Presents survey of two groups of databases covering patent literature: patent literature only and general literature that includes patents relevant to subject area of database. Description of databases and comparison tables for patent and general databases (cost, country coverage, years covered, update frequency, file size, and searchable data…

Reports of two experimental studies of uses of citing statements to augment full-text information retrieval of biomedical papers indicate that 78 percent of the words in computer-recognized citing statements were correctly attributable to corresponding cited papers, and computer procedures missed four percent of the words in the actual statements.…

Presents a preliminary analysis of differences between Disclosure II and Predicasts Annual Reports Abstracts (databases which provide online company information) as available from DIALOG Information Retrieval Services. Sources of online information, duplication of information, company coverage, currency of coverage, accuracy of coverage, and…

Reviews the Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals, an online special database of the Research Libraries Information Network that analyzes the contents of journals, listing only those articles dealing with architecture. Access and fees, access points, browsing, and search strategies are covered and examples are given. (EJS)

This paper discusses examples of searching vocabularies, i.e., lists of terms which have been prepared with the online searcher, rather than the indexer, in mind. These lists are categorized as: enhanced thesauri or subject heading lists, synonym listings, index term listings, and merged vocabularies. Eight references are provided. (EJS)

Rectangular Venn diagramming for planning searches and for use as worksheets that can be revised during on-line searching is described. (Author)

PRECIS, The Preserved Context Index System, is explained in detail. (AP)

The objectives of this paper are to describe the effect of using weighted index terms in a document retrieval system, and to evaluate retrieval performance when queries are expanded by terms occurring in clusters with the query terms. (16 references) (Authors)

Two statistical models for estimating search time have been developed for the CA Condensates data base using the University of Georgia Text Search System. Comparative timings between the Chemical Abstracts Service search program and the University of Georgia search program are made for the Ca Condensates data base. (5 references) (Author/NH)

A straightforward procedure for performing weighted-term searches can be programmed quickly and easily, and the same general algorithm can be used for either on-line or batch mode searching. The method can be used to do whole text searches as well as conventional searches for index terms or other descriptors. (5 references) (Author/NH)

A comparison of dissertation titles was made between Dissertation Abstracts" and American Doctoral Dissertations." The results confirm American Doctoral Dissertations" as the more complete bibliographic source for dissertation information. (Author/NH)

The results of an experiment simulating a library catalog search indicated that a relation exists between the lexical content load of the text, used to define the search topic, and the number of query terms generated by a group of experimental subjects (college students). (21 references) (Author)

The inconsistency in the manner in which the various indexes index material on the subject military-industrial complex" is the research problem discussed. (MF)

Keyword searches in title statement and subject headings retrieved more relevant references than search by LC or Dewey class numbers or by scanning the Dewey class numbers for area codes. An analysis of false drops was made to determine how the search strategy could be improved. (Author/NH)

Reports on study conducted at the James J. Hill Reference Library in St. Paul, Minnesota, which explored the extent to which duplicate records in the OCLC database are affecting usefulness of system. Search keys and 'search enhancements' recently introduced by OCLC are discussed with examples. Thirteen references are cited. (EJS)