bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cultivated plants
Authors: Meikle R.D.
Published: February 2008

Article 28.1 of the current (1978) edition of the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature states: ‘Plants brought from the wild into cultivation retain the names that are applied to the same taxa growing in nature’. At first sight the provision seems worse than unnecessary, in that we know for a fact that many wild plants acquire new and very different names when they are cultivated. But, as is often the case, a little reflection and we can see what the Code intends to say—namely, that there is only one system of scientific, botanical nomenclature, and that the same scientific name applies to a taxon whether it is growing in the wild, or stored in a herbarium, or cultivated in a garden.
Zoological nomenclature and taxonomy
Authors: Nye I.W.B.
Published: February 2008

Systematics is often used, or rather misused, as a synonym of taxonomy, to mean classification. Systematics is, however, a much more general term covering the study of the diversity of organisms, and includes such subjects as genetics, biogeography, taxonomy and nomenclature.
Bacteria
Authors: Hill L.R.
Published: February 2008

Bacteria were unknown to man until the invention of the optical microscope and were first observed, along with Protozoa, by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek in 1675. However, they were not scientifically studied during the following 200 years and indeed as a science, Bacteriology is only a little more than 100 years old. Pasteur and Koch laid the basis of the modern science, and the late 1800s saw the discovery, description, and formal classification of most of the species of bacteria recognized to‐day. It is a very rare event now to discover a ‘new’ bacterium: the aetiological agent of Legionnaires' Disease, Legionella pneumophila, is, however, one such example, much in the current news.
Impact of Changes in Biological Classification on Biological Abstracts
Authors: Zipf Elizabeth M.
Published: February 2008

Biosciences Information Service, or BIOSIS, is the world's largest English language abstracting and indexing service for biological and biomedical research; and since 1926 it has served the information needs of the world community of bioscientists.
Problems of standardization in the CAB database: Biological nomenclature with special reference to entomology
Authors: Parker A.H.
Published: February 2008

The Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux (CAB) is an organization comprising 14 Institutes and Bureaux, all but one of which are based in the UK. It includes the Commonwealth Institute of Entomology (CIE), of which the insect identification and taxonomic services are based in the British Museum (Natural History) and the documentary services nearby at 56 Queen's Gate, South Kensington.
A classification for medical and veterinary libraries by C. C. Barnard
Authors: Glanville V.J.
Published: February 2008

This classification was published as a second edition in 1955 by H. K. Lewis & Co. Ltd. The first edition (1936) was based on the library of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; but, in preparation of the new edition, the author was aware that many other medical libraries were using the scheme and changes were introduced to accommodate the needs of other, more general, medical libraries (see below). A third edition is in preparation by the author of this paper; but this new edition will largely consist of additions and amendments and will not involve the extensive re‐location of subjects which was necessary for the second edition.
Abstracting and indexing services in planning
Authors: Rickman Eleanor
Published: February 2008

This paper is concerned with the purpose of functions of abstracting and abstracting services, touching on indexing only in relation to the indexing of abstracts, and concentrating mainly on ‘hard copy’ printed services. It is presented from the viewpoint of both a producer of an abstracting service and a user of other peoples' abstracting services.
Information for urban and regional planning—the European dimension
Authors: Scott Gay
Published: February 2008

When one considers the extent of the subject—urban and regional planning and then multiplies that by the number of countries that there are in Europe, it will be apparent that the task of keeping track of all relevant information is a gargantuan one. Indeed any attempt to define urban and regional planning leads to all sorts of difficulties; likewise how is Europe defined? to some it will mean the European Communities; to others the Council of Europe and to a third set of people, the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development—which of course is not solely European at all now that it extends its membership to Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand. In order to define an area for the purposes of this seminar, I am going to tell you how one large urban authority—the Greater London Council, attempts to keep itself informed about issues within its European horizons.
Databanks
Authors: Cronin Blaise
Published: February 2008

The aim of this short paper is to draw attention to the growing importance of online retrieval of non‐bibliographic information, and to summarize the salient features of what are commonly referred to as databanks.
Aids unlimited: the scope for machine aids in a large organization
Authors: Arthern P.J.
Published: February 2008

This paper examines the types of machine aid which are suitable for use in a large translating operation such as those met in the European Community institutions. After reviewing the way in which these machine aids are already being used in large organizations, and examining the areas in which they can be of benefit to the running of the whole organization, the speaker warns of possible difficulties in introducing them. If these difficulties can be overcome, many advantages can be gained in a large organization by introducing a fully‐integrated word‐processing system in which all texts are stored in electronic archives and can be transmitted electronically from one work station to another, and from one country to another. The principles on which such a system could be developed can also be of immediate practical interest to the small user.
Teaching the use of information resources (TUIR) and the schools of librarianship
Authors: Apted Sheila
Published: February 2008

Replies to a short questionnaire sent to the 18 schools of librarianship and information studies in the British Isles indicate that most schools include short or long units on teaching the use of information resources in their courses, or integrate TUIR into broader subject areas. Arguments for and against TUIR are noted. The future development of TUIR may lie in the wider area of cooperation in the development of independent learning skills.
Do you relate? Practical public relations
Authors: Usherwood Bob
Published: February 2008

Some of you may recall the folk music festivals of the late sixties and early seventies. At one of these the pleasant and gentle proceedings were interrupted by the sound of a low flying aircraft. Streaming from its tail was a banner carrying the single question: Do you relate?
The German experience: a case study in library promotion
Authors: Ernestus Horst
Published: February 2008

During recent years perhaps the most apparent contributions to library public relations in the Federal Republic of Germany were some approaches towards a corporate visual identity for a public library system or—more ambitiously—all public libraries in the country. A series of colour slides illustrated the graphic conceptions developed for and consequently applied by the city libraries of Cologne and Wuppertal as well as a more recent project undertaken by the German Library Institute and financed by a Federal Government grant. The slides also indicated the wide range of materials to be considered. In an introductory section it is stressed that any graphic contributions should be seen in context with other single aspects of Library PR and must also be based on an integrated PR policy in line with a library's goals and objectives and the image desired.
A practical introduction to sources of information about the European Communities
Authors: Pau Giancarlo
Published: February 2008

It is a pleasure to explain what the sources of information are about the European Communities, both in publications and computerised documentation system, and how this information is disseminated in the UK and where you can find it. With the development of the Community there is a much‐felt need for rapid information and awareness of the work of the Community and its institutions. It is important to know how the institutions work, and who does what in the Community in order to understand the information network.
To charge or not to charge—who pays for the information
Authors: Aylward Martin M.
Published: February 2008

In any socieity the costs of providing goods and services inevitably will have to be borne by that society. Information is no exception, in that there is a direct cost or opportunity cost of gathering and communicating data. Ultimately it is we, the general public, who have to bear this cost either in the form of taxation to support information and research activities by the authorities and its beneficiaries in receipt of grants or subsidies, or in the price we pay directly for our goods and services. The true cost of information is frequently lost or distorted through the existence of a system in which public and private sectors do not always complement each other and in fact may be in open competition.
The electronic future—impact on work and society
Authors: Stonier T.
Published: February 2008

We have slipped into a new society without quite noticing it, as a result of the electronic revolution, and we are still bumbling along in the old ways while a third revolution, the information revolution, is overtaking us. It is my function this morning to try to put a broader philosophical perspective on things, and for that reason I begin with an anecdote—with apologies to those of you who may have heard it before. You will know of the philosopher in education who had established an international reputation on the theory that children will not learn if they are not supported properly psychologically. And he achieved a reputation far and wide for this view. One Saturday afternoon he persuaded a couple of students into helping him lay a fresh drive at home, and they had worked hard and arduously at this task for several hours and completed it. They stood admiring its nice smooth surface when two neighbourhood children playing tag, in the heat of the chase, ran right through this. Our professor looked at the children's footprints and blanched and then became apoplectic. He began shouting and screaming at the children, yelling terrible things—obscene things. The students were aghast and said ‘but Professor Smith, we thought you liked children!’ He replied:—‘Yes, yes, well I love them in the abstract but I hate them in the concrete.’
The University of London's Union List of Serials
Authors: Rodgers Linda
Published: February 2008

Resource sharing is not an idea that is new to the University of London. Indeed the need for this has been recognised for many years but several factors have long prevented its realisation.
Managing multisite polytechnic library services
Authors: McLean Neil
Published: February 2008

It has been widely assumed for the past ten years that multisite libraries, a feature of polytechnic institutions in the U.K., are expensive to operate, difficult to administer and by implication that the services offered are limited. Some years back, Wilfred Ashworth wrote an authoritative article covering most of the major administrative problems of multisite library systems and much of what he said still has considerable relevance. But given the increasing pressures resulting from the stringent financial climate and the continuing diversification of polytechnics, it is worth re‐examining some of the management problems associated with multisite library services in polytechnics. My observations are based on numerous conversations with colleagues in other polytechnics and as such have no particular reference to any one library service.
Library‐information service evaluation: a case‐history from pharmaceutical R and D
Authors: Rennie McElroy A.
Published: February 2008

This paper describes a 19‐week project which sought to examine and evaluate the library‐information service at Syntex Research Centre, Riccarton, Edinburgh, a pharmaceutical R and D centre. The project was unusual in attempting to evaluate the full range of the Library's stock, activities, and services, rather than dealing with only a single aspect. The remits of the Library and of the evaluation project are noted. The evaluation design is described in detail, and summary results are provided. Activities so treated include: library stock‐use records, inter‐library loan requests, use of library staff time, current awareness bulletin. 36 library users, research scientists, were interviewed, and their demand for library‐information services is described, using as a framework the categorisation of library service devised by Orr. Finally, there is some discussion of the validity of individual library‐information service evaluation tests, and of the problems and attractions of evaluating a complete library‐information service ‘in the round’.
Centralization and after: A review of the prospects for distributed processing in libraries
Authors: Collier Mel
Published: February 2008

The last fifteen years have seen vast developments in the computerization of library services and with these developments have come a number of organizational changes. A predominating feature of this period has been a tendency to centralize both human and technical activity. It is still widely assumed that in common with other areas of library services cost effectiveness will dictate a continuation of this trend. However the cost of systems is decreasing and their power increasing so rapidly that it is possible for quite small library budgets to sustain computer activity of some sort. More importantly, local area networks are becoming available commercially which combine the advantages of distributed processing with centralized activities where appropriate. Library managers now face yet another challenge in how they run their computer services and the following paper explores some of the issues involved.
The U.K. library networks and the Co‐operative Automation Group
Authors: Bakewell K.G.B.
Published: February 2008

The activities of the Jive U.K. library networks which are represented on the British Library's Co‐operative Automation Group (BLAISE/LOCAS, BLCMP, LASER, SCOLCAP and SWALCAP) are briefly described. The relevance of CAG and the networks to the Aslib membership is considered.
Language and information retrieval in the social sciences
Authors: Adam Ralph
Published: February 2008

‘Plain English’, ‘simple language’ and ‘good style’ are frequently taken for granted. Yet, easily as such epithets may come to us, they, nevertheless, conceal issues concerning the use of language which are unlikely ever to be resolved in a satisfactory manner. The quotation from Through the Looking Glass illustrates one of the most enduring of these. Alice, perhaps because she is a child, supports the conservatives: strict rule‐followers who believe that English words have fixed and invariable meanings. Into this category also come those who hope to purge our language of foreign (especially American) influences, much like those who wish to eliminate all traces of ‘franglais’ from the French language. Humpty Dumpty represents the liberals—those who feel that words can change their meanings according to circumstances. This allows him to close the argument by claiming that: ‘I can explain all the poems that ever were invented—and a good many that haven't been invented just yet.’
Information technology and its applications in polytechnic libraries
Authors: Collier Mel
Published: February 2008

It is the purpose of this paper to pick out some of the general trends in development of information technology indicated by Professor Paker and identify their relevance to library and information work in polytechnics, although many of my remarks will apply to other institutions of higher and further education. However, before considering the technology in some detail, it is worth reviewing why after many years of developments in computerised library services we find ourselves at present discussing information technology and library applications within the frame‐work of IT82.
British Telecom and the communications industry after Beesley
Authors: Lawson F.
Published: February 2008

It has been said recently that British Telecom, its customers and a very important part of British industry, the telecommunications industry, are undergoing a revolution in their mode of operation. We've already had the first part of that revolution and there has been an attempt to compress into a period of roughly two and a half years what has taken in the United States something like thirteen to fifteen years. The second stage of that revolution was promised for later in 1982 if, as has been suggested, there is to be a further Telecommunications Bill introduced, and then, subject to the views of the electorate, there will be an even more fundamental change promised for the end of 1983/84 which will give a total conversion of British Telecom from a public corporation into a Company's Act type of company. So, talking today about the future is very difficult, and I am reminded of the Greek farmer, Agememnon, who, when he had planted his crop, went to the local soothsayer—we were then in a very primitive stage of information technology—and said ‘Well, I planted my crop, what's going to happen?’ And the local soothsayer, using the technology he had at the time, cast his runes, looked into the entrails, and so on, and said ‘I will give you a definite forecast. Providing that you have used the right seed, you have planted it at the right depth, provided the soil is of good quality, provided that the amount of rain is just enough and not too much, provided that the wind gently bows the ripening corn rather than flattens it’, he said, ‘you will have a good harvest’. And then, I think, with all the temerity of people who control information, he realised he'd gone too far out on a limb and he said, ‘But above all beware of the locusts.’ And in talking about the future, British Telecom, the telecoms industry and our customers, I'm very conscious at the moment of the locusts who are floating around our heads daily and it's sometimes difficult to sleep for the noise of the buzzing.
The impact of new technology on the information profession
Authors: Simkins M.A.
Published: February 2008

Before considering the impact of new technological developments on the future of the information profession, I want first to look at our present position as a result of the technological developments of the last twenty years. These can be considered under four headings:
Online library catalogue—Offline public access
Authors: Buckle David
Published: February 2008

The intention of this paper is to describe the mechanisms by which bibliographic data may be commonly created and utilised by an international library community. The paper is partisan in that it describes the mechanism developed by a particular ‘not for profit’ vendor of library services: OCLC Incorporated.
Three specialised data centres
Authors: Martyn John
Published: February 2008

This report describes the Crystallographic Data Centre, the Engineering Sciences Data Unit and the Mass Spectrometry Data Centre, under headings covering scope and general description, input acquisition and processing, outputs, distribution mechanisms, staff training and recruitment, user aspects, cost‐benefit considerations and future developments. It is based on information collected from published literature, extended interviews conducted at each centre, materials made available by the centres and a limited amount of telephone contact with users. The study was carried out between 17–28 January 1983, on behalf of the Office of Arts and Libraries, to provide input for the Library and Information Services Council Working Party on Centres of Information Excellence. Each of the three centres studied produces high‐quality specialised data, organised and validated to suit the requirements of specialist groups. All have been in existence for at least fifteen years, and all have enjoyed Government support at some time. Two are now profit‐seeking and one is non‐profit; one is university‐based, one is a private company and one is part of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Adaption, extinction or genetic drift?
Authors: Cronin Blaise
Published: February 2008

This article is based on a presentation given at ICI's Company Information System Managers' Annual Conference, April 1983.
Software off the shelf: in‐house information with a micro
Authors: Burton Paul
Published: February 2008

The subject of this paper is two‐fold, in that I have been asked to consider the availability and the practical use of software packages for information retrieval with a microcomputer. From the outset, it can be said that the microcomputer is capable of handling many aspects of library work, not least information retrieval. This is particularly true now that most of the earlier constraints on memory and storage capacity have been overcome. The widespread availability of hard disks capable of storing up to 100 million characters, and the advent of the faster and more powerful 16‐bit systems have already brought the microcomputer to a point where it can rival some minicomputer systems: promised technical developments suggest that this progress will continue in the forseeable future.
After PERLINE: one route to computerised housekeeping using PERLINE as a starting point
Authors: Graham F.A.
Published: February 2008

The UKAEA Library, Risley provides standard library services based on manual systems with a staff mostly of clerical level. Increasing demands made on ageing systems were reducing the effectiveness of the staff and the efficiency of the service.
Electronic publishing: a market perspective
Authors: Gurnsey John
Published: February 2008

We are at present inundated with a mass of documentation covering electronic publishing. Most of this covers with varying degrees of depth—and accuracy—the technology. What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is that technical factors alone will not determine the speed of take‐up of most electronic products. Already in many areas technology has outstripped our ability to find applications. Despite this, relatively little attention has been paid to other moderating factors such as economics, market forces and user attitudes. It is concern with these areas that has prompted this paper.
Reprography and copyright with particular reference to inter‐library lending activities—a view from the BLLD
Authors: Wood D.N.
Published: February 2008

The British Library Lending Division has been involved in the copyright debate for some time. The Division comes up against copyright issues in a number of areas of activity—collection development, conservation, translating and bibliographic. Not surprisingly however, most controversy and discussion has centred around its reprographic activities. It is eight years ago since Line and Wood published their article ‘The effect of a large scale photocopying service on journal sales’ and it is interesting that many of the points which were made at that time remain valid. This article looked specifically at the activities of the Lending Division but the arguments used could easily have been made in defence of inter‐library lending (ILL) activities in general.
The intermediary today and tomorrow
Authors: Duckitt Pauline
Published: February 2008

Modern fables do not begin ‘Once upon a time’. ‘Imagine in the future' is more appropriate. If you are familiar with Douglas Adams’ Hitch‐hiker's Guide to the Galaxy you may know this fable already. Imagine in the future a planet in another solar system. The planet is called Golgafrincham, although that hardly matters. The people of Golgafrincham are unhappy; something must be done. The rulers confer and produce a solution to their plight. Rumours are spread amongst the population that their planet is doomed—it is going to crash into the sun, it will be invaded by a swarm of giant piranha bees, it is going to be eaten by a mutant star goat! In order to save themselves, the whole population must be removed to another planet using giant space arks. Into the first ‘A’ ark will go all the brilliant leaders, the scientists, the great artists—all the achievers. Into the third or ‘C’ ark will go all the people who do the necessary work and make things. And into the ‘B’ ark will go everyone else—the middlemen: hairdressers, TV producers, insurance salesmen, personnel officers, public relations executives, management consultants, telephone sanitizers and information intermediaries. The catch, as you will probably have guessed, is that the ‘B’ ark is despatched first, just to make sure that the ‘A’ and ‘C’ people, when they arrive in their new home, can be sure of a good haircut and clean telephones. Only they never do arrive. They never leave. But they have got rid of all their middlemen and happiness is restored.
Information in the manufacturing industry: an assessment and proposals for improvement
Authors: Rzevski George , Farrar D.J.
Published: February 2008

This paper supports the assertion that relevant and correct information, delivered when and where required and in a suitable format, is the major asset of the manufacturing industry—the basis for competitiveness. It contains a review of the role of information in reducing uncertainties associated with decision outcomes, with particular attention paid to information required to support engineering design decisions. It provides also a brief analysis of the current state of practice in this area and proposes a way of improving the supply of information.
Document transfer by satellite
Authors: Winfield Bob
Published: February 2008

The term Information Technology (IT), has developed from the interaction and convergence of a number of ‘core’ technologies. It is commonly considered that there are at least three of these, namely, microelectronics, computing and communications. In particular one would wish to emphasise the special relevance of these last two technologies, particularly in view of their potential for revolutionising the way that information workers carry out their jobs.
The effects of Expert and Allied Systems on information handling: some scenarios
Authors: Jones Kevin P.
Published: February 2008

The pioneers of computing, notably Weaver, Booth, Turing and Luhn, were extremely optimistic about the progress they expected to occur in what would now be termed Artificial Intelligence. The implementation of mechanical translation was expected to be rapid, for instance. Judged in terms of this early promise, progress has appeared to be slow and erratic. Exciting individual projects, like Winograd's SHRDLU, have shone out like lighthouses through the gloom only to gradually fade back into the mists. Most progress has been made in restricted fields and there are few signs that significant progress has been, or is being made in tackling the major problem, namely that of designing information systems capable of accommodating the fundamental problem of words having many meanings, and its correlate of identical or similar things being portrayed by a multiplicity of words.
A ‘front‐end’ system: an Expert System as an online search intermediary
Authors: Pollitt A.S.
Published: February 2008

The subject of Expert Systems under the broader heading of intelligent knowledge‐based systems (IKBS) has attracted considerable attention over the last few years and is a central theme in the initiatives of the Alvey Programme for Advanced Information Technology, and the Science and Engineering Research Council IKBS programme. The British Computer Society Expert Systems Specialist Group (BCS ESSG) was established to provide a focus for those concerned with the development of this new area of computing. There are several definitions as to what an Expert System is, one considered definition being that provided by the ESSG:
Secondary services for developing countries
Authors: Metcalfe John R.
Published: February 2008

Few people attending this conference have ever visited a developing country, let alone worked in one. Used as we are to the cosseted environment of the developed world, we take much for granted. A few statistics from the World Development Report (1983) will perhaps bring home to you the contrast between the developed and developing world (Table 1). For example, adult literacy may be low (26 per cent in Bangladesh); there are exceptions to this, as in Tanzania where literacy has reached 79 per cent, partly a result of Unesco's experimental World Literacy Programme and partly due to that country's own specific literacy projects. A good indication of the standard of living and general prosperity is the GNP per head: this is US$140 in Bangladesh, but $2,220 in Brazil and $10,080 in Japan. The lower the GNP per head, the greater is the dependence on agriculture. In Malaysia, three‐quarters of the population are associated with agriculture. Worldwide, 700 million of the ‘absolutely poor’ live in rural areas; 280 million farm one hectare or less, mostly on land that is dependent on natural rainfall.
A holistic approach to the management of information
Authors: Vickers Peter
Published: February 2008

1984 has turned out to be a very interesting and instructive year. I was given a special assignment, the essence of which was that I should do things to consolidate and extend Aslib's capability in the field of information management, following its change of name.
Expanding information functions and horizons
Authors: Allen M.J. , Ward S.E.
Published: February 2008

The rapid evolution in methods for information processing and sources of information supply is producing a climate of activity which makes it appropriate to consider the future of the traditional information/library department.
What's so special about the special librarian?
Authors: Webb Sylvia P.
Published: February 2008

‘Communication and organisational abilities of a high order’, ‘marketing and training skills’, ‘management experience’, ‘innovator’, ‘enthusiastic and lively personality’ — these are just some of the requirements listed in recent advertisements for posts in industrial and commercial libraries. So what of the dreaded ‘library image’ — the well‐known stereotype playing a passive, sometimes remote, role? — This is hardly described by the above turns of phrase.
The costs of a multi‐site library service: a study of Brighton Polytechnic
Authors: Conyers Angela
Published: February 2008

Polytechnic libraries are increasingly finding the need to justify their costs, but although many are multi‐site, differences between them have hampered attempts to apply standards. This article gives the results of a study carried out at Brighton Polytechnic to identify the proportion of staffing and materials costs which could be attributed to the fact that it operated nine separate libraries rather than one central facility. In analysing costs and benefits, some advantages emerge for the multi‐site library. Financial costs are generally cited as a major disadvantage, but polytechnic library statistics show no correlation between funding and number of sites. The study at Brighton calculated the effect of the multi‐site situation on staff numbers and gradings. It found that this accounted for 36 per cent of the salaries bill. A survey of book and journal provision showed that 14 per cent of the materials budget was being spent on duplicating material across sites. Overall 28 per cent of the library budget at Brighton could be attributed to the multi‐site factor. The effects on capital equipment and space utilisation are also noted. At the same time, it is recognised that costs cannot be considered in isolation from services and that many other factors affect the level of funding in the multi‐site library.
An appraisal of national information policy in the United Kingdom
Authors: Lewis D.A. , Martyn J.
Published: February 2008

The United Kingdom has a well‐developed and comprehensive information infrastructure which has grown up over many years, but in the strict sense it has no coherent body of policy relating to information collection, storage, provision and supply.
An information service for small firms from a public library base
Authors: Trott Fiona , Martyn John
Published: February 2008

Small firms have been attracting increasing attention in recent years. An awareness of their potential contribution to an ailing economy has given rise to a multitude of assistance schemes and benefits. Financial organisations, government departments and other interested parties are all trying to assist start‐ups and the development of new enterprises. Local authorities, too, are becoming aware of the role they can play.
Statistics for the economics of health care
Authors: Wells Nicholas
Published: February 2008

Statistics for the economics of health care encompasses three enormous subject areas in their own right. In order to make my task more manageable, I have decided not to say very much directly about statistics, as Dr. Alderson of the Office of Population Censuses and Surveys, and Dr John Fry, leading authorities on mortality and morbidity statistics — which are of course essential data in studying many health issues, have given papers at this seminar. Instead, I shall concentrate on the remaining two, economics and health care and in so doing divide my paper into two parts. The first will look at the evolution of health economics and then I shall turn my attention specifically to the work of my own organisation, the Office of Health Economics (OHE).
Information policy in the Netherlands
Authors: Van der Laan A.
Published: February 2008

I am delighted to have this opportunity of speaking to you about the informatieverzorgingsbeleid (literally, policy for information provision). After a few general remarks and a little bit of history, I would like to tell you something about the overall structure of information facilities in the Netherlands, with a particular emphasis on the political aspects of information. Using this as a starting point, I'd also like to say something about what has been achieved so far with an at least partly‐deliberate information supply policy. And to finish, I must tell you something about plans for a changed approach, and try to explain why that is and why I find it such a pity it is that it causes so much trouble in terms of lost time and personnel.
A note commenting on ‘Vocabulary control and information technology’ by Derek Austin
Authors: Borko Harold
Published: February 2008

In the January 1986 issue of Aslib Proceedings, an article by Derek Austin entitled ‘Vocabulary control and information technology’ appeared. In this article, Austin quoted some of Harold Borko's writings, and while the quotes are accurate, Borko would like to provide some elaborations and explain his position in a little more detail.
Freedom of information — a legislative trend
Authors: Michael James
Published: February 2008

‘Freedom of information’ legislation, establishing a public right of access to most government records, is an international trend. With the exception of the Swedish constitutional provision, most of these laws have been adopted since the 1960s. They go beyond merely reforming the criminal law on government information by establishing a positive right of access to records, with narrowly‐drawn exemptions, and with independent arbiters to decide disputes. Three Commonwealth countries with Westminster‐style constitutions have adopted such laws, and it seems likely that the UK will follow by 1990.
Expert systems for information retrieval?
Authors: Paice Chris
Published: February 2008

This paper examines the relevance of the expert systems approach to information retrieval. First, the purpose and nature of expert systems are outlined, and it is argued that only in domains with relatively limited and clear‐cut rule‐sets will such systems be viable in the near future. The expert systems approach is then related to the provision of interfaces for OPACs and IR systems. Intermediary systems, designed to clarify through dialogue the terms of a client's information need, are described, and the prospects for such systems are discussed. It is argued that relatively straightforward ride‐sets should suffice, and that useful systems may therefore be available fairly soon. Since they could facilitate access to general as well as to specialised information, the potential demand for such systems would seem to be enormous.
Sources of information/documentation on the M25
Authors: Lang Doreen
Published: February 2008

When I started to think about preparing this paper, I realised just what a marathon task I had set myself. If you consider a few basic facts about the M25, you will get some idea of what I mean:
Pharmaceuticals — an information based industry
Authors: Haygarth Jackson Angela R.
Published: February 2008

The pharmaceutical industry is a high‐technology, high‐investment and high‐risk industry. It is also a highly competitive research‐based industry and a dedicated and demanding user of information. It follows that the industry is in the forefront of information science and information handling techniques which use the new information technologies, both with respect to handling internally generated data and externally published materials.
Pilot study of the value of secondary information: discussions from the viewpoints of information providers and users
Authors: Repo Aatto J.
Published: February 2008

In this paper the value of secondary information services is discussed from the viewpoints of service‐providers and a small group of scientists as users of current awareness services. A selection of earlier studies on the subject is briefly reviewed. The exchange value of secondary information services is demonstrated from the viewpoint of a service‐provider. Users usually see the services in the light of their value‐in‐use though the services often have exchange values as well. In conclusions the problem of assessing the value of secondary information is discussed.
The concept of performance: a semantic review
Authors: Hannabuss Stuart
Published: February 2008

The concept of performance is pluralistic and demonstrates the ability to migrate from one linguistic and semantic register to another, e.g. from profit to non‐profit contexts. Usage changes denotational and connotational aspects of the concept as people, lay and information professionals, use distinct frames of meaning and employ the concept in abstract, anecdotal and other forms. Performance is a central criterion in the effectiveness of the supplier/user exchange relationship, and this criterial role implies the existence of a deep agenda in both the semantics of the concept and its use. The fact that the concept is also mobile is suggested with reference to new quantitative dimensions attributed to it by literature and practice.
Government policies and the information industry — the balance of interests
Authors: Davenport Lizzie , Cronin Blaise
Published: February 2008

Recent shifts in the corporate configuration of the information industry are part of a spate of mergers, acquisitions and divestitures in the last five years of business history. The turbulence is due, according to some analysts, to the opening of the regulatory floodgates by the current US administration. But the phenomenon is transnational, and, arguably, is as much due to the strategic fall‐out of multinational enterprise in a turbulent global climate. Libertarian rhetoric may colour the interpretation of events, but it does not totally shape them.
Information policy progress: a UK — EEC update
Authors: Worlock David
Published: February 2008

The year 1986 was marked by more active indications of concern for information industry development policy (as distinct from information technology policy) in Whitehall and Luxembourg than almost any preceding year in the 1980s. UK initiatives launched during the year displayed to a fragmented market a real concern with the ‘I’ in IT, as the policy recommendations of the 1983 ITAP report began at length to be deployed in the marketplace. Meanwhile, the new DGXIII, straddled between Luxembourg and Brussels, sought to re‐orientate its new workplan to new leadership, with initial indications of its eventual direction emerging in the Commissions' Electronic Publishing Conference and SOAG (Senior Officials Advisory Group), meetings both in November.
Effective in‐company communications — a case study
Authors: Telling Penny
Published: February 2008

The generally accepted theory today is that a company with a well‐informed workforce can reap many benefits including: greater understanding, and acceptance of, management decisions, responsiveness to change, increased flexibility, co‐operation (instead of obedience), improved consultation, and a sense of shared responsibility. All this will result in increased efficiency and productivity. To some, these may be just fine words, but it is clear that within an organisation the performance of people can make the difference between success and failure. A number of successful companies claim that a policy of good employee communications is one of the main factors contributing to their success. It is a fact that failures of communication can be extremely costly and many large businesses throughout the country are now adopting a more positive attitude to getting their systems of communications right. Certainly, within British Aerospace, a commitment to good employee communications forms an essential part of the management strategy and, at a number of factories around the country, priority is being given to the introduction of internal communication programmes designed to suit the individual circumstances of the particular site.
Information for business: the business of information
Authors: Wilson Tom
Published: February 2008

The Consultancy and Research Unit (CRUS) of the Department of Information Studies at the University of Sheffield has recently carried out a number of investigations into the use of information in business with financial support from the British Library R & D Department. On the basis of this work it is possible to identify some characteristics of the business information user and of information needs in business which are of relevance to the aims and objectives of information management.
What business are we really in?
Authors: Pickup John A.
Published: February 2008

What business are we really in? Why on earth do we need to ask such a fundamental question? Surely we have been around long enough at least to have grasped that basic principle!
Information, strategy and people
Authors: Mason Jef
Published: February 2008

In many organisations the information manager is required to produce a strategy, usually to justify demands and to ensure that technological and organisational issues are thought out. What about the corporate leaders to whom the information strategy is presented? Have they presented their strategy to the stakeholders of the organisation? Have they got a corporate strategy worth the name? They may have a list of wishes that they would like to see come about, financial or other targets they would like to hit, but have they identified clear points of focus, market segments or service priorities and worked through what needs to change to make the organisation achieve these aims? If the organisation does not have a sound clear overall strategy, the information strategy is an orphan likely to be discarded or disowned at any moment. But the information management function has a key role in the creation of the corporate strategy.
Information technology and information work
Authors: Gilchrist Alan
Published: February 2008

Adapting to change is never easy, particularly when everything is moving so fast that one has less and less time to devote to thinking about the transition process. We are all rather like white water canoeists: carried on rapid waters in a small and fragile boat — in danger of being either sunk or left on the bank — and, with head over paddle, unable to see very far ahead. The change always seems to be external and it is difficult to answer such questions as what change and for what purpose and even if we knew the answers it is unclear to what extent we are capable of affecting the outcomes. What might be helpful is to examine some of the undercurrents that are propelling us forward, affecting our work and our perceptions of our professional role.
Information for the City: a role for free text systems
Authors: Ashford JH
Published: February 2008

The City, that topographic uncertainty which more or less coincides with the City of London, but laps into adjacent boroughs and now has ‘telecommunicating’ outposts in some of the outlying suburbs, is a complex and dynamic place. It has markets, retail and wholesale; specialist manufacturers; brewers and food processors; a major oil company; publishers and printers; museums; libraries and tourist attractions; and shops and houses. All of this diversity, for the purposes of this paper, is set aside, to consider the City in its role as the main centre in the United Kingdom for the provision of commercial services.
Factors affecting information technology transfer in developing countries
Authors: Marghalani Muhammad A
Published: February 2008

This paper underlines vital factors involved in the transfer of information technology in developing countries and discusses associated problems. It provides a number of feasible suggestions for designing a system geared to the needs and resources of a developing country.
Specific roles for microcomputer software in an information department
Authors: Bawden David
Published: February 2008

The particular value of microcomputer software within the information services of a large research‐based organisation, where ready access to powerful, time‐sharing computer facilities may be available, is discussed. Several reasons for using micro systems are outlined (unique software features, need for specific hardware, means of cheap evaluation, etc.). Examples are given, including expert system shells, spreadsheets, ideas processing software, and database systems.
Information technology and organisational structure
Authors: Burton Paul F.
Published: February 2008

Computer‐based systems have been used in a variety of organisations for some time now, and there are many studies of their effects upon organisations. In the 1980s, concern has centred more around the introduction of information technology (IT), which may be briefly defined as the combination or integration of computer, telecommunications and information systems. This convergence of technologies provides a greater impetus for information transfer at both the inter‐ and intra‐organisational levels. Organisations of all types have become involved with IT and have implemented (or are implementing) IT‐based systems. On the macro level, there is growing interest in, and concern over, the wider socio‐economic effects, such as employment, work patterns, information access and individual freedom and privacy.
After downloading: enhancing the value of your data
Authors: Jackson A.E.
Published: February 2008

The use of commercial, online search services has increased dramatically in recent years. This reflects both an increasing awareness of their potential value on the part of end‐users and the technological advances which have improved access and availability. This paper examines the driving forces for improving the manipulation, presentation and management of downloaded bibliographic data to enhance its information content and value to the user. A number of opportunities for data post‐processing are highlighted and discussed.