bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The century of film: bibliographic control and legal deposit of the moving image
Authors: Pearson Stephen
Published: May 2004

1895 saw the dawn of film – a new publication medium that we associate particularly with the century that has just ended. The survival of films and of information about them has been severely hampered in the UK by the absence of legal deposit. At the beginning of the new century, proposals to remedy that situation would not only benefit film but might, for the new digital media, help to prevent the loss of treasures on the scale of that suffered by film in the twentieth century.
The European information needs of secondary school teachers in Scotland: recent developments in the provision of information to schools and colleges
Authors: Conroy Gillian , Parker Susan , Davies Sylvie
Published: May 2004

European Union (EU) education policy encourages the integration of a European dimension across the curriculum to prepare young people for participation in the EU. This article discusses the findings of a survey investigating the European information needs of secondary school teachers in relation to the teaching of the European dimension. Interviews were undertaken with a small sample of teachers and school librarians in selected schools of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire. The article discusses three main issues: inconsistency in the implementation of the European dimension at school level, ambivalent perception of what it actually means, and need for appropriate resources to enable teachers to include the European dimension in their teaching. The European Commission Representation Office in the UK has responded to the needs of the school sector by establishing a network of European Resources Centres for Schools and Colleges. Further research is required to assess the impact of these developments.
Screen‐based information design: Eforms
Authors: Ross Alistair
Published: May 2004

The study surveys and delineates the processes involved in screen‐based information design. This is specifically in relation to the creation of electronic forms and from this offers a guide to their production. The study also examines the design and technological issues associated with the transfer, or translation, of the printed form to the computer screen. How an Eform might be made more visually engaging without detracting from the information relevant to the form’s navigation and completion. Also, the interaction between technology and (document) structure where technology can eliminate or reduce traditional structural problems through the application of non‐linear strategies. It reviews the potential solutions of incorporating improved functionality through interactivity.
The automation of controlled vocabulary subject indexing of medical journal articles
Authors: Roberts David , Souter Clive
Published: May 2004

This article discusses the possibility of the automation of sophisticated subject indexing of medical journal articles. Approaches to subject descriptor assignment in information retrieval research are usually either based upon the manual descriptors in the database or generation of search parameters from the text of the article. The principles of the Medline indexing system are described, followed by a summary of a pilot project, based upon the Amed database. The results suggest that a more extended study, based upon Medline, should encompass various components: Extraction of ‘concept strings’ from titles and abstracts of records, based upon linguistic features characteristic of medical literature. Use of the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) for identification of controlled vocabulary descriptors. Coordination of descriptors, utilising features of the Medline indexing system. The emphasis should be on system manipulation of data, based upon input, available resources and specifically designed rules.
Narrative knowledge: eliciting organisational knowledge from storytelling
Authors: Hannabuss Stuart
Published: May 2004

Knowledge is critical for organisational effectiveness and competitive advantage. Knowing that you know, knowing what you know, and knowing that you do not know, are critical aspects of knowledge management. Increasing emphasis is placed on the need to identify and use tacit knowledge, as well as explicit knowledge. This discussion examines the unique role of narrative (in the form of storytelling) in eliciting tacit knowledge (including tacit meta‐knowledge) in the sensemaking of organisations.
A future for publishers serving technology industry markets: adapting to the opportunity of the Internet era
Authors: Evans Paul M.
Published: May 2004

The future possible roles of the publisher in industry markets are considered, especially for firms close to high technology. It is forecast that the Internet will become the dominant business space for firms. Even in physical manufacturing the advances of the Internet are becoming important with changes in supply and distribution patterns. In order to meet the new era of opportunity three scenarios are presented. Firstly, continuation of the current one with the publisher as information provider. Secondly, the publisher may become an orchestrator of interactivity. Hence they can be the hub of a new intelligence facility for firms to know their external environment better. This also would be an appropriate response to the expected steep increase in requests for more customised sources of information. Lastly, the publisher can go a stage further and become a consultant or facilitator of the agile enterprise based on the Internet. This would enable the client company to become a more adaptive and proactive entity afterwards. Recommendations are made for assisting the shift for these further scenarios to become possible.
Towards a Danish Lis university
Authors: Harbo Ole
Published: May 2004

The paper analyses the development of LIS research in Denmark since 1985, when research became one of the main activities of the Royal School of Library and Information Science (RSLIS) along with education and continuing education. The paper outlines the background for the development of the School from a professional school to a university institution and the political, economic, professional and other conditions for this framework. The initiatives taken and the activities realised during the years are evaluated, especially those with relevance to international co‐operation.
Different contexts in electronic communication: some remarks on the communicability of scientific knowledge
Authors: Valente Adriana , Luzi Daniela
Published: May 2004

This paper explores how and to what extent the appearance and wide use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) may enhance scientific communication and knowledge. The first part analyses the general boundaries of scientific communication, focusing on the use of email. It summarises and develops the results of relevant international studies and surveys on computer‐mediated communication; it identifies, on the one hand, the principal social settings and contexts in which email is used and, on the other, the characteristic features which determine specific communication models. The analysis provides evidence of the various factors which determine the dynamics of electronic communication and which, more specifically, define the difference between business and scientific communication. The second part of the paper explores the close relationship between communication and knowledge in the scientific sector and the role played by ICTs. The assumption that ICTs ought to enhance the acquisition, sharing and transmission of scientific knowledge is questioned by the distinction between explicit and tacit knowledge: ICTs ultimately appear to provide a strong drive only to processes of explicit/coded knowledge handling. Nevertheless, exploring the main components of tacit knowledge in depth, and considering recent ICT‐based applications, it is possible to foresee new opportunities for the creation and dissemination of knowledge through networks.
Semiotics and evaluative bibliometrics
Authors: Cronin Blaise
Published: May 2004

The reciprocal relationship between bibliographic references and citations in the context of the scholarly communication system is examined. Semiotic analysis of referencing behaviours and citation counting reveals the complexity of prevailing sign systems and associated symbolic practices.
Clinical guidelines and the translation of texts into care: overcoming professional conflicts concerning evidence‐based practice
Authors: Davenport Elisabeth
Published: May 2004

The difficulties of basing healthcare on literary warrant have been explained in different ways: busy practitioners have no time to read extensively, physical access is difficult, and adequate surrogates for texts like indexes, abstracts, systematic reviews are partial in their coverage. The author suggests that a deeper problem of domain conflict must be addressed. This paper reviews problems identified in previous research on evidence‐based nursing practice, which indicates that there are conflicts between medical and nursing domains. EBM (evidence‐based medicine, or “text”) poses challenges for nurses (proponents of “caritas”). An additional surrogate for the medical corpus, the clinical guideline, is discussed. When based on inclusive consultation, this may prove to be a hospitable epistemological bridge for groups whose domains are in conflict. Drawing on “social studies of science” literature, the author explores the provenance and status of the clinical guideline as a “translation artefact” or bridging mechanism, and presents a “snapshot” case study of the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network in 1998. She suggests that the clinical guideline is a powerful documentary genre, which links several strands of information science: information retrieval, literary warrant and the politics of classification.
Using local citation data to relate the use of journal articles by academic researchers to the coverage of full‐text document access systems
Authors: Jacobs N. , Woodfield J. , Morris A.
Published: May 2004

The methodology and findings are presented of an empirical study comparing local citation patterns with the holdings lists of a number of sources of journal articles. These sources were the British Library Document Supply Centre (BLDSC) and the BL inside service, library holdings, ProQuest Direct, SearchBank, EiText and a linking system including both the Geobase database and the BLDSC. The value of local citation figures is discussed, as is the concept of a “core” of journal titles, from both theoretical and practical perspectives. Using these figures to represent the local use of journal articles, the coverage of the document sources was found to vary widely. Unsurprisingly, the BLDSC was found to offer the widest coverage. Newer, electronic systems generally fared less well, but may offer other advantages.
Growing an electronic library: resources, utility, marketing and politics
Authors: Dugdale David , Dugdale Christine
Published: May 2004

The development of the ResIDe Electronic Library at the University of the West of England, Bristol, is traced from its origins as an eLib funded research project. Different aspects of the system are analysed through their potential to increase economy, efficiency and effectiveness in library services. This analysis is related to the utility that it can provide to differing sponsors and the likelihood of their making supporting resources available. While economy and efficiency are relatively easy concepts to define and use, effectiveness can be both contested and multifaceted, varying in accordance with both subjective preference and interests represented. Competing views of effectiveness needed to be balanced whilst emphasising those aspects of the system that would appeal to senior UWE management in a time of the rising “audit society” in higher education.
Information science, historical changes and social aspects: a nordic outlook
Authors: Ørom Anders
Published: May 2004

This paper analyses and discusses some aspects concerning the historical and social context of information science and information institutions. The starting point is a speech on the history of the librarian delivered in 1934 by the Spanish philosopher, José Ortega y Gasset. On the one hand Ortega y Gasset makes a brief analysis of the social need for books and the tasks of librarians from a historical point of view. In this aspect he is related to the classical way of studying libraries in the context of the history of civilisation and to the paradigm of the thirties which viewed the library as a social institution. On the other hand Ortega y Gasset is aware of new phenomena in the changing world of knowledge. From this starting point the article analyses how historical changes in this century may have influenced information science (and the forerunners library science and documentation) with regard to changing conceptions of the structure, foci and content of the discipline. The paradigms and frameworks analysed include: a pre‐war paradigm viewing the library as a social institution; the physical paradigm; the cognitive view; and alternative perspectives in the nineties representing a new tendency towards an integration of the social dimension of the discipline, based on, among other views, sociology of science, hermeneutics and semiotics. Among the alternative views in the nineties domain analysis gives the most promising demonstration of a historically and sociologically integrated perspective.
National bibliographic records in the digital information environment: metadata, links and standards
Authors: Day Michael , Heery Rachel , Powell Andy
Published: May 2004

This paper reviews BIBLINK, an EC funded project that is attempting to create links between national bibliographic agencies and the publishers of electronic resources. The project focuses on the flow of information, primarily in the form of metadata, between publishers and national libraries. The paper argues that in the digital information environment, the role of national bibliographic agencies will become increasingly dependent upon the generation of electronic links between publishers and other agents in the bibliographic chain. Related work carried out by the Library of Congress with regard to its Electronic CIP Program is described. The core of the paper outlines studies produced by the BIBLINK project as background to the production of a demonstrator that will attempt to establish some of these links. This research includes studies of metadata formats in use and an investigation of the potential for format conversion, including an outline of the BIBLINK Core metadata elements and comments on their potential conversion into UNIMARC. BIBLINK studies on digital identifiers and authentication are also outlined.
A utopian place of criticism? brokering access to network information
Authors: Dempsey Lorcan , Russell Rosemary , Murray Robin
Published: May 2004

The management of autonomous, heterogeneous network resources and services provides new challenges which libraries are now addressing. This paper outlines an approach based on the construction of broker services which mediate access to resources. It outlines a framework – the MODELS Information Architecture – for thinking about the components of broker services and their logical arrangement. It describes several development projects and services which show how brokers are developing. It uses examples drawn from the serials environment to describe some of the issues. Technologists understand that they must build more stable and unobtrusive media. They must establish more coherent contexts into which the technology may disappear.
How is my web community developing? Monitoring trends in web service provision
Authors: Kelly Brian , Peacock Ian
Published: May 2004

As the World Wide Web continues its tremendous rate of development, providers of services on the web have difficult decisions to make regarding the deployment of new technologies: should they begin deployment of technologies such as HTML 4.0, CSS 2, Java, Dublin Core metadata, etc., or should they wait until the technologies mature? This paper describes the use of a web auditing/profiling robot utility known as WebWatch which can help service providers by providing information on the uptake of technologies within particular communities. A description of use of the WebWatch software within the UK Higher Education community is given, together with a discussion of the findings.
A study of branch library catchments in two London boroughs
Authors: Creaser Claire
Published: May 2004

A number of interesting associations are described between levels of service point use, population information and library inputs, based on data obtained from two London boroughs in respect of individual static service points. Methods of deriving catchment area data using membership information or postcode data from a user survey are outlined. Data for the resident population by age, unemployment rate and ethnicity extracted from 1991 census data, information on levels of stock and acquisitions, opening hours and proximity to shopping facilities were analysed for their relationship to issues, visits and enquiries at each service point. Regression analysis was used to develop mathematical models for predicting levels of issues per capita, visits per capita and stock turnover, depending on the values of the available inputs. No satisfactory model could be developed for enquiries per head of resident population, and that for visits was far from ideal. A method is described for using these models to identify individual service points which are performing particularly well, or badly, on one or more of these indicators, as a diagnostic tool for chief librarians seeking to improve their services.
A new framework for dynamically evolving database environments
Authors: Yannakoudakis1 E.J. , Tsionos C.X. , Kapetis C.A.
Published: May 2004

This paper describes research work carried out with the aim to investigate dynamically evolving database environments and corresponding schemata, allowing storage and manipulation of variable length data, a variable number of fields per record, variable length records, manipulation of authority records and links between records and fields, and dynamically defined objects (relations in the traditional sense). The paper proposes a new framework for the definition of a unified schema that eliminates completely the need for reorganisation at both logical and internal levels. Retrieval of data is optimised through self‐contained storage chunks that also vary dynamically.
User categorisation of works: toward improved organisation of online catalogue displays
Authors: Carlyle Allyson
Published: May 2004

This paper examines a user categorisation of documents related to a particular literary work. Fifty study participants completed an unconstrained sorting task of documents related to Charles Dickens’ A Christmas carol. After they had finished the sorting task, participants wrote descriptions of the attributes they used to create each group. Content analysis of these descriptions revealed categories of attributes used for grouping. Participants used physical format, audience, content description, pictorial elements, usage, and language most frequently for grouping. Many of the attributes participants used for grouping already exist in bibliographic records and may be used to cluster records related to works automatically in online catalogue displays. The attributes used by people in classifying or grouping documents related to a work may be used to guide the design of summary online catalogue work displays.
The internet and information retrieval research: a brief review
Authors: Chowdhury G.G.
Published: May 2004

The Internet and related information services attract increasing interest from information retrieval researchers. A survey of recent publications show that frequent topics are the effectiveness of search engines, information validation and quality, user studies, design of user interfaces, data structures and metadata, classification and vocabulary based aids, and indexing and search agents. Current research in these areas is briefly discussed. The changing balance between CD‐ROM sources and traditional online searching is quite important and is noted.
Citation, funding acknowledgement and author nationality relationships in four information science journals
Authors: Cronin Blaise , Shaw Debora
Published: May 2004

A bibliometric profile of four information science journals is developed. Data on acknowledgements to funding sources, authors‘ nationalities and the citedness of published articles are analysed. The relationships among these variables are explored. Citedness appears to be associated with journal of publication and an author’s nationality, but not with funding.
A century of scientific and technical information
Authors: Vickery Brian
Published: May 2004

The paper attempts to provide an outline account of the development and context of scientific and technical communication during the twentieth century. The main channels and forms of communication are reviewed, and their changing contributions to the overall pattern of information flow. The ever‐increasing volume and diversity of scientific and technical information are emphasised. The paper concludes with some reflections on what may be learnt from this history.
Information retrieval and creativity: towards support for the original thinker
Authors: Ford Nigel
Published: May 2004

This is a speculative paper in which the requirements of IR systems to support relatively creative, as well as more convergent thinking are discussed. The nature of creative thinking is explored, as is the extent to which a range of current information systems is able to support key intellectual processes associated with it. The development of IR systems capable of providing more direct support for creative thinking will depend on the greater integration of high order knowledge representations and flexible, fuzzy pattern‐matching techniques. Such developments may enhance the ability of information seekers to place before themselves a range of information sufficiently – but not excessively – rich in diversity to facilitate the development of relatively divergent – as well as more convergent – ideas.
A survey of author attitudes and skills in relation to article publishing in paper and electronic journals
Authors: McKnight Cliff , Price Sheila
Published: May 2004

The present paper details research conducted into various aspects of author experience, attitudes and perceptions of publishing in paper and electronic journals. A sample of 1,040 authors in a variety of disciplines was identified as having published a journal article in the preceding year. A questionnaire was distributed to these authors and 537 usable replies were received. The questionnaire was analysed in terms of author experience in the paper and electronic domains, authors’ views on various aspects of electronic journals and their current skills. The results of the questionnaire suggest a small but increasing willingness to submit articles to electronic journals, but also suggest continuing concern about the permanence of such media. Almost a third of the sample felt that the addition of multimedia to their articles would be beneficial but few had the necessary skills to produce and incorporate multimedia objects. It is concluded that authors should be involved more in future research and debate in electronic serial publishing.
Redesigning the university library in the digital age
Authors: Wilson T.D.
Published: May 2004

Business process re‐engineering (or redesign) has achieved mixed results in business and industry but it offers an approach to thinking about the future of academic libraries in the digital age that is worth considering. This paper outlines the forces that are currently affecting academic libraries in the UK and proposes a strategy whereby the transformation from the handling of artefacts to the handling of electronic sources may be effected with maximum benefit to the information user.
Applications of n‐grams in textual information systems
Authors: Robertson Alexander M. , Willett Peter
Published: May 2004

This paper provides an introduction to the use of n‐grams in textual information systems, where an n‐gram is a string of n, usually adjacent, characters extracted from a section of continuous text. Applications that can be implemented efficiently and effectively using sets of n‐grams include spelling error detection and correction, query expansion, information retrieval with serial, inverted and signature files, dictionary look‐up, text compression, and language identification.
Metadata: a current view of practice and issues
Authors: Dempsey Lorcan , Heery Rachel
Published: May 2004

This paper describes emerging metadata practice and standards. It gives an overview of the environments in which metadata is used, before focusing on metadata for information resources. It outlines an approximate typology of approaches and explores different strands of metadata activity. It discusses trends in format development, metadata management, and use of search and retrieve protocols. It concludes by discussing some features of future deployment of metadata in support of network resource discovery.
Peer review and the web: the implications of electronic peer review for biomedical authors, referees and learned society publishers
Authors: Wood D.J.
Published: May 2004

The Internet provides researchers with exciting new opportunities for finding information and communicating with each other. However the process of peer review is something of a Cinderella in all this. Peer review in biomedical disciplines is still largely carried out using hard copy and the postal system even if the authors’ text files are used for the production of the paper or electronic journal. This article introduces one of the Electronic Libraries (eLib) projects, funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). The project – Electronic Submission and Peer Review (ESPERE) – is examining the cultural and technical problems of implementing an electronic peer review process for biomedical academics and learned society publishers. The paper describes preliminary work in discovering the issues involved and describes interviews with seven learned society publishers, analysis of a questionnaire sent to 200 editorial board members and a focus group of five biomedical academics. Academics and learned publishers were enthusiastic about electronic peer review and the possibilities which it offers for a less costly, more streamlined and more effective process. Use of the Internet makes collaborative and interactive refereeing a practical option and allows academics from countries all over the world to take part.
Information dissemination for better health in Africa with particular reference to Namibia
Authors: Jalloh Brimah
Published: May 2004

This paper very briefly attempts to describe the activities of the Commonwealth Regional Health Community Secretariat/Namibia Dissemination Centre based at the University of Namibia, one of the institutions that was identified as a partner institution to serve in the Secretariat’s information dissemination network in reproductive health and nutrition programmes. The establishment of the information dissemination network itself arose from a workshop held in Arusha, Tanzania in 1995 and attended by Dissemination Centre representatives from thirteen member countries. The University of Namibia Library is part of the University of Namibia, one of the institutions that has an important role to play in the youngest nations in Africa. The library has modern facilities and the resources and interest to run the activities of the Dissemination Centre. It undertook desk and field research and produced information sources on Nutrition and Reproductive Health.
Manuscripts submitted for publication in the information profession in africa: a comparative analysis of characteristics of rejected and accepted papers
Authors: Aina L.O. , Mabawonku I.M.
Published: May 2004

A comparative analysis of the characteristics of rejected manuscripts submitted for publication to the African Journal of Library, Archives and Information Science and manuscripts accepted for publication over a five year period was carried out. The study reveals that 145 manuscripts were rejected as opposed to eighty papers accepted for publication. The findings reveal that there were no remarkable differences with regards to status and affiliations between the authors of rejected and accepted papers. While information technology, archives, user studies, academic libraries and bibliometrics constituted the topics of papers mostly rejected, papers accepted were mainly in the areas of archives, information service, information technology and rural information. Most of the papers were rejected because they contributed nothing new to knowledge (65.5 per cent), used unreliable data (13.1 per cent) and lacked focus (13.1 per cent). Datedness of references was not used in rejecting papers because the editorial board policy is to update references of papers accepted for publication where necessary. The paper recommends the need for training institutions in Africa to strengthen the research and writing skills component of their curricula, as well as the regular scheduling of research and writing skills workshops by information organisations in the region.
The Royal Society scientific information conference of 1948
Authors: Vickery Brian
Published: May 2004

The background to the RSSIC is described, and the general nature of the conference. Some of its themes, achievements and limitations are briefly discussed.
Personal knowledge: a clinical perspective from the value and evince projects in health library and information services
Authors: Urquhart Christine
Published: May 2004

The progress of initiatives concerned with implementing evaluated clinical research (such as evidence based medicine and clinical effectiveness) is dependent on the way individual health professionals actually acquire, use and value clinical knowledge in routine practice. The findings of two research projects, the Value and EVINCE projects, are compared with studies of the consolidation and application of clinical knowledge in clinical decision making. The Value project was concerned with the ways in which information from NHS libraries might be used in present and future clinical decision making. EVINCE was a similar impact study for nursing professionals. Both studies confirmed the importance of personal clinical knowledge. Health information services need to use a variety of strategies and knowledge management skills to ensure that the evaluated research evidence is assimilated and implemented into practice.
A method for building core journal lists in interdisciplinary subject areas
Authors: Kushkowski Jeffrey D. , Gerhard Kristin H. , Dobson Cynthia
Published: May 2004

This paper describes a simple method for developing a list of core serials in a particular subject field by analysing article citations in electronic indexes. The Simple Index Method overcomes the difficulties in building a core list for serials in interdisciplinary fields by using multiple indexes which cover various aspects of the subject. This method permits the collection development librarian to develop a core list when standard bibliographies or specific indexing and abstracting tools are lacking and to tailor that list to the needs of the local situation.
Communicating effectively in the networked organisation: using electronic mail in academic libraries
Authors: Levy Philippa , Foster Allen
Published: May 2004

This paper discusses key themes from British Library funded research carried out between 1995 and 1997 into electronic communication in academic libraries in the UK. The research focused in particular on the intra‐organisational use of electronic mail (email) ± that is, on its use by colleagues within the same library organisation for internal activities and collaborative work. The main features of current practice in email use in academic libraries are outlined, and, drawing on experience in the sector and on pointers from the literature, the paper discusses a number of issues of relevance to developing effective network communities in information services.
Ranking of scientists – a new approach
Authors: Sen B.K. , Pandalai T.A. , Karanjai Aruna
Published: May 2004

A formula for the ranking of scientists based on diachronous citation counts is proposed. The paper generalises the fact that the citation generation potential (CGP) is not the same for all papers, it differs from paper to paper, and also to a certain extent depends on the subject domain of the papers. The method of ranking proposed in no way replaces peer review. It merely acts as an aid for peers to help them arrive at a better judgement.
Modularity: the next form of scientific information presentation?
Authors: Kircz Joost G.
Published: May 2004

The development of electronic publishing heralds a new period in scientific communications. Besides the obvious advantages of an almost endless storage and transport capacity, many new features come to the fore. As each technology finds its own expressions in the ways scientific communications take form, we analyse print on paper scientific articles in order to obtain the necessary ingredients for shaping a new model for electronic communications. A short historical overview shows that the typical form of the present‐day linear (essay‐type) scientific article is the result of a technological development over the centuries. The various characteristics of print on paper are discussed and the foreseeable changes to a more modular form of communication in an electronic environment are postulated. Subsequently we take the functions of the present‐day scientific article vis‐à‐vis the author and the reader as starting points. We then focus on the process of scientific information transfer and deal essentially with the information consumption by the reader. Different types of information, at present intermingled in the linear article, can be separated and stored in well‐defined, cognitive, textual modules. To serve the scientists better in finding their way through the information overload of today, we conclude that the electronic information transfer of the future will be, in essence, a transfer of well‐defined, cognitive information modules. In the last part of this article we outline the first steps towards a new heuristic model for such scientific information transfer.
Experiments on interfaces to support query expansion
Authors: Beaulieu M.
Published: May 2004

This paper focuses on the user and human‐computer interaction (HCI) aspects of the research based on the Okapi text retrieval system. Three experiments implementing different approaches to query expansion are described, highlighting the close relationship between the system’s functionality and different interface designs. The projects evaluated the retrieval effectiveness and usability of an automatic query expansion facility in a VT100 character‐based interface, and two different forms of interactive query expansion implemented in graphical user interface (GUI) environments with different windowing techniques. The experimental conditions, variables and constraints in undertaking operational user testing are discussed in relation to the interface features, and in terms of: the visibility of the system’s operations; the system/user control; and the cognitive load on the user. It is suggested that the quality and effectiveness of the search interaction for query expansion is dependent on resolving the tension between seemingly opposing interface and functional aspects, e.g. automatic vs interactive query expansion, explicit vs implicit use of a thesaurus, document vs query space.
Laboratory experiments with Okapi: participation in the TREC programme
Authors: Robertson S.E. , Walker S. , Beaulieu M.
Published: May 2004

A brief review of the history of laboratory testing of information retrieval systems focuses on the idea of a general‐purpose test collection of documents, queries and relevance judgements. The TREC programme is introduced in this context, and an overview is given of the methods used in TREC. The Okapi team’s participation in TREC is then discussed. The team has made use of TREC to improve some of the automatic techniques used in Okapi, specifically the term weighting function and the algorithms for term selection for query expansion. The consequence of this process has been a very good showing for Okapi in terms of the TREC evaluation results. Some of the issues around the much more difficult problem of interactive evaluation in TREC are then discussed. Although some interesting interactive experiments have been performed at TREC, the problems of reconciling the requirements of the laboratory context with the concerns of interactive retrieval are still largely unresolved.
Research and evaluation in information retrieval
Authors: Robertson S.E. , Beaulieu M.
Published: May 2004

This paper is a discussion document, drawing on the experiences of the Okapi team as reported elsewhere in this issue. It is intended to raise some of the issues that are currently exercising the information retrieval research community, in the context of experimentation and evaluation.
Peeling the onion: Okapi system architecture and software design issues
Authors: Jones S. , Walker S. , Gatford M. , Do T.
Published: May 2004

At the heart of the Okapi system is a formula referring to some half a dozen variables, which estimate the probability that a given document is relevant to a given query. User interface design for Okapi aims to present its search capabilities as clearly and simply as possible. But between the basic formula and the simple interface lie several layers of complex software, which must support both probabilistic and non‐probabilistic retrieval functions, and combine them in a logical and consistent way. We describe the evolution, and some of the functions, of these software layers.
Designing language games in Okapi
Authors: Karamuftuoglu Murat
Published: May 2004

Study of information retrieval (IR) interaction from a viewpoint of an appropriate discipline of human communication, such as semiotics, should be useful. Application of semiotic categories to IR reveals that the basic distinction in the retrieval interaction is between the two particular types of “language games” (speech acts) known as “denotations” and “presentations”. The denotative act in IR is needed to transmit information from the database to the user of the system. The prescriptive act, however, can be used to “invent” new connections between documents that constitute documentation systems and, thus, to create new knowledge. The research project being carried out by the present author applies semiotic concepts and tools to the IR systems design problem. IR systems design practice is viewed as a social practice in which the main disjunction is between the two conflicting acts of denotation and prescription. It is the aim of the reported project to balance these two conflicting language games within the framework of the Okapi experimental information retrieval system.
Women’s studies: bibliometric and content analysis of the formative years
Authors: Cronin Blaise , Martinson Anna , Davenport Elisabeth
Published: May 2004

Women‘s studies has emerged as a recognised academic specialty in recent years. We explored the social structure of the field by analysing bibliometrically all scholarly articles (n = 1,302) and acknowledgements (n = 595) appearing in three pioneering journals over a twenty year period. We analysed authors (n = 1,504) and acknowledgees (n = 3,252) in terms of gender. We also conducted a content analysis of all editorial statements (n = 135) published by the three journals. Our results demonstrate the highly gendered nature of the field and the incompatibility of its publicly stated objectives.
The development of a method for the evaluation of interactive information retrieval systems
Authors: Borlund Pia , Ingwersen Peter
Published: May 2004

The paper describes the ideas and assumptions underlying the development of a new method for the evaluation and testing of interactive information retrieval (IR) systems, and reports on the initial tests of the proposed method. The method is designed to collect different types of empirical data, i.e. cognitive data as well as traditional systems performance data. The method is based on the novel concept of a ‘simulated work task situation’ or scenario and the involvement of real end users. The method is also based on a mixture of simulated and real information needs, and involves a group of test persons as well as assessments made by individual panel members. The relevance assessments are made with reference to the concepts of topical as well as situational relevance. The method takes into account the dynamic nature of information needs which are assumed to develop over time for the same user, a variability which is presumed to be strongly connected to the processes of relevance assessment.
Comparative citation rankings of authors in monographic and journal literature: a study of sociology
Authors: Cronin Blaise , Snyder Herbert , Atkins Helen
Published: May 2004

A recurrent criticism of commercial citation indexes is their failure to cover citations found in monographic literature. There exists the possibility that citation‐based surveys of scholarly communication and influence which ignore references in monographs may produce partial results. The study examined the scholarly literature of sociology. Tens of thousands of references from monographs and leading academic journals were analysed. The relative rankings of authors who were highly cited in the monographic literature did not change in the journal literature of the same period. There is, however, only a small overlap between the most highly cited authors based on the journal sample and those based on the monograph sample. The lack of correlation suggests that there may be two distinct populations of highly cited authors.
Parallel computing in information retrieval – an updated review
Authors: Macfarlane A. , Robertson S.E. , Mccann J.A.
Published: May 2004

The progress of parallel computing in Information Retrieval (IR) is reviewed. In particular we stress the importance of the motivation in using parallel computing for text retrieval. We analyse parallel IR systems using a classification defined by Rasmussen and describe some parallel IR systems. We give a description of the retrieval models used in parallel information processing. We describe areas of research which we believe are needed.
An information‐space model for the development and application of computer‐based tools in information creation and dissemination
Authors: Ashford John
Published: May 2004

Boisot’s I‐space is used as a framework to explain the comparative success of computer‐based tools in information scanning and dissemi‐ nation, and the failure to support problem areas in the process of knowledge creation, especially where this involves interactions within user groups. Recent research indicates that process‐based studies are likely to be productive, and that there is a useful overlap between information science and computer science interests and methods.
Changing behaviour in the transborder information flow under different political circumstances
Authors: Liu Ziming
Published: May 2004

Global communication cannot be understood without taking international relations into account, since both are so dynamically intertwined that it is impossible to explore international information flow without looking at the political realities. In this article, content and translation in Chinese library and information science literature in different political circumstances (1890‐1949; 1949‐1962; 1963‐1976; 1977‐1989) were used to examine the changing behaviour in trans‐ border information flow. It was found that transborder information flow is dynamic and the direction of flow is heavily influenced by the political realities.
Metatheory and information science
Authors: Vickery Brian
Published: May 2004

Metatheory is described as the analysis of the presuppositions of a field of knowledge or practice. The presuppositions at the basis of the practice of information science are discussed, in particular relation to such concepts as information, knowledge (personal and public), message, message designation, information want and need, query, relevance and information search. The nature of these presuppositions is considered, and the conditions under which they may be replaced by others.
Duality in information retrieval and the hypergeometric distribution
Authors: Egghe Leo , Rousseau Ronald
Published: May 2004

Duality is an important topic in informetrics, especially in connection with the classical informetric laws. Yet this concept is less studied in information retrieval. It deals with the unification or symmetry between queries and documents, search formulation versus indexing, and relevant versus retrieved documents. These ideas are elaborated in this note and the connection with the hypergeometric distribution is highlighted.
Can we assess journal use?
Authors: Poll Roswitha
Published: May 2004

Since the 1970s the number of journal use studies has been increasing, especially in the Anglo‐American countries, and nearly every article starts the same: It is price inflation that forces us to check our subscriptions. The same applies today. For a long time libraries have tried to cling to their journal collection because it was thought wrong to produce gaps in the series that might not be repairable. But in the meantime yearly cancellations are the rule.
Developing national network statistics and performance measures for US public libraries: issues, findings and recommendations
Authors: Carlo Bertot John , McClure Charles R. , Ryan Joe
Published: May 2004

This paper is an interim report of a study under way in the USA with the goal of developing a core set of national statistics and performance measures that librarians,researchers, and policy‐makers can use to describe public library and library‐based state‐wide network use of the Internet and Web‐based services and resources. The paper summarises preliminary findings and key issues identified as of January 2000. It describes a number of models for developing such statistics and performance measures. The paper also offers a number of preliminary statistics and performance measures that are being field‐tested to describe information resources and services in the networked environment. The authors expect to have a final set of such statistics and performance measures by the summer of 2000.
The Intellectual Infrastructure Underpinning Records Management within Pfizer Central Research
Authors: Samuel Jean
Published: May 2004

In discussions with fellow professionals regarding the progress that Pfizer Central Research is having in installing and implementing its Central Electronic Archive (CEA) there is always surprise expressed that its development is complementary to, and has the same intellectual base as our hard copy Records Centre. Although the mantra of "regardless of medium" has been used in the records management world for at least a decade, it now seems that it was only thought to apply to the need for records management not the actual process.
Records management meets knowledge gathering
Authors: Beastall Graham
Published: May 2004

Information technology developments in the last two decades, including the development of the Internet and particularly the world wide web, have created problems and opportunities for records managers. The knowledge contained in records must be captured into the organisation‘s memory if it is to be managed and shared for company prosperity. In this article the author explores some of the problems and opportunities and proposes a three phase strategy for managing records and knowledge in the current, and likely future, technological environment.