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)

Describes a study that was conducted to model the navigation patterns followed by users when retrieving information in hypertext systems. The development of two frequency distribution models is explained, the influence of search tasks on path patterns is discussed, and further research is described. (Contains 17 references.) (LRW)

Explains what an education library is and describes methods used in seeking out such libraries on an international basis. Libraries in Sweden, Finland, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Canada are described, including address, World Wide Web page, mission, history, clientele, type of collection, services, publications, and databases. (LRW)

Compares results of traditional Boolean searching with those of Freestyle, LEXIS/NEXIS's natural language application. Study found that though the Boolean searches had better results more often, neither method demonstrated superior performance for every query, suggesting that different queries demand different techniques. Concludes that further…

Describes how to use Jean Fritz's book "George Washington's Breakfast" to teach the Big6 process of information problem solving to first graders. Six modified terms used in teaching the lesson with the first-grade classes are: task=what, strategy=how, locate=where, use=look, synthesis=show, and evaluation=well.(LRW)

Discusses Web sites as useful tools for information storage and retrieval and describes ways librarians can find information more easily. Highlights include finding useful Web sites in print, including magazines and newspapers; links pages; examples of helpful Web sites; and querying the Webmaster of favorite sites for further information. (LRW)

Discusses various search strategies and tools that can be used for searching on the Internet, including search engines and search directories; Boolean searching; metasearching; relevancy ranking; automatic phrase detection; backlinks; natural-language searching; clustering and cataloging information; image searching; customization and portals;…

Describes the design and construction of Resume Automatique a Fragments Indicateurs (RAFI), a system of automatic text summary which sums up scientific and technical texts. The RAFI system transforms a long source text into several versions of more condensed texts, using discourse analysis, to make searching easier; it could be adapted to the…

Discusses evidence-based medicine (EBM) and the need for systematic use of databases like MEDLINE with more sophisticated search strategies to optimize the retrieval of relevant papers. Describes an empirical study of hospital libraries that examined requests for information and search strategies using both structured and unstructured forms.…

Analyzed queries submitted to the Excite search engine for subject content based on the cooccurrence of terms within multiterm queries; categorized the most frequently cooccurring term pairs into subject areas; used hierarchical cluster analysis and multidimensional scaling to tally subject area frequencies; and discusses implications for Internet…

Investigates engineers' information-seeking practices based on case studies in two organizations. Results show engineers search for documents to find people, search for people to get documents, and interact socially to get information without engaging in explicit searches. Discusses the design task and how computer systems could support searches…

Discusses indexing in large text databases, approximate text searching, and space-time tradeoffs for indexed text searching. Studies the space overhead and retrieval times as functions of the text block size, concludes that an index can be sublinear in space overhead and query time, and applies the analysis to the Web. (Author/LRW)

A survey was conducted to test the coverage of search engines and to decide whether their partial coverage is an obstacle to using them to calculate Web impact factors. Results indicate that search engine coverage, even of large national domains, is extremely uneven and would be likely to cause misleading calculations. (Author/AEF)

Indexing is the preprocessing of information to enable its retrieval, ranging from classification-based (precoordinate) to keyword searching (postcoordinate) approaches. This article describes a framework for modelling information retrieval systems in terms of sets of objects, relationships, and functions and discusses the application of indexing…

Despite the hype, the Internet has limitations as a reference tool. This article discusses the use of the Internet as a reference tool, examines bibliographic structure on the Internet (online directories, search engines, site structure, categorization of reference tools, levels of structuring), and argues the Internet provides no comprehensive…