bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Explanations for Accuracy of the General Multivariate Formulas in Correcting for Range Restriction
Authors: Held Janet D. , Foley Paul P.
Published: March 2007

Univariate and multivariate corrections for range re striction were compared using Navy applicant scores on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB). Two Navy school ASVAB selector composites were used separately and together to simulate three selection situations for nine selection ratios (SRs). The selectors then were used as predictors. Composite va lidities (the ASVAB Mechanical Comprehension test was the criterion) were corrected using the univariate and the general multivariate formulas. In general, multivariate corrections were more accurate than univariate correc tions, notably when the univariate explicit selection variable was negatively skewed and correction viola tions (linearity and homoscedasticity) did not offset each other. Multivariate correction accuracy was attributed to the inclusion of variables with adequate distributional properties, the compensatory effects of regression weights, and the related psychometric principle that differentially weighting a large number of correlated predictor variables has little impact on a multiple cor relation. Index terms: correction formulas, explicit selection, incidental selection, multivariate correction formulas, restriction in range, validation studies.
The Evolution of a Body of Knowledge
Authors: KLEIN JULIE THOMPSON
Published: March 2007

Since World War II there has been a growing momentum for interdisciplinary problem-focused research (IDR) performed by teams of disciplinary specialists. Increased efforts to understand the nature and successful management of IDR have led to an exponential increase in, and a growing consolidation of scholarship on the subject. By tracing the evolution of the current body of knowledge on IDR, we can not only determine the sociological and epistemological factors in the production and use of that knowledge but also ascertain the current state of the art in the field.
Rethinking the Concept of Strength
Authors: LEVI YAIR
Published: March 2007

Against the background of the current debate on conventional versus alternative approaches to—and evaluation of—induced development programs, this article challenges the superiority of strength by means of practical illustrations from the field of cooperatives. Analysis of various cooperative projects involving the mentally disabled, poor farmers, and political refugees suggests that the “weak-low” elements of a given situation may include the protential for the participatory change sought, rather than a weakness and a hindrance to the attainment of the same.
Future information requirements of the third world
Authors: Woodward A.M.
Published: March 2007

The development of effective scientific and technical information systems is of vital importance to the plans and progress of developing countries. The growth of such services is hampered by problems similar to those experienced else where, such as shortages of trained manpower, financial limi tations, inadequate communications, although often much more acutely felt. Nevertheless, considerable efforts are being made to overcome these difficulties. Of more fundamental importance are the types of service most suitable for develop ing countries and the best means to provide them and the kinds of information pertinent to each country's particular circumstances. Developing countries, on the whole, are unable to support large formal research programmes, which would generate information relevant to their particular needs and situations, and therefore the gathering of appropriate information from sources external to the country becomes very important. Conversely each country possesses a large fund of informal information arising from ad hoc develop ment projects, experience and tradition.
Search term relevance weighting- some recent results
Authors: Jones Karen Sparck
Published: March 2007

This paper describes a series of experiments designed to test the value of search term relevance weighting schemes in the conditions typical of operational retrieval systems. The results show that relevance weighting can improve retrieval performance substantially in the stringent conditions implied by large document sets and little relevance assessment information.
The foundations of information science
Authors: Brookes Bertram C.
Published: March 2007

An outline history describes how man has extended the process of objectivization from everyday practicalities to modern science. Modern techniques of quantification awaited the adoption of the Hindu-Arab numerals and the creation of a calculus for their use. It is argued that the use of these numerals has provided analytical instruments which, though ideally adapted to the exploration and exploitation of the physical world, fail to capture important aspects of the individuality of response within groups which humans display in their social behaviour. New quantitative techniques more sensitive to these aspects are therefore needed in the social sciences. A numerical example is used to illustrate how frequency-rank statistics make fuller use of empirical informa tion in the social sciences than conventional statistics which, by using classes, discards information related to individuality.
COMPAIS: a computer assisted information system
Authors: Carino Patricia B.
Published: March 2007

A computerized online interactive information storage and retrieval system that supports automation of library operations such as circulation control, serials control, docu ments acquisition, SDI, and production of union catalogues and authority lists, is briefly described. The data base con sists of a Master File (MF) of resource records, Encoding and Decoding Dictionaries, and Inverted Files. The MF consists of four subfiles: Document descriptions, Institution profiles, Ongoing research projects descriptions, and Specialists pro files. Fixed and variable fields are used. Similar data elements in different subfiles are assigned the same tag. Updating of files includes addition/deletion of whole records, addition/ deletion of fields, and changing the value of a field. Simul taneous access to one or more files and subfiles. Handles complex search expressions containing one or more Boolean operators and other relations. All data elements in the MF are accessible; frequently searched elements are inverted. Accepts input query with or without specification of field tag. A spe cial coding scheme for national and international organiza tions facilitates standardization of names of corporate bodies and hierarchical retrieval by code components. Choice from among four output/display formats for each subfile provided for. The action programs are in COBOL and the IMS/9Ø soft ware package interfaces with the UNIVAC computer on which the system is implemented.
Towards 'coring' and 'aboutness': an approach to some aspects of in-depth indexing
Authors: Salem Shawky
Published: March 2007

Some ideas about in-depth indexing are presented. Any document can be considered from two points: the core of the document which is usually one subject expressed by one term and the aboutness of the document which is usually many subjects expressed by several keywords and terms which may be either relative or non-relative to the core term.

An experimental analysis with a sample of 100 petroleum documents using these new concepts appears to show that the terms unrelated to the core term must be reduced and the primary and minor relative terms need to be increased. The computing operation of the graduated aboutness is a way to weight the types of aboutness in in-depth indexing.
Towards simplified access to chemical structure information in the patent literature
Authors: Welford Stephen M. , Lynch Michael F. , Barnard John M.
Published: March 2007

This paper addresses the problems associated with chemical structure searching of the patent literature. The deficiencies of existing services are reviewed, and the results of continuing research aimed at overcoming these problems are presented. These take the form of a systematic structure description language (GENSAL) for generic structure input, a topological representation of generic structure (ECTR) suitable for ma chine processing, and algorithmic screening strategies for generic structure searching and retrieval.
Bibliometric studies of research collaboration: A review
Authors: Subramanyam K.
Published: March 2007

Scientific research is becoming an increasingly collaborative endeavour. The nature and magnitude of collaboration vary from one discipline to another, and depend upon such factors as the nature of the research problem, the research environ ment, and demographic factors. Earlier studies have shown a high degree of correlation between collaboration and research productivity, and between collaboration and financial support for research. The extent of collaboration cannot be easily determined by traditional methods of survey and observation. Bibliometric methods offer a convenient and non-reactive tool for studying collaboration in research. In this paper, several types of collaboration have been identified, and earlier research on collaboration has been reviewed. Further research is needed to refine the methods of defining and assessing collaboration and its impact on the organization of research and communica tion in science.
Decision support system: An activity-oriented design
Authors: Sen Arun
Published: March 2007

Decision Support Systems (DSSs) have been defined in a number of ways by various researchers. The result is disagree ment and confusion. No one is quite sure of its exact definition. In this research, we have tned to redefine it by asking two basic questions: What things to support and how to support them? It is argued that critical activity analysis is a preferable starting point for a DSS design, and a DSS needs to support activities rather than decisions. A tool-kit framework for a DSS is presented for its design. Finally, a case study application is described where such a framework has been implemented in APL.
The impact of new information systems on the training of future information professionals
Authors: Fondin Hubert
Published: March 2007

This paper discusses the mutations occurring within the information profession as a result of the rapid and complex transformation of existing information systems. The author feels it is essential for professionals, users and the information profession as a whole to recognize and understand these changes as well as their socio-economic consequences. Particular atten tion should be given to the following: the advent of microcom puters, electronic publishing, the end-user's reappropriation of information systems, the emergence of new types of informa tion, and the concept of information utility.
Evaluation of bibliographic data base operation in an SDI system
Authors: Kowalski Kazimierz , Zgrzywa Aleksander
Published: March 2007

This paper presents the results of an investigation of the operation of bibliographic data bases. The investigations were concerned with the length of information queries and the number of answers as well as the relationship between them, depending on the data base. The results obtained can affect the assumptions and strategy of operating the data bases in SDI systems.
Photocopying and copyright: attitudes to licensing
Authors: O'Callaghan M.C. , Eisenschitz T.S.
Published: March 2007

The present law of copyright concerning photocopying is summarised The licensing scheme proposed by the Copyright Licensing Agency is outlined and a case study is described to determine users' attitudes to such a licence. The educational sector has shown willingness to negotiate with the CLA for better terms but industrial organisations seem to prefer to wait until the law is changed They see negotiating with the CLA as implying recognition of their interpretation of the present law.

Only Local Education Authorities have negotiated a tem porary CLA licence, and further assessment must await their evaluation of the one year trial.
Information as the possible
Authors: Blake M.L.
Published: March 2007

'Information for management' and ' management of change' are represented together within nested ecosystems at organisa tion, organism and substance levels; the environment at one level includes those of any level below it. Products, processes and managing are slow-downs, speed-ups and changing, respec tively, of environmental change. The informations of a product or process are its properties. Informations can take affective (A) or potential (P) forms. A-informations can observably affect another product or process. Abstracts are P-informations detached from any product or process. Learning includes organising P-informations. The model explains existence possi bilities from substances to humans including 'library' versus 'information' people.
Human evolution in space and time, with reference to the niches of librarianship and information processing
Authors: Blake M.L.
Published: March 2007

Darwinian evolution of species entails competition for space and consequent evolution through geological time. Recent hu man activity shows that humans have themselves evolved a second form of evolution which is the converse of the Darwinian process: cultural evolution in space through competition for time. Fitness for this reverse-Darwinian evolution depends chiefly on advanced, high-speed information technology. The transition in biology founded on fixed species to that founded on changing ecological niches is reviewed. Dynamic niches, e.g. fast-flowing rivers, can support more species than correspond ing static niches. It is suggested that cerebral asymmetry, which is specifically human, represents a recent evolution of two cerebral centres for controlling high-level and competitively advantageous information processing, the spatial processing in the right side and, resulting from more marked evolution, the temporal processing in the left side of the brain. Within the library-information niche libraries show dominance of spatial adaptations while information processing shows dominance of temporal adaptations. Advantages of the latter, e.g. time-shared online access, are discussed alongside their side-effects. Infor mation technology (IT) is classified according to increasing temporal component, from high-density storage, through tele communication, to advanced space-independent systems for innovation in IT. The category with the highest temporal component is available only to the information-rich yet is the least taxed. Taxation of space according to its use has a long history of reform; fiscal reform in the social applications of new technologies is now advocated.
An assessment of the major computerised databases relating to disabled people in the UK and Scandinavia
Authors: Meadows Sally
Published: March 2007

In recent years there has been a proliferation of databases holding information on technical aids for disabled people. This paper presents an assessment of the current position relating to such databases in the UK and Scandinavia. A series of semi- structured interviews have been carried out at eleven major centres in the UK and Scandinavia. On the basis of these interviews, possible reasons for observed differences in UK and Nordic development and integration are suggested. The potential future compatibility of these databases is examined, and problem areas in the field outlined.
The Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of Shanghai—a description of information services for economic development
Authors: Qian Zhishen
Published: March 2007

The Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of Shanghai (ISTIS) is a comprehensive information centre in Shanghai region. It has a staff of about 540 and holds 16000000 item literature collections. According to guidelines: "The sci entific and technical information work must serve the eco nomic construction efficiently" ISTIS provides a variety of information services for production technology and research work. At the same time, ISTIS has begun to provide com puterized information retrieval and international online retri eval for the users, and to prepare to build up the computerized information retrieval network within Shanghai region.
International science communication: an overview
Authors: Spurgeon David
Published: March 2007

The need has never been greater for communication of the potential—and risks—of science and technology as agents of change for developing countries. Recognizing this, many of Unesco's 160 member states in 1985 placed science populariza tion high on their list of priorities. This activity has long played an important role in Unesco. Regardless, most developing countries still see S&T largely as the private preserve of rich countries. Indeed, S&T represents an alien culture to countries where the indigenous languages lack a technical vocabulary, educational levels are low, and traditional beliefs are strong. In such countries, governments sometimes play a predominant role in both scientific activity and journalism—one they insist must not be questioned. A journalist attending a seminar for Asian science writers in 1974 said: "In many of our countries, if you ask how the funds (for science) are applied, you go to jail." Such factors have led some developing countries to see the science communicator more as protagonist than as ob server. This has created conflicts with Westerners, who fear infringements of press freedom. The outcome will be important not only for science reporting but for success or failure of development efforts.
Personal transferable skills for the modern information professional: a discussion paper
Authors: Gash Sarah , Reardon Denis F.
Published: March 2007

Personal transferable skills are defined by authors as essen tial work skills which are not subject-specific and which, once learned, may be transferred to and applied in many different contexts. Employers require these skills in their graduate re cruits but consider that graduates are generally wanting in this respect. The importance of transferable skills to the role and functions of an information professional is such that lack of, or weakness in, such skills is certainly one factor in the success or otherwise of information graduates in the job market.

Personal transferable skills of particular importance to the information professions are identified and communication skills certainly rank as most important. Some causes of the mis-match between current products of higher education and the require ments of employers are considered from both viewpoints. Skills are demonstrably so important to the information professions that Library and Information Studies departments must give them more emphasis. The question of the teaching of these skills is addressed and it is concluded that academics should take skills teaching far more seriously, paying attention to the views of the employers and the professional institutions.
Reading, culture and modern mass media
Authors: van Peer W.
Published: March 2007

The present paper explores some consequences of the ex pansion of modem electronic media on traditional reading culture. Considering the absence of any causal relationships in the relevant research, a distinction is introduced between central and peripheral uses of both media. It is claimed that the provision of information is more central to reading. while entertainment is more central to the electronic media, with the computer occupying some ambivalent position in this opposi tion, depending on the function to which it is put. In view of the possibility that the two media may, under certain cir cumstances, be in competition with each other, the quantitative rise in electronic media may pose a threat to leisure time reading. Given the expanding demand for highly developed literacy skills, any such development must be viewed with concern.
The University of Sheffield Department of Information Studies, 1964-89
Authors: Saunders W.L.
Published: March 2007

The paper outlines the history of the University of Sheffield Department of Information Studies during the 25-year period 1964-89, under the following headings: Origins. The pro grammes of study; The students; Research; Continuing educa tion ; Overseas and international activities; Staff; and The future.
SIBRIS: the Sandwich Interactive Browsing and Ranking Information System
Authors: Wade Stephen J. , Willett Peter , Bawden David
Published: March 2007

SIBRIS (Sandwich Interactive Browsing and Ranking In formation System) is an interactive text retrieval system which has been developed to support the browsing of library and product files at Pfizer Central Research. Once an initial rank ing has been produced, the system will allow the user to select any document displayed on the screen at any point during the browse and to use that as the basis for another search. Facili ties have been included to enable the user to keep track of the browse and to facilitate backtracking, thus allowing the user to move away from the original query to wander in and out of different areas of interest.
SAGIS: a proposal for a Sardinian Geographical Information System and an assessment of alternative implementation strategies
Authors: Griffiths Alan
Published: March 2007

The author has been preparing machine readable data on Sardinia collected from a wide variety of sources for over eight years. The data, scattered between over 300 ASCII data files, cover topics including medieval legislation, demographic statis tics, bibliographic references and environmental indicators. This paper examines the problem of integrating data where the required structures push the system designer towards using a range of software packages. As the bulk of the database is static a front end solution is proposed which accesses the packages using a single inverted file approach.
Lexicon management tools for large textual databases: the Lexinet system
Authors: Chartron Ghislaine
Published: March 2007

This paper deals with the problem of lexicon creation and update for large textual databases. The problem is a particu larly difficult one for research fields where the terminology evolves rapidly. The Lexinet system offers a solution to this problem. It provides a set of statistical and combinatorial algorithms to detect significant items in a corpus of documents from any domain. The results reported concern a corpus of 2,380 titles and abstracts from papers on artificial intelligence, extracted from the French national power company's database. A methodology is descnbed to compare existing terminology with the terminology detected by the Lexinet system.
Filofax, personal organizers and information society
Authors: McMurdo George
Published: March 2007

The loose-leaf personal organizer popularly known as the "filofax" has been a cultural phenomenon of the mid-80s, connoting city "yuppiedom." It is also clearly an information tool, whose origins actually date back to the early 1900s, with information science connections, and which may presently be regarded as one mdicator of emerging information society in which information work is a general, rather than specialized, activity. The history of loose-leaf personal organizers is re viewed. It is suggested that, as an information tool, they offer both superficial analogies and deeper metaphors for com puterized IR which may assist their users in upward migration to automated information management systems. Filofax may also be interpreted as a convergent technology, and hybrid systems combining paper and computerized storage media may be precursors of sci-fi writers' personal, portable databanks.
What does hypertext offer the information scientist?
Authors: Davenport Lizzie , Cronin Blaise
Published: March 2007

Hypertext should transform the work of information scien tists, who describe, model and interpret information entities and events. Traditional reporting relies on static, finite presen tation in the form of files or finished texts and many models fail to capture volatile environments: hypertext presents docu ments as aggregates of textual fragments, which can be assem bled and replaced as required, and can reflect fluctuations in real-time (the principle of dynamic instantiation). It also offers new approaches to information retrieval (maps of browsers will complement metonyms), and evaluation, as value-in-use (re vealed in links to texts) can replace current quantitative instru ments like citation indexing. Hypertext provides intimate in sight into individual textual habits, which makes it an im portant tool for collaborative work and research into cognitive style.
A bibliometric study of Nieuwenhuysen's bibliography of microcomputer software for online information and documentation work
Authors: Rousseau Ronald
Published: March 2007

We study a bibliography of documents on a new topic, namely microcomputer software for online information and documentation work. A general Lotka function is fitted to the frequency form of the distribution of items in this bibliogra phy. Data are also described by a truncated Leimkuhler curve; behind the truncation point the so-called Groos droop begins. We show that such droops cannot be explained as the result of a relatively high scattering, due to the recentness of the topic.
Database of research structures in public and private institutions in the south of Italy
Authors: Bianchi G. , Brandi M.C. , Scarda A.M.
Published: March 2007

The development of the research project "The scientific system in Southern Italy" of the National Research Council has required a series of studies aimed at enhancing the knowl edge and analysis of specific problems of southern Italy (Mez zogiorno). The methodology of a specific inquiry about the structure and the research activities of the institutions operat ing in the Mezzogiorno is presented. The project included setting up a database with a conceptual schema which concerns structures, activities and ongoing research projects in public and private institutions in the Mezzogiorno, that can be con sidered as necessary infrastructure, in order to know the geo graphical distribution of the existing deficiencies and the more advanced areas in science and technology. The prototype of the database includes all public and private institutions carry ing out R&D activities but does not yet include academic structures. It also contains information and data on related activities such as training courses, scientific information and documentation activities.

The need to choose a formal data model which will allow the correct execution of the design of the complex conceptual schema has been resolved by the adoption of the second generation formal model Entity Relationship. This model, be sides being the object of much research in the academic world, has been widely used in industrial applications also because it is highly functional as a "common language" for end-users and analysts in the description of requirements and solutions. The main characteristics of the tool used to develop the database, ADEPT (Application Design with Entity Relationship Program ming Techniques) are explained. Examples of basic informa tion on research units and the main menus for database queries are given.
The marketing of internal business information services
Authors: Yates-Mercer Penelope A. , Steward Yvonne F.
Published: March 2007

The approaches to the internal marketing of their services by information departments within companies in the business sector are surveyed The context includes the political, economic and social changes of the last decade. The notion of marketing and its implementation by information services is first reviewed. The survey itself showed a marked change towards a recognition of the value of marketing information services internally. This change in attitude is shown by a move away from treating marketing as promotion only, towards the use of other elements of the marketing mix, product, price and place It is seen to be justified by increases in budget, staff, performance and other benefits However, despite the conver sion towards marketing, implementation is generally on a personal, informal basis This suggests that environmental fac tors have contributed to the benefits The study concludes that only with the use of formalmed evaluation procedures, linked through a marketing plan to the company's overall strategic objectives, will marketing cease to be equated with promotion and take on its full role as a vital management tool
Informatics education in Colombia: a study of the present situation and recommendations for the future
Authors: Cabrales Eusebio J. , Eddy John P.
Published: March 2007

This first national study of informatics in Colombia presents the contemporary situation and recommendations for the future. Also, this is the first comprehensive model for a single country in all of Latin America involving both business and higher education. The results of a national survey that evaluated the current status of the Colombian information society are presented. A paradigm of development is recom mended by the authors that might be replicated for other developing countries
Knowledge-based document retrieval: framework and design
Authors: Chen Hsinchun
Published: March 2007

This article presents research on the design of knowledge-based document retrieval systems. We adopted a semantic network structure to represent subject knowledge and clissification scheme knowledge and modeled experts search strategies and user modeling capability as procedural knowledge. These functionalities were incorporated into a prototype knowledge-based retrieval system. Metacat. Our system, the design of which was based on the blackboard architecture was able to create a user profile, identify task requirements, suggest heuristics-based search strategies, per form semantic-based search assistance and assist online query refinement.
In their own words: an examination of catalogue users' subject queries
Authors: Cousins Shirley Anne
Published: March 2007

As part of a recent research project a large set of catalogue users' subject queries was collected hy interview The libraries and the data collection procedures are briefly described. The query set obtained has been divided into several general categories which illustrate the range of types of subject search being performed. Each category of query is discussed, with a consideration of the problems which face the user in carrying out each type of search Possible solutions to some of these problems are considered The most important issue is the variation in specificity of the queries, whilst other issues relate to the users' expression of need. access to spe cific types of materials, interdisciplinary subjects, and map propriate queries. These issues are summarised and the impli cations for OPAC design are discussed.
The Gulf War and its effect on information and library services in the Arabian Gulf with particular reference to the State of Bahrain
Authors: Young Harold C. , Nazim Ali S.
Published: March 2007

The existing development of libraries and informa tion centres in Bahrain in terms of collections, library man power and the national information policy are provided as a setting to discuss the impact that the Gulf War has had on the regional growth of information and library services The re gional information flow prior to and after the Gulf War is discussed to highlight the impact upon researchers, and re search generation. Some suggestions and recommendations are made to focus on collection development, interlibrary lending, and the benefit that would accrue from the establish ment of national libraries in the large Gulf States to dissemi nate national publication information and standardised Ara bic cataloguing.
The EC Draft Directive on the Legal Protection of Databases—an information scientist's reaction
Authors: Eisenschitz Tamara
Published: March 2007

Provisions of this draft directive are reviewed in the light of information scientist's use of databases and UK copy right law. The review is on the whole favourable in that this directive, if passed, offers greater clarity and somewhat more liberal terms than existing UK law
A thesaurus data model for an intelligent retrieval system
Authors: Jones Susan
Published: March 2007

This paper demonstrates the application of conven tional database design techniques to thesaurus representation. The thesaurus is considered as a printed document, as a semantic net, and as a relational database to be used in conjunction with an intelligent information retrieval system Some issues raised by analysis of two standard thesaun in clude the prevalence of compound terms and the representa tion of term structure: thesaurus redundancy and the extent to which it can be eliminated in machine-readable versions: the difficulty of exploiting thesaurus knowledge originally designed for human rather than automatic interpretation: deriving "strength of association" measures between terms in a thesaurus considered as a semantic net, facet representation and the need for variations in the data model to cater for structural differences between thesauri. A complete schema of database tables is presented, with an outline suggestion for using the stored information when matching one or more thesaurus terms with a user's query.
The realities of developing modern information resources management systems in government organisations in developing countries with particular reference to Nigeria
Authors: Tiamiyu Mutawakilu Adisa
Published: March 2007

Reviewed are the characteristics of the environ ments of government organisations and how they affect infor mation management in them. This sets the stage for dis cussing some of the key issues pertaining to the development of modern information management policies and systems in government organisations in developing countries The issues include the need to adequately and appropriately sensitise top public servants to information management and technol ogy issues: the process and difficulty of institutionalising mod ern information management systems; the need for effective information evaluation and coordinating functions in the or ganisations, the socio-economic ramifications of the question of appropriate information technology for government organi sations in developing countries, and the problems of sustained funding of, and staff training and development strategies for, new information management programmes and systems. Illu minating examples are drawn from past and present informa tion management situations of government ministries, depart ments and agencies in Nigeria and other developing countries.
The use of topic sentences for evaluating the representativeness of Arabic article titles
Authors: Bachir Imad , Buxton Andrew
Published: March 2007

This paper provides another partial answer to the question of whether titles of Arabic periodical articles can be used for keyword indexing techniques and for the production of Arabic title-derivative printed indexes. It examines and evaluates the representativeness of Arabic article titles in five different disciplines by comparing the substantive words found in titles to the content of their accompanying topic sentences in the introduction or objectives parts of articles. Although significant differences are found between titles in library and information science and titles in philosophy, Arabic titles appear to provide good representations of their articles. Between 70% and 88% of the substantive words in titles matched substantive words in the corresponding topic sentences. To give a full answer to the above question, there are still other issues to be investigated
Do citations matter?
Authors: Baird Laura M. , Oppenheim Charles
Published: March 2007

Citation indexes are based on the principle of authors citing previous articles of relevance. The paper demonstrates the long history of citing for precedent and notes how ISI's citation indexes differ from Shepards Citations. The paper analyses some of the criticisms of citation counting, and some of the uses for which citation analysis has been employed. The paper also examines the idea of the development of an Acknowledgements Index, and concludes such an index is unlikely to be commercially viable. The paper describes a citation study of Eugene Garfield, and concludes that he may be the most heavily cited information scientist, that he is a heavy self-citer, and that the reasons why other authors cite Garfield are different from the reasons why he cites himself. The paper concludes that citation studies remain a valid method of analysis of individuals', institutions', or journals' impact, but need to be used with caution and in conjunction with other measures.
Non-indexed eponymal citedness (NIEC): first fact-finding examination of a phenomenon of scientific literature
Authors: Száva-Kováts Endre
Published: March 2007

The phenomenon of non-indexed eponymal cited ness (NIEC) in physics literature was one of the method ological questions debated in the so-called and well-known Ortega Hypothesis case in Science, but it remained unsolved for lack of factual research data. According to the results of this first fact-finding examination, the NIEC phenomenon is a very frequent and long-standing feature in the journal literature of physics, with permanent and growing impor tance in respect of both the number of scientists in question and the number of all eponymal citations not indexed by Science Citation Index ( SCI) . The nature and phenomenology of non-indexed eponymal citedness is given in brief. The emergence of the phenomenon of NIEC marks the end of the first stage of the Merton 'obliteration by incorporation' (OBI) as a process. From the viewpoint of indexed-formal cited ness, the literature phenomenon of NIEC is a special case of Garfield's 'uncitedness'. The neglect of eponymal citedness of the most eminent scientists and the omission of the view point of historical temporality in the analysis of citation data are the most serious methodological faults committed in the indexed author 'citation analyses' which evaluate scientists. The results of this first examination of the NIEC phenomenon of scientific literature constitute a new argument against the use of bibliographic data of citation indexes for the evaluation of scientists as scientists and/or for other similar non-bibliographic purposes.
CoDHIR: an information retrieval system based on semantic document representation
Authors: Marega Roberto , Pazienza Maria Teresa
Published: March 2007

An information retrieval (IR) system, implemented as a part of a content-driven hypertextual information retrieval (CoDHIR) project, is described.
Beyond information quality: fitness for purpose and electronic information resource use
Authors: Klobas Jane E.
Published: March 2007

The accuracy, currency, relevance and ease of use of elec tronic information resources can be measured to provide an indication of the resource's 'product quality'. The link between product quality and electronic information resource use is, however, relatively weak. This is because product quality is only one of several influences on use. Use is better explained as a function of 'fitness for purpose': the extent to which the information resource is of appropriate quality for the situation in which it is to be used. Potential users' perceptions of fitness for purpose are formed by con venience and, most significantly, the extent to which poten tial users believe using the resource will benefit them. Several potential explanatory models of internet use, includ ing the Technology Assessment Model and the Theory of Planned Behaviour, are compared in this paper.
Use of information technology by biological researchers
Authors: Rolinson J. , Meadows A.J. , Smith H.
Published: March 2007

Recent studies of computer-based information-handling by scientists have tended to look at such activities across all the sciences. This is true, in particular, of the recent detailed Royal Society (RS)/British Library (BL)/Association of Learned and Professional Society Publishers (ALPSP) survey. The present study aims to complement these by concentrating on the biological sciences only. It surveys the usage of information technology and related factors by researchers at four institutions - an agricultural faculty, a university school of biology, a government research estab lishment and a pharmaceutical laboratory.
An empirical study evaluating the usefulness of dynamic graphical display in decision support
Authors: Chau Patrick Y.K.
Published: March 2007

The rapid advance of computer technology, especially computer graphics, has fostered the use of dynamic graph ical display in decision support systems (DSS). However, empirical evidence on the usefulness of dynamic graphics in decision support is limited. This paper presents an empirical study investigating this important issue. Results of the study offer moderate support to using dynamic graphics in DSS. Watching the dynamic visual display seems to be beneficial in decision support. However, no observable link between information processing strategy and decision performance is found. Further research is required to fully explore the impact of dynamic graphics on decision support tools.
Citation relationships among international mass communication journals
Authors: Hakanen Ernest A. , Wolfram Dietmar
Published: March 2007

A citation analysis of selected mass communication jour nals using clustering and multidimensional scaling tech niques was performed to determine relationships among international journals in this developing field. Results of the analysis confirm that US journals are currently at the center of the field. The field seems to be heavily described by two dimensions: geography and theory/research. The geograph ical dimension was defined by US journals, European jour nals and others. The theory/research dimension follows a basic critical-empirical dichotomy evident in the literature. The study findings also corroborate current theories of scholarly community development.
ACS: an automatic classification system
Authors: Cheng Patrick T. K. , Wu Albert K. W.
Published: March 2007

In this paper, we introduce ACS: an automatic classifica tion system for school libraries. First, various approaches towards automatic classification, namely (i) rule-based, (ii) browse and search, and (iii) partial match, are critically reviewed. The central issues of scheme selection, text analysis and similarity measures are discussed. A novel approach towards detecting book-class similarity with Modified Overlap Coefficient (MOC) is also proposed. Finally, the design and implementation of ACS is presented. The test result of over 80% correctness in automatic classi fication and a cost reduction of 75% compared to manual classification suggest that ACS is highly adoptable.
Workers Control Over the Organization of Work: French and English Maintenance Workers in Mass Production Industry
Authors: Dubois Pierre
Published: March 2007

This article is concerned with the theory of joint control, and seeks to indicate the power relationships between participants in the organization of work. It is based on a compari son of monographs about similar French and English factories and shows the effects of trade union regulation (which is more powerful in England) on the division and pace of work among workers engaged in maintenance. It establishes that English maintenance workers sustain a stricter demarcation in favour of skilled men, and that they have preserved a monopoly over the greater part of the jobs requiring any sort of skill and strongly resist delegation of these jobs to their mates, to process workers, or to contractors' men. The article goes on to show that the English workers are more successful in resisting nonstop working and thus in preserving relatively large opportuni ties for overtime.
Organizational Dependence: An Exploration of External Power Relationships of Companies
Authors: Koot Willem
Published: March 2007

The concept of dependence is developed by explication of the concept used in the Aston Programme, and by elaboration from new data. Data from a study of 66 companies in The Netherlands go beyond the Aston dependence scales to construct indices for three different types of commercial binding mechanisms as used by companies: (1) striving for active control of 'partners', (2) reacting to relations of dependence, and (3) safeguarding production rationality. Mintzberg's hypothesis regarding external control is tested and a new one regarding commercial ties and autonomy is offered. The existence of a large variety of interorganizational control mechanisms is em phasized.
Capital Accumulation and the Du Pont Company: An Historical Analysis
Authors: McNamee Stephen J.
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the construction of external environments on the part of the Du Pont Company through the four stages of capital accumulation: monopolization, diversification, research and development, and foreign expansion. This construction is viewed as a rationalizing strategy to reduce environmental uncertainty. Two main types of environmental uncertainty are identified. Material uncertainty pertains to uncertain ty regarding the flow of resources through the organization. Symbolic uncertainty pertains to uncertainties of meaning attached to organizational activities. Material construction of environmental conditions provided the Du Pont Company with a means of capital accumulation, while symbolic construction of environmental conditions provided the Du Pont Company with a means of capital legitimation
Context, Structure, and Academic Effectiveness: Evidence from West Germany
Authors: Bresser Rudi K. , Dunbar Roger L. M.
Published: March 2007

Using a sample of 35 university departments, this study relates aspects of research and teaching effectiveness in university departments to contextual and structural contingen cies. Three contextual measures (paradigm development, student emphasis, resource availability) and two structural measures (academic control, bureaucratic control) serve as independent variables. The contextual variables are found to be better predictors of effectiveness than the structural variables. Implications for developing and testing structural contingency theories as well as programmes for university reforms are discussed.
Taking Firms Seriously as Economic Actors: Towards a Sociology of Firm Behaviour
Authors: Whitley Richard
Published: March 2007

The growth of large firms controlling and coordinating a wide range of resources and economic activities means that they have become significant economic actors whose choices and activities make a difference to economic outcomes. Three major sets of issues are raised here. First, the actions of firms are interdependent and collectively determine market behaviour. Thus, firms have to be taken seriously as quasi- autonomous economic agents whose actions are not determined by particular market logics, but together constitute market 'forces' which subsequently affect perceptions and choices. Second, as significant economic actors, the organization and operating procedures of firms become important in understanding overall patterns of resource combination and use. Third, the processes by which firms with particular characteristics become significant economic actors controlling substantial resources require elucida tion. This leads to the consideration of general social processes and structures and, in particular, to how economic power relations structure firm behaviour. Additionally, interdependencies between firms and other political-economic agencies have become more important and raise questions about the appropriate level of analysis for understanding firm behaviour.
Organization-Environment Isomorphism, Rejection, and Substitution in Brazilian Protestantism
Authors: Nelson Reed E.
Published: March 2007

Mainline organization theory generally presumes that organizations tend toward ever greater 'fit' or isomorphism with their environments. Much of current organization theory also stresses the rational-legal bases of organization at the expense of charismatic and traditional authority.

This paper posits two nonisomorphic responses to the environment—rejection and substitution—and analyzes their dynamics in bureaucratic and non-bureaucratic protestant churches in 200 Brazilian communities.