examined, queries using an experimental collection of documents are described, and precision values are examined. (19 references) (LRW)

Reviews the TREC (Text Retrieval Conference) program, considering the test results, the findings for information retrieval, and the lessons TREC offers for information retrieval evaluation. Topics include the ad hoc retrieval task; indexing models; document and query descriptions; search strategies; and the user's request as the dominant factor in…

Proposes a model of the search term selection process based on an empirical study of professional searchers during the pre-online search stage; the model characterizes the selection of search terms as the navigation of different discourses. Six discourses emerged as sources of search terms: controlled vocabularies; documents and the domain; the…

Addresses foundations of designing a bibliographic database for casual end-users, including the representation of knowledge, hierarchical schemata, cognitive processing of search problems, basic level categories of knowledge, and Boolean strategy in online searching. A hierarchical-based query model, data-item model, and idealized data model for…

Discusses approaches to the integration of query-based information retrieval and browsing in a hypertext network. A prototype system developed to evaluate the proposed approach in terms of retrieval effectiveness and search efficiency is presented, and design and implementation issues concerning the prototype are considered. (30 references) (EA)

Monotonic logic requires reexamination of the entire logic string when there is a contradiction. Nonmonotonic logic allows the user to withdraw conclusions in the face of contradiction without harm to the logic string, which has considerable application to the field of information searching. Artificial intelligence models and neural networks based…

Based on an international workshop held at Rutgers University, this article discusses problems and issues in the design, research, and implementation of distributed expert-based information systems (DEBIS). Information needs of end users are stressed, architectures for expert information retrieval systems are explored, and prototype models are…

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…

Describes research that consists of: development of a taxonomy of development of: IR tasks based on real users, a taxonomy of IR strategies that are general across different IR systems, a descriptive model of expert performance, a prescriptive model of effective performance, and design and evaluation of a pedagogical approach to teach the…

This paper develops a new behavioral model of information seeking on the Web by combining theoretical elements from information science and organization science. The model was tested during the first phase of a study of how managers and information technology (IT) specialists use the Web to seek external information as part of their daily work.…

Presents a model that uses online searching to teach critical thinking skills in elementary and secondary education based on Bloom's taxonomy. Three levels of activity are described: analyzing a search statement; defining and clarifying a problem; and focusing an information need. (Contains 13 references.) (LRW)

Presents a description of PLEXUS, an expert system on gardening designed as a referral tool for public libraries by the University of London. Highlights include determining user characteristics, developing the problem statement, the use of semantic categories, and search strategies that modify the original problem statement using Boolean…

The purpose of this study was to organize menu items based on a user-process model and implement a new version of current software for enhancing usability of interfaces. A user-process model was developed, drawn from actual users' understanding of their goals and strategies to solve their information needs by using Dervin's Sense-Making Theory…

Discusses training for online searching and describes how librarians can use evaluation-based methods to teach end users how to produce quality search results. Topics discussed include teaching end users to ask appropriate questions, teaching needed analytical and technical skills, and teaching the use of a simplified search model. (17 references)…