bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prediction of Diabetic Adherence Using the BASIS-A Inventory
Authors: Kern Roym , Penick Jeffreym. , Hamby Rebecca D.
Published: March 2007

Medical and mental health professionals continue to strive for more effective ways of encouraging patients to adhere to suggested treatment plans. The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between personality and adherence dynamics within a diabetic population. Specifically. we examined the relationship between Adlerian life style personality factors with 14 adherence behaviors in 38 patients with type I diabetes. Several statistically significant correlations showed that specific personality variables are associated with particular elements of the adherence regimen. The results indicate that strategies to increase adherence among patients should be individualized, and recommendations for how to increase adherence in patients with diabetes are given.
Patient Perceptions of Factors That Affect Adherence to Dietary Regimens for Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Travis Terri
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to identify how selected factors influence patient use of diet regimens for diabetes and to determine the effect of demographic characteristics. A survey was conducted using a 75- item questionnaire designed to collect responses from people with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Frequency distributions and chi-square analyses were performed on the survey data. Five significant relationships were identified: (1) age and emotions, (2) age and schedule, (3) gender and emotions, (4) use of a diet plan and being told why to control diet, and (5) use of a diet plan and return for follow-up education. Dietitians need to consider demographic characteristics to tailor education sessions and to focus on improving communication with patients to increase their understanding of diabetes. This study showed that increased education promoted increased adherence to dietary recommendations.
Review of Cost Efficiency and Efficacy of Delivering a Diabetes Education Program in a Southwest Rural Healthcare Facility
Authors: Schrock Linda E.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of redesigning the education program from individual instructional sessions to a format where the majority of instruction was provided through small group classes. Patient outcomes of lifestyle changes as evidenced by weight loss, improved glycemic control, adoption of a consistent pattern of blood glucose monitoring, and increased physical activity were evaluated using a physician satisfaction survey and a patient satisfaction and lifestyle change survey. The findings indicate that the changes in the education program accommodated a variety of needs; facilitated cost-effectiveness; were convenient for the patients, educators, and physicians; and still promoted adaptive lifestyle changes in behavior leading to improved glycemic control, increased levels of physical activity, and weight loss in persons with type 2 diabetes.
The Effects of Food Deprivation on Food Sharing and Attraction in the White Rat
Authors: Becker Lee A. , Harkins Stephen G.
Published: March 2007

Food sharing behaviors in the white rat were examined in two studies using a 2 X 2 X 2 factorial design with depriva tion of the free roaming animals (deprived or not food deprived), deprivation of the tethered target animals (deprived or not food deprived), and food availability during testing (available or not available) as the independent variables. In Experiment I a single animal served as the tethered target while in Experiment II two animals served as tethered targets. Food sharing and eating behaviors for deprived animals were much like those of the wild rats described by Barnett (1963). The nondeprived animals neither ate nor retrieved-food. No support was generated for an altruism hypothesis which required that the deprivation state of the tethered animal affect retrieval rates by the free roaming animals. The presence of food decreased contact times for the deprived, free roaming animals but not for the non deprived ones (p < .10 Exp I; p < .05 Exp II). In Experiment II more time was spent with nondeprived (larger) targets than with deprived (smaller) targets (p < .001).
Determinants of Interpersonal Disclosure: Some Competitive Tests
Authors: Hick Kenneth W. , Mitchell Terence R. , Bell Cecil H. , Carter William B.
Published: March 2007

The amount and content of the information exchanged in an interpersonal interaction was examined. Both the medium of exchange and the content of the messages had significant effects on the subjects' responses but personality measures did not. These results are discussed in terms of recent theoretical developments in the area of interpersonal exchange.
Actors Rely on Distinctiveness and Observers Rely on Consensus: Two Causal Schemata
Authors: Hansen Ranald D.
Published: March 2007

An integrative model was offered to specify a theo retical link between Kelley's (1967) analysis of variance model of attribution processes and Jones and Nisbett's (1971) discus sion of divergent actor and observer attributional tendencies. Specifically, two different causal schemata were proposed to account for actors' preference for environmental attributions based on distinctiveness and observers' preference for personal attributions based on consensus information. Further, empirical discrepancies with regard to observers' use of consensus were explained by distinguishing between normative and autonomously generated consensus information.
Time of Arrival at an Emergency and Likelihood of Helping
Authors: Piliavin Jane Allyn , Piliavin Irving M. , Broll Lorraine
Published: March 2007

A field study was done to explore the effect of viewing an entire emergency event vs. seeing only the end point on helping behavior. Rapid, impulsive helping occurred in the "entire scenario" condi tion, but almost no help was given when only the "aftermath" was seen.
Some Perspectives on Ethical/Political Issues in Social Science Research
Authors: Brewster Smith M.
Published: March 2007

Current principles and regulations concerning the ethics of research on human participants draw on two unrelated frames of reference: informed consent and harm/benefit. Problems involved in informed consent include the inability of some classes of potential participants to give such consent, the incompatibility of some research designs with fully informed consent, and ambiguities about the meaning of "informed." Problems involved in the harm/benefit frame include the impossibility of balancing benefit to science and society against harm to an individual and the question of who is to assess harms and benefits. Two currently proposed extensions of commonly accepted principles are discussed: the possible harm of deceptive procedures to the normative order of society, and the rights of categories of individuals, and of institutions, with respect to consent and harm/benefit. The former is favored, the latter oppossed.
Sex-Related Differences in the Schematization of the Behavioral Environment
Authors: Holahan Charles J. , Holahan Carole K.
Published: March 2007

This study investigated sex differences in the per ception of the behavioral environment along personalization, social, and affect dimensions. The interaction of sex with type of environment described (university or home) was also examined. Subjects were 102 freshmen residents of university housing at the University of Texas. Results of the study showed significant sex differences cn a composite measure and on measures of personaliza tion and social emphasis, with females scoring higher than males. Significant interactions between sex and environment were also found.
Perception of Self as a Mediator in the Dehumanization Process
Authors: Pines Ayala , Solomon Trudy
Published: March 2007

A body of literature in the fields of both clinical and personality psychology has centered on the assumption that a high acceptance of self is linked with a positive perception of others. In direct opposition, our own results, based on two independent field studies, one sampling 76 mental health workers, the other 204 elementary school children, concluded that individuals low in self-perception are more empathetic and more humanly treat a stimulus person while those high in perception of self dehumanize and detach themselves from the stimulus person. These findings are interpreted within a social psychological analysis of a modified deindividuation/ dehumanization model.
Attractiveness, Self-Concept, and a Methodological Note about Gaze Behavior
Authors: Fugita Stephen S. , Agle Thomas A. , Newman Isadore , Walfish Nancy
Published: March 2007

The kinesic behavior of high and low self-concept male subjects interacting with either a physically attractive or un attractive female confederate was examined. A technique was de veloped and utilized to gain experimental control over the con federate's visual behavior without resorting to the unnatural pro cedure of either having her continuously looking at the subject or arbitrarily looking according to a predetermined, signaled sequence. Both the self-concept of the male subjects and the physical attractiveness of the female confederates were found to influence subjects' nonverbal behavior.
Research on Eating Behavior and Obesity: Where Does it Fit in Personality and Social Psychology?
Authors: Rodin Judith
Published: March 2007

The study of human eating behavior provides a model for understanding the operation of a system of motivated behaviors involving the integration of physiological, sensory, cognitive, social and cultural inputs in a control system to which they are all essential. A review of current research in the area demonstrates the reciprocal relationship of these factors and indicates that eating must be examined at many different levels of analysis and with mul tiple methodologies. Work on eating and obesity suggests conceptual issues relevant to the use of the internal-external dichotomy in social psychology and has importance for research on stigmatiza tion and deviance, self perception, control and predictability, group processes, and individual differences. Research on eating behavior further demonstrates how conceptual analyses evolve in settings and for problems which were not specifically created to test theory.
Endogenous-Exogenous Versus Internal-External Attributions: Implications for the Development of Attribution Theory
Authors: Calder Bobby J.
Published: March 2007

It is argued that Kruglanski's revision of attribution theory in terms of a distinction between endogenous and exogenous attributions is not superior to the usual distinction between internal and external attributions at the level of scientific conceptualization. His distinction is seen as more appropriate as an hypothesis about the phenomenological manifestation of the core ideas of existing attribution theory. The implications of this argument for advances in attribution theory are discussed.
Cognitive Social Psychology
Authors: Manis Melvin
Published: March 2007

Social psychology is presently dominated by cognitive theories that emphasize the importance of personal beliefs and in tellective processes as the immediate determinants of behavior. The present paper explores two areas of.research within this tra dition : (1) beliefs about the external world, and (2) beliefs about the self. The paper concludes with a brief critique of the cognitive approach to social psychology.
Critical Studies in the History of Social Psychology
Authors: Baumgardner Steve R.
Published: March 2007

Recent investigations of the history of social psy chology demonstrate that the internal development of theory, methods and research cannot be separated from the social con text in which they occur. Instead, these developments reflect a dialectical exchange between science and society. The present paper reviews recent studies of social psychology's historical development; points out the inadequacies of traditional views of our history as a progression from metaphysical speculation to scientific experimentation; and discusses the implications of critical history for our "current crisis."
Leadership Convergence: An Application of Within and Between to Validity
Authors: Markham Steven E. , Dansereau Fred , Alutto Joseph A. , Dumas MacDonald
Published: March 2007

Problems in drawing inferences about leadership phenomena when multiple units of analysis (groups and individuals) simultaneously exist in a data set are addressed. Using a technique recommended by Dan sereau and Dumas (1977), within-unit and between- unit sources of covariation are examined for data con taining matched superior-subordinate reports. In this data set matched superior-subordinate reports were not significantly correlated at the individual level. When supervisory group differences were held constant, however, the relationships between these matched re ports were significantly greater than zero. This conver gent validity within supervisory units suggests an ap proach to validity which is not included in traditional theories of leadership.
Applications of Multidimensional Scaling in Cognitive Psychology
Authors: Shoben Edward J.
Published: March 2007

Cognitive psychology has used multidimensional scaling (and related procedures) in a wide variety of ways. This paper examines some straightforward ap plications, and also some applications where the ex planation of the cognitive process is derived rather di rectly from the solution obtained through multidimen sional scaling. Other applications examined include cognitive development, and the use of MDS to assess change as a function of context. Also examined is how an ideal representation is selected, whether, for example, a space or a tree is more appropriate. Fi nally, some inherent limitations of the method for cognitive psychologists are outlined, and some pitfalls and potential misapplications are identified.
Methodology Review: Assessing Unidimensionality of Tests and ltenls
Authors: Hattie John
Published: March 2007

Various methods for determining unidimensionality are reviewed and the rationale of these methods is as sessed. Indices based on answer patterns, reliability, components and factor analysis, and latent traits are reviewed. It is shown that many of the indices lack a rationale, and that many are adjustments of a previous index to take into account some criticisms of it. After reviewing many indices, it is suggested that those based on the size of residuals after fitting a two- or three-parameter latent trait model may be the most useful to detect unidimensionality. An attempt is made to clarify the term unidimensional, and it is shown how it differs from other terms often used inter changeably such as reliability, internal consistency, and homogeneity. Reliability is defined as the ratio of true score variance to observed score variance. Inter nal consistency denotes a group of methods that are intended to estimate reliability, are based on the vari ances and the covariances of test items, and depend on only one administration of a test. Homogeneity seems to refer more specifically to the similarity of the item correlations, but the term is often used as a synonym for unidimensionality. The usefulness of the terms in ternal consistency and homogeneity is questioned. Uni dimensionality is defined as the existence of one latent trait underlying the data.
An Empirical Test of the Utility of the Observations-To-Variables Ratio in Factor and Components Analysis
Authors: Arrindell Willem A. , van der Ende Jan
Published: March 2007

Many researchers have proposed a minimum ratio of observations to variables or an absolute minimum of observations in order to obtain stable factor config urations. However, hardly any empirical studies em ploying real data are available that attest to the tena bility of these proposals. A systematic analysis of the problem was undertaken, using self-report data from two large phobic samples on the Fear Survey Sched ule-III (N = 1104) and the Fear Questionnaire ( N = 960). The data sets were randomly split into subsam ples with ratios varying from 1.3:1 to 19.8:1. Neither the observations to variables ratio nor an absolute minimum of observations had any influence on factor stability.
Effects of Test Preparation on the Validity of a of a Graduate Admissions Test
Authors: Powers Donald E.
Published: March 2007

Test score improvement has been the major concern in nearly all the extant studies of special preparation, or "coaching," for tests. Recently, however, logical analyses of the possible outcomes and implications of special test preparation (Anastasi, 1981; Cole, 1982; Messick, 1981) have suggested that the issue of test score effects is but one aspect of the controversy sur rounding coaching; the impact of special preparation on test validity is an equally germane consideration. Although the assumption is sometimes made that coaching can serve only to dilute the construct validity and impair the predictive power of a test, some kinds of special preparation may, by reducing irrelevant sources of test difficulty, actually improve both con struct validity and predictive validity. This study ex amined the relationships of both internal and external criteria to Graduate Record Examination (GRE) candi dates' performance on several analytical ability item types, obtained under several test preparation condi tions. The purpose was to assess the effects of these various preparations on test reliability and validity. The preparation conditions were those previously shown to be effective, in varying degrees, in improv ing examinee performance on two of three analytical item types (Powers & Swinton, 1982, 1984). The data for this study were those collected by Powers & Swin ton (1982, 1984). The results suggest that GRE ana lytical ability scores may relate more strongly to aca demic performance after special test preparation than under more standard conditions and that they may re late less to measures of other cognitive abilities (ver bal and quantitative scores). No consistent effects were detected on either the internal consistency or the convergent validity of the analytical measure.
The Analysis of Item-Ability Regressions: An Exploratory IRT Model Fit Tool
Authors: Kingston Neal M. , Dorans Nell J.
Published: March 2007

The use of item-ability regressions (the comparison of the regression of the observed proportion of people answering an item correctly on estimated θ with the estimated item response function) to investigate the psychometric properties of particular item types in a given population was explored using data from four administrations of 10 item types (a total of 806 items) from the Graduate Record Examinations General Test. Although the method does not allow an absolute deter mination of fit for a latent trait model (in this case, for the three-parameter logistic model), it does show that certain item types consistently fit the model worse than other item types, and it led to and supported a specific hypothesis as to why the model probably did not fit these item types.
Methodology Review: Analysis of Multitrait-Multimethod Matrices
Authors: Schmitt Neal , Stults Daniel M.
Published: March 2007

Procedures for analyzing multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) matrices are reviewed. Confirmatory factor analysis (Jöreskog, 1974) is presented as a general model allowing evaluation of the discriminant and convergent validity of MTMM matrices, both as a whole and in individual trait-method units. However, it is noted that this model is deficient with regard to analysis of trait-method interactions of the type de scribed by Campbell and O'Connell (1967, 1982). Composite direct product models described by Browne (1984) are one possible solution to this problem. Fur ther, more systematic use of hypothesis testing regard ing convergent and discriminant validity in nested hi erarchical models is recommended (Widaman, 1985), as well as the use of a procedure to cross-validate models of MTMM matrices described by Cudeck and Browne (1983).
Optimal Detection of Certain Forms of Inappropriate Test Scores
Authors: Drasgow Fritz , Levine Michael V.
Published: March 2007

Optimal appropriateness indices, recently introduced by Levine and Drasgow (1984), provide the highest rates of detection of aberrant response patterns that can be obtained from item responses. In this article they are used to study three important problems in ap propriateness measurement. First, the maximum detec tion rates of two particular forms of aberrance are de termined for a long unidimensional test. These detection rates are shown to be moderately high. Sec ond, two versions of the standardized l0 appropriate ness index are compared to optimal indices. At low false alarm rates, one standardized l0 index has detec tion rates that are about 65% as large as optimal for spuriously high (cheating) test scores. However, for the spuriously low scores expected from persons with ill-advised testing strategies or reading problems, both standardized l0 indices are far from optimal. Finally, detection rates for polychotomous and dichotomous scorings of the item responses are compared. It is shown that dichotomous scoring causes serious de creases in the detectability of some aberrant response patterns. Consequently, appropriateness measurement constitutes one practical testing problem in which sig nificant gains result from the use of a polychotomous item response model.
Open-Ended Versus Multiple-Choice Response Formats—It Does Make a Difference for Diagnostic Purposes
Authors: Birenbaum Menucha , Tatsuoka Kikumi K.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of response format—open-ended (OE) versus multiple-choice (Me)—on the diagnosis of examinee misconceptions in a procedural task. A test in fraction addition arithmetic was administered to 285 eighth- grade students, 148 of whom responded to the OE ver sion of the test and 137 to the MC version. The two datasets were compared with respect to the underlying structure of the test, the number of different error types, and the diagnosed sources of misconception (bugs) reflected in the response patterns. The overall results indicated considerable differences between the two formats, with more favorable results for the OE format.
An Ordinal I Scaling Method for Questionnaire and Other Ordinal I Data
Authors: Cliff Norman , Collins Linda M. , Zatkin Judith , Gallipeau Dannie , McCormick Douglas J.
Published: March 2007

This paper reports the development and application of a method for ordering persons and items (or stim uli) when responses are ordinal. The method applies most directly to data where responses are dichoto mous, indicating agreement or acceptableness or simi larity, and can be assumed to reflect proximity rather than dominance. It orders rows and columns of the re sponse matrix into "parallelogram" form, using pair- wise interchange procedures, followed by other steps. The method was applied to several sets of question naire data and one set of archeological data, with rea sonable success. Other applications and extensions are suggested. Index terms: Dichotomous responses, Interchange methods, Ordinal scaling, Parallelogram scaling, Proximity data, Questionnaire responses.
Residual Centering, Exploratory and Confirmatory Moderator Analysis, and Decomposition of Effects in Path Models Containing Interactions
Authors: Lance Charles E.
Published: March 2007

Hierarchical moderated regression (HMR) analysis may lead to interpretational problems in tests of mod erator (interaction) hypotheses. An alternative, resid ual-centering approach is described and compared to traditional HMR analysis. Procedures for evaluating in teraction hypotheses and general effect analysis proce dures are described for path (causal) models contain ing interactions. Index terms: Confirmatory analysis, Effect analysis in path models, Goodness-of- fit tests, Hierarchical moderated regression, Media tors, Moderated regression, Multicollinearity, Path models, Residual centering.
Item Characteristics of Tests Constructed by Linear Programming
Authors: Baker Frank B. , Cohen Alan S. , Barmish B. Ross
Published: March 2007

In the present paper, linear programming was used to select items from item pools based on one-, two-, and three-parameter models so that a target test infor mation function was reached. The primary interest was in the distributional characteristics of the items thus selected. The results suggest that the linear program ming approach focuses on the "worst feature" of the target information function (i.e., the extremes of a uniform target and the maximum of a peaked target). The values of the parameters of the selected items tend to form clusters. For uniform targets, these clus ters are associated with the extremes of the target range, whereas for peaked targets they are associated with the maximum of the target. Selecting items from an item pool by linear programming appears to be a useful addition to the test constructor's repertoire. However, additional refinement may be needed to ob tain a specific distribution of item parameters for a given test. Index terms: Item response theory, Item selection, Linear programming, Target informa tion function.
The Longitudinal Guttman Simplex: A New Methodology for Measurement of Dynamic Constructs in Longitudinal Panel Studies
Authors: Collins Linda M. , Cliff Norman , Dent Clyde W.
Published: March 2007

Traditional psychometric procedures can be inade quate for the measurement of dynamic constructs in longitudinal panel studies. This paper introduces an al ternative based on the longitudinal Guttman simplex (LGS) model, a measurement model developed espe cially for dynamic constructs measured longitudinally. The LGS is a model of cumulative, unitary develop ment. It is cumulative in the sense that as persons ac quire new skills (or abilities, or opinions), earlier ob tained skills are retained; it is unitary in the sense that all persons progress through a sequence of skills in the same skill order. CL, a consistency index that gives the researcher a measure of the extent to which the LGS model axioms are obeyed in a given dataset, is introduced. By making use of this consistency index, the researcher can develop scales uniquely sensitive to cumulative, unitary development. LGSCLUS, an explor atory procedure to find longitudinal Guttman scales in empirical datasets, is described. An artificial data study is reported, the purpose of which was to test the performance of LGSCLUS under controlled conditions. The artificial data study showed that, in general, LGSCLUS recovers longitudinal Guttman scales with a high degree of accuracy. There remains a need for measurement procedures for dynamic constructs exhib iting types of development other than cumulative and unitary. Index terms: Dynamic constructs, Gutt man simplex, Longitudinal panel studies, Mathemati cal models, Measurement theory, Scaling, Three-set data.
The Comparative Effects of Compensatory and Noncompensatory Two-Dimensional Data on Unidimensional IRT Estimates
Authors: Way Walter D. , Ansley Timothy N. , Forsyth Robert A.
Published: March 2007

This study compared the effects of using a unidi mensional IRT model with two-dimensional data gener ated by noncompensatory and compensatory multidi mensional IRT models. Within each model, simulated datasets differed according to the degree of correlation between two vectors of θ parameters, ranging from 0 to .95. Results showed that the number-correct distri butions for each group of datasets were generally comparable, although factor analyses of tetrachoric correlations suggested that differences existed in the structure of the data from the two models. For the uni dimensional parameter estimates, it was found that the â values from the noncompensatory model appeared to be averages of the a1 and a2 values, while the â values from the compensatory model were best considered as an estimate of the sum of the a1 and a2 values. Con versely, the b values for the noncompensatory data were consistently greater than the b1 values, while the b values from the compensatory model were best con sidered as the average of the b1 and b2 values. For both models the θ estimates were most highly related to the average of the two θ parameters. However, for the noncompensatory model there was a general in crease in the strength of this relationship with in creases in ρ(θ1,θ 2). For the compensatory model, the strength of this relationship did not show a great deal of change with differences in ρ(θ1,θ 2). Index terms: Compensatory multidimensional IRT models, Item response theory, Multidimensional IRT models, Noncompensatory multidimensional IRT models, Pa rameter estimation, Violations of unidimensionality.
Standard Errors of Correlations Adjusted for Incidental Selection
Authors: Allen Nancy L. , Dunbar Stephen B.
Published: March 2007

The standard error of correlations that have been adjusted for selection with commonly used formulas developed by Pearson (1903) was investigated. The major purposes of the study were (1) to provide large- sample approximations of the standard error of a cor relation adjusted using the Pearson-Lawley three-varia ble correction formula; (2) to examine the standard er rors of adjusted correlations under specific conditions; and (3) to compare various estimates of the standard errors under direct and indirect selection. Two theory- based large-sample estimates of the standard error of a correlation adjusted for indirect selection were devel oped using the delta method. These two estimates were compared to one another, to a bootstrap esti mate, and to an empirical standard deviation of a se ries of adjusted correlations generated in a simulation study. The simulation study manipulated factors de fined by sample size, selection ratio, underlying popu lation distribution, and population correlations in situ ations that satisfied the basic assumptions of the Pearson-Lawley procedures. The results indicated that the large-sample and bootstrap estimates were very similar when the sample size was 500 and, in most cases, the simpler of the two large-sample approxima tions appears to offer a reasonable estimate of the standard error of an adjusted correlation without re sorting to complex, computer-intensive approaches. Index terms: correlation coefficients, missing data, Pearson-Lawley corrections, selection, standard er rors of correlations, validity studies.
Structuring Public Debate on Biotechnology
Authors: PRIEST SUSANNA HORNIG
Published: March 2007

A study of themes arising within focus group discussions of U.S. lay publics (both student and nonstudent adults) in response to newspaper coverage of biotechnology is consistent with the assertion that media frames and reader schemas interact to produce an understanding of a newly emerging issue. Newspaper coverage heavily dominated by institutional sources and dealing with only a narrow range of issues may be limiting the terms of public debate in an unhealthy way. Readers reason by analogy with related and sometimes unrelated developments in trying to understand biotechnology, based on schemas reflecting their general understanding of science.
Scientific information and documentation systems tomorrow: The example of Austria
Authors: Rauch Wolf
Published: March 2007

The present situation and future development of the scientific information and documentation system in Austria was the topic of a Delphi-study conducted at the Austrian Academy of Sciences in April 1976 - March 1978. After a brief analysis of the 'information flood' and its reasons, general trends in information and documentation up to the year 2000 are examined: Future sources and media of scientific and technical information, questions of education and organisation, the impact of new technical developments, etc. The study ends with an investigation of potential crises, problems, and bottlenecks, as well as suggestions for improve ment. Even if the study was mainly oriented towards the Austrian situation, nevertheless most results seem to be of more general validity and might be of interest for informa tion scientists from other countries as well.
Manpower forecasting and planning
Authors: Slater Margaret
Published: March 2007

An informal short-term investigation of manpower fore casting (at a national level) in professions and fields other than information science was undertaken for the British Library R&D Department (BLRDD). The aim was to exam ine the strategies, methodologies, data gathering practises and typical inputs to other manpower forecasting systems and models, which could be applicable in the library/information field.

A serious attempt to come to grips with forecasting and supply and demand ratio balance is obviously necessary in the U.K. in this field. Over-supply of library/information workers in a period of economic stringency; organisational marginality of the profession from the viewpoint of many employers; consequences of over-optismistic forecasting of future demand during the prosperous late 60's, all underline this need.

The two rather different disciplines of national UK economic and labour force "prediction" and of company manpower planning are outside the scope of this study. Total labour force projections do have relevance as influences on, and scenarios for, the library scene. Company manpower planning would obviously become relevant at the implement ation stage of any emergent national policies for library/ information manpower. This paper is primarily concerned with the secondary level of manpower planning and forecast ing - for specific occupations or industries, on a nation-wide basis.
The cost of literature search in 1985
Authors: Barwise T.P.
Published: March 2007

Database royalties now account for 20-40% of the direct costs of online literature search. A recent study suggests that such royalties may roughly double in real terms by 1985. The other direct costs of online searching - computing and tele communication charges - are expected to continue falling in real terms. But, because of higher royalties, total search ing costs may drop less than many commentators have hoped. Conversely, there may be some easing in the rate of price increases of printed abstracts journals.
Analysis and coding of generic chemical formulae in chemical patents
Authors: Krishnamurthy E.V. , Lynch M.F.
Published: March 2007

This paper presents a formal linguistic approach to the representation of generic chemical formulae in chemical patents, within the context of use of the ALWIN line-formula notation. The objective of the representation is to permit searches for specific structures and for substructures which are included within the generic expression. The relevance of pattern analysis methods to this problem is highlighted, and preliminary suggestions on algorithm development are put forward.
The empirical law of natural categorization
Authors: Brookes B.C.
Published: March 2007

Two kinds of categorization are distinguished - rational and natural. Quantitative aspects of natural categorization are explored by means of a distribution first derived by Laplace but which is here slightly modified to make it more adaptable. This basic distribution, with an inverse square law probability density function, can be simply related to the empirical distri butions of Lotka, Zipf, Bradford and others. Some implications of this unified empirical law of natural categorization are discussed.
Data protection in the United Kingdom: Part 1
Authors: Crook Anne
Published: March 2007

The United Kingdom Government is about to enact legisla tion for data protection. It is intended that this will safeguard the pnvacy of the individual which is seen to be threatened by the increasing use and capabilities of computerised personal information systems. There are also fears that the British computer and data processing industries will be at a disad vantage when competing in the international market without legislation equivalent to that already operating in other coun tries. The legislation will enable the UK to ratify the Council of Europe Data Protection Convention and to comply with the OECD Guidelines on Transborder Data Flow.

Data protection is a valuable example of the interaction of information technology and society. This paper presents an overview of the issues involved. It examines what is meant by data privacy and how that privacy may be infringed by the use of both computerised and manual record systems. The impact of technology on the privacy problem is descnbed, including linkage of computer systems and the contribution of computer security. The need for legislation is discussed, both within the context of the international situation and of the early attempts at domestic legislation.
The use and availability of occupational health information: results of a study
Authors: Wood Frances E.
Published: March 2007

The aims of this study were to identify requirements for occupational health information and ways in which the provi sion of, and access to, such information could be improved in the United Kingdom.

Structured interviews with professional staff working in several occupational health professions and with general practi tioners were used to establish the pattern of information use and to elicit views on information provision. Literature searches were undertaken and some important organisations visited.

Respondents preferred to ask for information rather than seek it in publications but sometimes they did not know where to ask. About two thirds of the occupational 'health staff worked in organisations with libraries. Reading primary jour nals was the main way in which respondents kept up to date. Use of abstracting publications, indexing publications and online services was low. There was little use of, or enthusiasm for, Prestel amongst the respondents. Toxicological information presented problems for many of the respondents.

More effective information handling could be promoted by: inclusion of the use of information sources in basic and con tinuing professional education, provision of guides to sources of information and improved alerting services.
Notions and dynamics of information
Authors: Ligomenides Panos A.
Published: March 2007

Spatiotemporal 'form' appears in the symbolic space, either as an output in the course of reasoning or as a product of natural processes of law and chance. Form may be recognized as 'information', filtered, interpreted, abstracted into experi ential and expert knowledge, and acted upon by biological or artificial reasoning, to produce more form and information. Information is viewed as the commodity of communication and mentation, and as a central actor and force in shaping the world around us. We are developing greater sensitivity to the importance of understanding the basic notions and dynamics of information, regarded as commodity and force. This is of essence, if we are to reveal the mechanisms (if any) of biologi cal reasoning, and of the evolution of biological and human cybernetic systems. The development of models and machines that will be used in the management and regulation of complex, human and robotic, cybernetic systems, and for the support of human decision-makers, lunges on such conceptualizations and comprehension. In this paper, we set up the backdrop for raising some basic questions related to the notions and dy namics of information.
Use of information technology in UK agricultural information work: a review
Authors: Hoey P.O'N.
Published: March 2007

A brief review of the UK agricultural industry and the organisations which support it is given. The increasing use of computers, large and small, to assist in all aspects of scientific and technical information (STI) and library work in organiza tions of all kinds and sizes is discussed, with examples. The move beyond on-line bibliographic literature searches to those involving specialist factual databanks and the link with word processing to provide indexes to in-house reports is included. The differing needs of small and large organizations, and those with several office locations are considered. The problem of software packages' (lack of) robustness and comprehensiveness together with their specificity which prevents easy data transfer between computers or over networks is highlighted. The possi bilities of videotex as a bridging device for end-users to bypass computing type problems' are discussed, along with the need to keep data secure from unauthorised users. It is argued that the opportunity for total integration of information services in an organization, beyond traditional STI and library areas, with the help of computers, should now be taken.
The scientific paper as an archaeological artefact
Authors: Meadows A.J.
Published: March 2007

Scientific research is typically communicated via papers in journals. To an outsider, the contents of these papers appear to by mystic and wonderful: to an insider, they convey rapidly and efficiently information about the research that has been done. Even to scientists, it may not be obvious that their papers provide the simplest way of communicating research. However, a detailed study of why papers are constructed as they are suggests that the lay-out is a consequence of a long evolution aimed at simplifying the complexity of scientific communica tion.
A coding scheme as a basis for the production of customized abstracts
Authors: Craven Timothy C.
Published: March 2007

That different kinds of abstracts may be found useful by different users is commonly assumed The purposes of this paper are to outline a method of obtaining independently meaningful abstracts from a single intermediate representation and to consider some preliminary results with software desig ned to implement this method. The implementation involves manual coding: expressions are enclosed in angular brackets, and a number or letter code after each left angular bracket identifies the concept to which the corresponding expression belongs. Some control of sentence order is possible in this implementation and appears to be essential when some ordinary abstracts are coded.
Transatlantic perspectives on information policy: the search for regulatory realism
Authors: Cronin Blaise
Published: March 2007

Approaches to information policy making in Western Europe and North America are reviewed in the light of prevail ing political ideologies. The trend to liberalization in telecom munications is examined, with particular reference to the de regulation of AT&T and the privatization of BT. Problems and practices relating to transborder data flows are examined in the light of the growing trend to trans-national venturing in the electronic information services/communications sector. This article also looks at the wider implications of concentration and massification in the global information industry.
VISOR (Victorian Industry Support Organizations Register) : information in practice
Authors: Prior Vernon
Published: March 2007

The information needs of industry and business are seldom adequately covered by existing directories, many of which are poorly indexed, less than comprehensive, or designed for a different clientele. Furthermore, managers in small to medium-sized enterpnses are frequently unaware of how much help is available to them. They often lack the time or the expertise to seek relevant sources of assistance and advice. VISOR, a comprehensive directory of assistance available to industry and business, is an attempt to remedy this situation in Victoria. It embodies several techniques designed to save the busy manager's time and to offer both the means to evaluate the services provided and to facilitate access to the most appropnate individuals within the organization.

VISOR has been adopted by the Commonwealth Govern ment's National Industry Extension Service as the model for a national information system of this kind.
The literature of demography; its characteristics and changes over time
Authors: Peritz Bluma C.
Published: March 2007

Changes in the characteristics of the demographic literature between 1964 and 1984 are reviewed by means of a statistical comparison of the entries in Population Index for the subjects pertaining to population movements: fertility, (including fertil ity controls), mortality, nuptiality and migrations. The number of studies on interrelations between demography and economic or non-economic variables declined drastically. A similar de cline in historical demography (and possibly also in regional studies) may be due to changes in editonal policy. The share of mortality studies from developing countnes increased consider ably. The percentage of publications in English is increasing.

There was a marked growth in the percentage of reports of various kinds, matched by a sharp drop in the number of books published. Tentative explanations for some of these seemingly surpnsing trends are offered; they involve the con traceptive revolution, the development of epidemiological re search, the improvement in the quality of vital data in develop ing countries, the nsing cost of book production, and the increasing use of the English language in foreign journals.
Minimizing information overload: the ranking of electronic messages
Authors: Losee Robert M.
Published: March 2007

The decision to examine a message at a particular point in time should be made rationally and economically if the mes sage recipient is to operate efficiently. Electronic message distribution systems, electronic bulletin board systems, and telephone systems capable of leaving digitized voice messages can contribute to "information overload", defined as the eco nomic loss associated with the examination of a number of non- or less-relevant messages. Our model provides a formal method for minimizing expected information overload.

The proposed adaptive model predicts the usefulness of a message based on the available message features and may be useful to rank messages by expected importance or economic worth. The assumptions of binary and two Poisson indepen dent probabilistic distributions of message feature frequencies are examined, and methods of incorporating these distributions into the ranking model are examined. Ways to incorporate user supplied relevance feedback are suggested. Analytic perfor mance measures are proposed to predict system quality. Other message handling models, including rule based expert systems, are seen as special cases of the model. The performance is given for a set of UNIX shell programs which rank USENET messages. Problems with the use of this formal model are examined, and areas for future research are suggested.
Computer-based security trading systems
Authors: Kar Yan Tarn
Published: March 2007

The financial bonanza of the 1980s has created a volatile and competitive environment for companies engaged in secur ity trading. In order to stay competitive, security firms have to rely more on their information systems to increase their re sponsiveness to market conditions. Since the capital investment of an information system is tremendous, any flaws in the final system due to an improper design are intolerable. Thus, ex treme care must be exercised in the planning and design of these systems. This has become even more important since the budgets of many trading houses had to be cut after the 1987 crash. With limited capital spending, management becomes more cautious about the costs and benefits in initializing system projects. The four major issues discussed in this paper (segmentation of the trading process; identification of trading objectives; technical specifications; management support, plan ning and control) attempt to identify the essential attributes and offer design guidelines for building these systems.