bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diabetes Knowledge and Sources of Information Among African American and White Older Women
Authors: Schoenberg Nancy E. , Amey Cheryl H. , Coward Raymond T.
Published: March 2007

African American women have a disproportionate risk of diabetes-related morbidity and mortality. Despite this risk, evidence indicates that educational interventions are not aimed at this population. We also currently lack basic information about the source of diabetes information for African American women and how such sources might affect their knowledge of the disease. We interviewed 51 women with diabetes to address such deficits in our understanding and, conceivably, to contribute culturally sensitive recommendations to enhance glucose control. To detect ethnic variations in knowledge and information source, half of our selected sample was African American and half was white. Results indicate that African American respondents achieved lower scores on the Diabetes Knowledge Test than their white counterparts. However, few differences were noted in the source of diabetes information, with both groups receiving their information from a wide variety of sources. Implications for health providers and educators are discussed.
Credibility and Impression Formation
Authors: McKillip Jack
Published: March 2007

Fifty-one participants indicated attraction toward individuals described positively, neutrally, or negatively by one of three types of sources, friend, acquaintance, or compet itor. Deviations in rated liking from Anderson's (1971) multi plying model for communication effectiveness were in line with credibility ratings and predictions from attribution theory. A two-stage information integration model is proposed.
Personality Theory and Identity Advocacy
Authors: Sechrest Lee
Published: March 2007

One can only agree with the claim that more adequate theory is badly needed in the field of personality although it should be better understood that theory of personality has never been marked by precision and sophistication. There have been changes in preference in the aims of clinical psychologists. The challenge of competition between different theories might be stim ulating to the field, in which case more diversity is called for. Those who would urge that personaltiy become more identified with "advocacy of identity" may be fostering unwarranted narrowness, and, in any case, the past history of such theories is not grounds for optimism about the future.
"In General" vs. "It Depends": Some Comments of the Gergen-Schlenker Debate
Authors: Thorngate Warren
Published: March 2007

This is the Cybernetics and Stuff That covered Chaotic Confusion and Bluff That hung on the Turn of a Plausible Phrase And Thickened the Erudite Verbal Haze Cloaking Constant K That saved the Summary Based on the Mummery Hiding the Flaw That lay in the theory Jack built. (Winsor & Parry, 1958, Poem 30)
Dimes and Helping: The Other Side of the Coin
Authors: Weyant James , Clark Russell D.
Published: March 2007

An attempt was made to replicate and extend Levin and Isen's (1975) "Feeling good and helping" experiment. Con trary to their findings, those subjects who found a dime did not mail an apparently lost letter more often than did those who did not find a dime. These results were obtained in three different settings.
Trends in Dissonance Research and the Chapanis' Criticisms
Authors: Johnson Homer H. , Watkins Thomas
Published: March 2007

A trend analysis of two of the methodological problems of cognitive dissonance research raised by the Chapanises indi cated (1) the criticism was valid, (2) over time the methods grad ually approximated the norms of the field, and (3) the Chapanis' critique did not influence the time trends appreciably, but was reflective of past problems.
Bibliography of Journal Articles in Personality and Social Psychology: 1976
Authors: Capasso Deborah Richardson , Hendrick Clyde , Rahal Linda , Coleman Jeanne
Published: March 2007

This bibliography updates a previous one published in this journal (FSPB, 1976, 2, 191-206). The bibliography consists of 730 journal articles selected from 14 journals. The articles are arranged under 38 subject headings, with headings arranged alphabetically. and authors listed alphabetically under each heading. For ease of use the articles are numbered consecutively 1-730. The bibliography should be useful for courses and seminars emphasizing current literature.
Instructional Set: A Neglected Variable in Attribution Research?
Authors: Kassin Saul M. , Hochreichl Dorothy J.
Published: March 2007

A study was conducted to assess the effects of instructional variations on subjects' responses to an attribution questionnaire. Results indicated that subjects who were told either that responses were a reflection of "social intelligence" or that their responses were important for the experimenter's doctoral research made more com plex and fewer personal attributions than subjects given standard instructions.
A Quantitative Method for Separation of Semantic Subspaces
Authors: Tzeng Oliver C. S.
Published: March 2007

A new method for separating affective and de notative meaning subsystems in semantic differen tial ratings of any homogeneous concept domain is developed and illustrated using personality ratings data. Results indicated that Osgood's Evaluation, Potency and Activity dimensions were dominant in the underlying semantic structure of personality conceptions and that four dimensions in the "other" subspace, orthogonal to Affect, were clearly interpretable, "affect-free" descriptive features of personalities. Possible applications of this model to other social and psychological research are dis cussed.
An Application of the Continuous Response Level Model to Personality Measurement
Authors: Bejar Isaac I.
Published: March 2007

This paper reports an application of Samejima's latent trait model for continuous responses. A brief review of latent trait theory is presented, including an elaboration of the theory for test responses other than dichotomous responses, in order to put the continuous model in perspective. The model is then applied using the Impulsivity and Harmavoidance scales of Jackson's Personality Research Form. Special attention is given to the requirement that the model be invariant across populations and sex groups. Results showed that responses from males fit the model better than those from females, es pecially for the Harmavoidance scale. The practical and theoretical implications of the study are dis cussed.
Indices for Detecting Unusual Patterns: Links Between Two General Approaches and Potential Applications
Authors: Tatsuoka Kikumi K. , Linn Robert L.
Published: March 2007

Two distinct approaches, one based on item re sponse theory and the other based on observed item responses and standard summary statistics, have been proposed to identify unusual response patterns of re sponses to test items. A link between these two ap proaches is provided by showing certain correspon dences between Sato's S-P curve theory and item response theory. This link makes possible several ex tensions of Sato's caution index that take advantage of the results of item response theory. Several such in dices are introduced and their use illustrated by appli cation to a set of achievement test data. Two of the newly introduced extended indices were found to be very effective for purposes of identifying persons who consistently use an erroneous rule in attempting to solve signed-number arithmetic problems. The poten tial importance of this result is briefly discussed.
Effects of Verbally Labeled Anchor Points on the Distributional Parameters of Rating Measures
Authors: French-Lazovik Grace , Gibson Curtis L.
Published: March 2007

The hypothesis was examined that the negative skew found in most distributions of performance rat ings is a function of the verbal labels used as anchors. When verbal labels quantified on the basis of the range of real-life performance were employed, distri butional parameters (means, skewness) were affected. Typically used sets of labels were shown to be more negative than believed, thus tending to force responses toward the high end of the scale and thereby contrib uting to negative skew.
Chance Baselines for INDSCAL's Goodness-of-Fit Index
Authors: Dong Hei-Ki
Published: March 2007

For purposes of evaluating INDSCAL's goodness- of-fit index ( RI), random data were generated for var ious combinations of N (the number of individuals), ranging from 3 to 30, and n (the number of stimuli), ranging from 10 to 40. Results from INDSCAL anal yses of random data were then used to provide an easy-to-use equation for estimating the expected value of RI, as a function of N, n, and r (the number of di mensions). The equation was highly successful in pre dicting expected values of RI for random data, as indi cated by a multiple correlation of .9965.
Quantifying Equating Errors with Item Response Theory Methods
Authors: Phillips S.E.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of this paper was to examine alterna tive techniques for quantifying the errors associated with the criterion of equating a test to itself. Data for the study came from the national standardization of the 3-R's Achievement Test. The reading and mathe matics subtests were analyzed using random samples from the Grade 4 norming group. Errors for two item response theory (IRT; three-parameter and Rasch) methods and the equipercentile equating method were investigated. A total of 45 error estimates from the sampling distribution were obtained for each combina tion of equating method and content area. Analysis of variance procedures were also used to estimate the av erage error across methods for each content area. In addition, the results of the Phillips (1983a, 1983b) studies were reevaluated using the mean of the sam pling distribution of equating errors for each of the methods from the present study and from the corre sponding ANOVA error estimates. The results of this study suggest that single-replication error estimates may provide misleading assessments of the errors as sociated with equating a test to itself. The analysis of variance mean squares appeared somewhat promising as alternatives to error estimates by replication. Fi nally, the results of this study together with those of the Phillips (1983a) study suggest that the Rasch model may be more reliable than other IRT models for equating, but in some applications it is less valid.
A Step-Down Hierarchical Multiple Regression Analysis for Examining Hypotheses About Test Bias in Prediction
Authors: Lautenschlager Gary J. , Mendoza Jorge L.
Published: March 2007

The problem of determining test bias in prediction using regression models is reexamined. Past ap proaches have made use of separate regression anal yses in each subgroup, moderated multiple regression analysis using subgroup coding, and hierarchical mul tiple regression strategies. Although it is agreed that hierarchical multiple regression analysis is preferable to either of the former methods, the approach pre sented here differs with respect to the hypothesis test ing procedure to be employed in such an analysis. This paper describes the difficulties in testing hy potheses about the existence of bias in prediction us ing step-up methods of analysis. Some shortcomings of previously recommended approaches for testing these hypotheses are discussed. Finally, a step-down hierarchical multiple regression procedure is recom mended. Analysis of real data illustrates the potential usefulness of the step-down procedure.
Factor Indeterminacy in Generalizability Theory
Authors: Ward David G.
Published: March 2007

Generalizability theory and common factor analysis are based upon the random effects model of the analy sis of variance, and both are subject to the factor inde terminacy problem: The unobserved random variables (common factor scores or universe scores) are indeter minate. In the one-facet (repeated measures) design, the extent to which true or universe scores and com mon factor scores are not uniquely defined is shown to be a function of the dependability (reliability) of the data. The minimum possible correlation between equivalent common factor scores is a lower bound es timate of reliability.
A Procedure for Standardizing Individually Administered Tests, Normed by Age or Grade Level
Authors: Angoff William H. , Robertson Gary J.
Published: March 2007

This paper describes a method for standardizing in dividually administered tests, which, for practical rea sons, are ordinarily normed on small samples. Typi cally, these samples yield irregular distributions at each age level, and irregular trends in means and stan dard deviations across age levels. To ameliorate this situation, a procedure is presented that uses the fitted progression of data across the age levels to develop a normalized aggregate distribution of all available cases, with appropriate corrections for the moments of the individual distributions. This aggregate distribution is used to represent the norms at every age level, after adjustment for differences in level and dispersion. The procedure produces norms with improved stability and comparability, and it yields a smooth, lawful progres sion of scores from one age to the next. To the extent that the samples of children at every age level repre sent the same cohort, except for differences in level and dispersion of scores associated with age changes, these data will closely approximate a set of longitudi nal norms, but captured at one point in time.
Methodology Review: Clustering Methods
Authors: Milligan Glenn W. , Cooper Martha C.
Published: March 2007

A review of clustering methodology is presented, with emphasis on algorithm performance and the re sulting implications for applied research. After an over view of the clustering literature, the clustering process is discussed within a seven-step framework. The four major types of clustering methods can be characterized as hierarchical, partitioning, overlapping, and ordina tion algorithms. The validation of such algorithms re fers to the problem of determining the ability of the methods to recover cluster configurations which are known to exist in the data. Validation approaches in clude mathematical derivations, analyses of empirical datasets, and monte carlo simulation methods. Next, interpretation and inference procedures in cluster anal ysis are discussed. inference procedures involve test ing for significant cluster structure and the problem of determining the number of clusters in the data. The paper concludes with two sets of recommendations. One set deals with topics in clustering that would ben efit from continued research into the methodology. The other set offers recommendations for applied anal yses within the framework of the clustering process.
Evaluation of Small-Sample Statistics That Test Whether Variables Measure the Same Trait
Authors: Rasmussen Jeffrey Lee
Published: March 2007

This study investigated the performance of five small-sample statistics (Lord's, Kristof's, McNemar's, Forsyth and Feldt's, and Braden's) that test whether two variables measure the same trait except for mea surement error. The conservative Type I error rates of the Lord and Kristof procedures and the liberal error rates of the McNemar, Forsyth and Feldt, and Braden procedures were corrected by determining appropriate critical values. Power comparisons were then made at the fixed α levels. In general, the McNemar statistic was shown to be the most powerful. Finally, the ef fects of non-normality were investigated, and it was demonstrated that the Braden technique became very liberal, whereas the other statistics tended to be some what liberal at the .01 significance level and reasona bly robust at the .05 level. Index terms: Disatten uated measures, Measurement error, Monte carlo simulation, Non-normality, Small-sample statistics, Type I error and power rates.
Exploiting Auxiliary Information About Items in the Estimation of Rasch Item Difficulty Parameters
Authors: Mislevy Robert J.
Published: March 2007

Standard procedures for estimating the item param eters in IRT models make no use of auxiliary informa tion about test items, such as their format, their con tent, or the skills they require for solution. This paper describes a framework for exploiting this information, thereby enhancing the precision and stability of item parameter estimates and providing diagnostic informa tion about items' operating characteristics. The princi ples are illustrated in a context for which a relatively simple approximation is available: empirical Bayesian estimation of Rasch item difficulty parameters. Index terms: Bayesian estimation, Collateral informa tion, Empirical Bayesian estimation, Exchangeability, Hierarchical models, Item response theory, Linear lo gistic test model, Rasch model item parameters.
Operational Characteristics of Adaptive Testing Procedures Using the Graded Response Model
Authors: Dodd Barbara G. , Koch William R. , De Ayala Ralph J.
Published: March 2007

The purpose of the present research was to develop general guidelines to assist practitioners in setting up operational computerized adaptive testing (CAT) sys tems based on the graded response model. Simulated data were used to investigate the effects of systematic manipulation of various aspects of the CAT procedures for the model. The effects of three major variables were examined: item pool size, the stepsize used along the trait continuum until maximum likelihood estima tion could be calculated, and the stopping rule em ployed. The findings suggest three guidelines for graded response CAT procedures: (1) item pools with as few as 30 items may be adequate for CAT; (2) the variable-stepsize method is more useful than the fixed- stepsize methods; and (3) the minimum-standard-error stopping rule will yield fewer cases of nonconverg ence, administer fewer items, and produce higher cor relations of CAT θ estimates with full-scale estimates and the known θs than the minimum-information stop ping rule. The implications of these findings for psy chological assessment are discussed. Index terms: computerized adaptive testing, graded response model, item response theory, polychotomous scoring.
Contradictions Can Never a Paradox Resolve
Authors: Overall John E.
Published: March 2007

The fact that difference scores tend to be less reli able than the original measurements from which they are calculated should not be a matter of concern in testing the significance of treatment-induced change. The reliabilities of the original measurements are im portant because unreliability attenuates correlation, and substantial correlation between prescores and post- scores is required for difference scores to be of value in controlling for individual differences. Reliability notwithstanding, difference scores provide superior control over true baseline differences in quasi-experi mental research, whereas the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) is generally preferable for baseline control in randomized experimental designs. Index terms: analysis of covariance, baseline correction, difference scores, measurement of change, reliability.
An Applied Comparison of Methods for Least- Squares Factor Analysis of Dichotomous Variables
Authors: Parry Charles D. H. , McArdle J.J.
Published: March 2007

A statistical simulation was performed to com pare four least-squares methods of factor analysis on datasets comprising dichotomous variables. In put matrices were: (1) phi correlation coefficients between the observed variables, (2) tetrachoric correlations estimated from bivariate tables of the observed variables, (3) tetrachoric correlations esti mated on the basis of the latent continuous nor mal response variables underlying the observed variables (using LISCOMP with a weighted least- squares factor extraction), or (4) correlations be tween the latent response variables underlying the observed variables based on a variant of latent trait theory (using NOHARM). The simulations were studied under varying sample sizes, threshold values, and population loadings of a factor model. Factor extraction was performed, and a measure of deviation between the population and estimated factor loadings was used as an index of fit. The more sophisticated and less readily available third and fourth methods were not found to be marked ly superior to the first two methods, even for high ly skewed data with small sample sizes. Further simulations were performed to demonstrate the sta bility of the results.
The Influence of Test Characteristics on the Detection of Aberrant Response Patterns
Authors: Reise Steven P. , Due Allan M.
Published: March 2007

Statistical methods to assess the congruence between an item response pattern and a specified item response theory model have recently proliferated. This "person fit" research has focused on the question: To what extent can person-fit indices identify well-defined forms of aberrant item response? This study extended previous person-fit research in two ways. First, an unexplored model for generating aberrant response patterns was explicated. The data-generation model is based on the theory that aberrant item responses result in less psychometric information for the individual than predicated by the parameters of a specified response model. Second, the proposed response aberrancy generation model was implemented to investigate how the aberrancy detection power of a person-fit statistic is influenced by test properties (e.g., the spread of item difficulties). Results indicated that detecting aberrant response patterns was especially problematic for tests with less than 20 items, and for tests with limited ranges of item difficulty. An applied consequence of these results is that certain types of test designs (e.g., peaked tests) and administration procedures (e.g., adaptive tests) potentially act to limit the detection of aberrant item responses.
Replication as a Rule for Determining the Number of Clusters in Hierarchial Cluster Analysis
Authors: Overall John E. , Magee Kevin N.
Published: March 2007

A single higher-order cluster analysis can be used to group cluster mean profiles derived from several preliminary analyses. Replication is confirmed when each higher-order cluster contains one cluster mean profile from each of the several preliminary analyses. This study evaluated the utility of replication as a stopping rule in hierarchical cluster analysis. Replication defined by higher-order clustering identifies the correct number of under lying populations that have distinct density regions in the multivariate measurement space. When increased within-population variance obliterates population distinctions, the replication criterion provides an underestimation of the actual number of latent populations. In the case of no true cluster structure or in the case of only two latent populations, chance replication can occur. Thus, replication suggested by higher-order cluster analysis is not a conservative test for the absence of a cluster structure, but it does provide valid evidence concerning the number of latent pop ulations when several are present.
Identification of Items that Show Nonuniform DIF
Authors: Narayanon Pankaja , Swaminathan H.
Published: March 2007

This study compared three procedures—the Mantel- Haenszel (MH), the simultaneous item bias (SIB), and the logistic regression (LR) procedures—with respect to their Type I error rates and power to detect nonuniform dif ferential item functioning (DIF). Data were simulated to reflect a variety of conditions: The factors manipulated included sample size, ability distribution differences between the focal and the reference groups, proportion of DIF items in the test, DIF effect sizes, and type of item. 384 conditions were studied. Both the SIB and LR proce dures were equally powerful in detecting nonuniform DIF under most conditions. The MH procedure was not very effective in identifying nonuniform DIF items that had disordinal interactions. The Type I error rates were within the expected limits for the MH procedure and were higher than expected for the SIB and LR proce dures ; the SIB results showed an overall increase of approximately 1% over the LR results. Index terms: differential item functioning, logistic regression statistic, Mantel-Haenszel statistic, nondirectional DIF, simulta neous item bias statistic, SIBTEST, Type I error rate, unidirectional DIF.
Is Reliability Obsolete? A Commentary on "Are Simple Gain Scores Obsolete?"
Authors: Collins Linda M.
Published: March 2007

Williams & Zimmerman (1996) provided much- needed clarification on the reliability of gain scores. This commentary translates these ideas into recogniz able patterns of change that tend to produce reliable or unreliable gain scores. It also questions the relevance of the traditional idea of reliability to the measurement of change. Index terms: change scores, classical test theory, difference scores, gain scores, intraindividual differences, measurement of growth, reliability, test theory, validity.
Knowledge, Policy-Oriented Learning, and Policy Change
Authors: SABATIER PAUL A.
Published: March 2007

There has been a great deal of research in recent years concerning the use of substantive policy analysis in public policymaking. This article seeks to integrate those findings—e.g., the “enlightenment function” of policy research—into a more general model of policymaking over periods of a decade or more. The conceptual framework focuses on the belief systems of advocacy coalitions within policy subsystems as the critical vehicle for understanding the role of policy analysis in policy-oriented learning and the effect, in turn, of such learning on changes in governmental programs.
An Accounting Scheme for Designing Science Impact Indicators
Authors: HOLZNER BURKART , DUNN WILLIAM N. , SHAHIDULLAH MUHAMMAD
Published: March 2007

The social system of knowledge—or knowledge system, for short—is an accounting scheme that helps organize the search for social impact of science (SIS) indicators. The accounting scheme specifies six related knowledge functions (production, structuring, storage, distribution, utilization, and mandating) that are performed in different domains (industry, agriculture, education, and so forth) by many institutions and organizations that vary in size, autonomy, specialization, and complexity. By mediating relations between science and society, these institutions and organizations facilitate and retard the impact of science on the larger society. The knowledge systems accounting scheme also helps identify aspects of science impacts on society (e.g., scientific evidence), aspects of society on which science impacts (e.g., the economy, polity, and culture), and structures by which social impacts of science are mediated (e.g., technical communities). The knowledge system provides a conceptual base for the future development of what has been called “knowledge systems accounting” (see Dunn and Holzner, this volume).
The Placebo Effect
Authors: KIRESUK THOMAS J.
Published: March 2007

The 1988 Howard Davis presentation was based on Davis's value system and work in the fields of knowledge transfer and utilization and publicly funded mental health treatment. These fields are considered from the point of view of specific and nonspecific treatment effects. An overview is made of the methods of social science, treatment research, placebo and nonspecific effects, and related neurobiology. The article concludes with recommendations for the Society of Knowledge Transfer and Utilization.
Toward Hyperintelligence
Authors: BUGLIARELLO GEORGE
Published: March 2007

Rapid advances in information and telecommunications technology are offering the possibility of creating a global network (a “hyperbrain”) that will enhance by a quantum step our social intelligence, that is, our ability to communicate, learn, work, and make decisions, both individually and collectively. As it further develops, that network will become a truly “hyperintelligent” system that will constitute a major evolutionary advance for our society. Key further steps toward the development of hyperintelligence include extended networks with intelligent terminals, new operational procedures, extension to the networks of functional intelligence capacities such as association, pattern recognition, inference, abstraction and generalization, and logical decision. Particular attention needs to be paid to the possible pathologies of hyperintelligence and the hyperbrain.
The nature of information
Authors: Farradane J.
Published: March 2007

Starting from the definition of 'information' as a physical surrogate of knowledge (i.e. a spoken or written record), its relation to the originator, and its transformations on com munication to a recipient, and the recipient's mental state and possibly physical (social) reactions to it, are discussed. The transformations of 'information' in information retrieval systems are also considered. It is argued that this is the essen tial basis for developing a true information science.
The interrelationship between information systems and science policy formulation
Authors: Keren C. , Thomas Pauline A.
Published: March 2007

Improved information systems are a significant resource through which Science and Technology policy making can be considerably enhanced. The complexity of Science and Technology and its diversity raise serious problems as to definitions, quality and quantity of information resources which serve the policy maker, and the organizational and technical methods through which available knowledge is made accessible. The interrelationship of inter-organizational, national and international information systems is discussed in this context. Internationally accepted standards and proce dures should be developed and implemented but it is emphasized that international operations and conventions must have application at the national level if they are to have some permanency and be effective.
Technical translation as information transfer across language boundaries
Authors: Ganeshsundaram P.C.
Published: March 2007

In this paper technical translation is considered as inform ation transfer across language boundaries. A scheme for mechanical translation from Russian into English and Hindi is discussed. The underlying PCG Theory (or P-Structure C- Structure Grammar theory) is briefly outlined.
An evaluation of some conflation algorithms for information retrieval
Authors: Lennon Martin , Peirce David S. , Tarry Brian D. , Willett Peter
Published: March 2007

The characteristics of conflation algorithms are discussed and examples given of some algorithms which have been used for information retrieval systems. Comparative experiments with a range of keyword dictionaries and with the Cranfield document test collection suggest that there is relatively little difference in the performance of the algorithms despite the widely disparate means by which they have been developed and by which they operate.
Natural language access to databases: some questions and a specific approach
Authors: Jones Karen Sparck
Published: March 2007

Systems for retrieving data from pre-coded databases in response to natural language questions are one type of infor mation retrieval system. The paper discusses some of the problems involved in designing such systems, and uses a sys tem currently being developed to illustrate one approach to them.
A NEPHIS screen editor as an aid in permuted index generation
Authors: Craven Timothy C.
Published: March 2007

A specially designed microcomputer-based screen editor pre vents the human mdexer or coder from making syntactic errors in input to the NEPHIS (NEsted PHrase Indexing System) permuted-index-entry generation program. The editor also pro vides continuous feedback in the form of initial parts of all permutations that would be produced from the current state of the input being edited.
Implementing the basic functions of free text information retrieval using binary relationships
Authors: Teskey F.N.
Published: March 2007

In this paper the existing functions of, and a number of future requirements for, information retrieval systems are dis cussed. Two basic requirements for free text information retri eval systems have been identified; one for a more general information modelling language and the other for a simple user interface for complex ad-hoc queries. The paper describes some existing and proposed hardware and software methods for implementing free text information retrieval systems. Emphasis is placed on methods of improving the functionality of the system rather than on methods of increasing the performance. It is suggested that considerable improvements can be achieved by a more imaginative use of existing hardware, though it is realised that special purpose architectures will play an increas ingly important role in information systems. The paper con cludes with a design for a new information retrieval system based on the use of the Binary Relationship Model for infor mation storage and retrieval, and an interactive graphical dis play for the user interface.
The impact of computerisation on work and society
Authors: Thacker Prabha
Published: March 2007

This paper examines the impact that new information processing technologies have had on people in their working lives in the recent past and some implications for future trends that are affecting the concept and nature of 'work', particularly in developed societies. Within this framework, an overview of the impact of computensation, as one of the most powerful technologies affecting work is covered in its relation to employ ment, unemployment, job obsolescence and other personnel related matters. In doing so, it hopes to clarify a number of issues that have necessarily been of concern to the ordinary man.
Second-hand Book Reviews : Singing for their suppers
Authors: East H.
Published: March 2007

Proceedings of the International Conference on Scientific Information, Washington DC, Novem ber 16-21, 1958; National Academy of Science National Research Council, 1959.
Electronic publishing: The future convergence of many disciplines
Authors: Gibbins Patrick
Published: March 2007

Much confusion exists about what is meant by 'electronic publishing'. Practitioners in the emerging information industry regard it as a description of the means of delivery. Publishers and printers, on the other hand, emphasise the use of com puters in organising information in a form in which it can be easily manipulated for both printed and electronic delivery. A gap in understanding is identified in the need for designing information products in a form independent of their ultimate form of delivery. Repackaging information in a number of forms offers hope for the future evolution of the publishing industry. A new generation of systems is envisaged which is capable of addressing the problems of databasing complex material such as mathematics and graphics.
The impact of new information technology in the developing countries
Authors: Thorpe Peter
Published: March 2007

The major constraints to the use of new information tech nology in the developing countries are identified and discus ssed, and related to the setting up of a computerised biblio graphic database system. Examples of existing systems are given to provide guidelines as to how new technology can successfully be used in the developing countries despite these constraints. It is concluded that staff training, international cooperation and socio-political aspects (attitudes) are the prior ity areas for attention by the developing countries. New tech nology can be successfully introduced only if there is the political will and all involved are fully committed to the idea.
In search of searching skills
Authors: Fairhall Donald
Published: March 2007

A set of skills thought to contribute to effectiveness in searching subject indexes is defined. Of these, one group was selected for study, namely skills thought to focus a search. An objective test to measure these skills was administered to 129 students and established to have content validity, and some degree of construct validity. The skills involved did not corre late highly with each other, and are to be regarded, at least for the time being, as five separate skills, An attempt to establish the criterion, or predictive validity of the subtests of the focusing skills failed to either validate or invalidate them because of wide errors of measurement in the subtests, but more particularly in a performance test of index searching. It is suggested that future work should attempt to find practicable ways of improving test accuracy, and also that the cognitive dimensions of document relevance be investigated.
Generic elements in an undergraduate course in information study
Authors: Blake M.L.
Published: March 2007

The aims of education and professionalism should not be confounded, as they are inherently incompatible. Over-ex clusiveness of information professionalism may have allowed areas at the periphery of information work to be taken by, say, marketing and computer science. Portable knowledge, applica ble throughout information work, would suffice for about half an undergraduate course, in which information study (IS) would be offered synergically with another subject and independently of professional accreditation. The range of other subjects would depend on the needs of the broad information industry, seen as including, say, technical publishing or investigative journalism. Generic or trans-disciplinary elements for IS are organised into 5 parts, ranging from fundamentals to job-oriented aspects. Elements emphasised include: theories of information, IS and related concepts; information creation; the human information system; concentric 'shells' of information work, reaching out to, say, plant management, R&D and law; and development of the career mode of the information manager. The elements cover all Sections of the Criteria for Information Science, except Sources of Information. Nature of Information and its Users is the most emphasised. Some elements extend outside the in tended scope of the Criteria.
Nearest neighbour searching in serial files using text signatures
Authors: Mohan Kondrahalli C. , Willett Peter
Published: March 2007

A nearest neighbour search procedure is described for use with serial files of textual data. The procedure involves the grouping of records into blocks, each of which is characterised by a fixed-length bit string. A comparable query bit string may then be matched against each of these bit strings, and an upper bound calculation used to identify those blocks which need to be inspected in detail if the document that is most similar to the query is to be identified. Experiments with three small collections of documents and queries are used to test the efficiency of the approach. The experiments show that reduc tions in computation are possible, although the precise savings are crucially dependent upon a range of factors including the frequency characteristics of the documents and queries, the similarity coefficients, and the sizes of the bit strings and of the blocks.
A two-phase approach to making decisions involving goal uncertainty
Authors: Kleyle R. , de Korvin A.
Published: March 2007

The main purpose of the present work is to present and discuss a model for a decision maker who is using feedback information and is subjected to goal uncertainty. The decision maker is allowed to choose one of a finite number of courses of action and observe one of a finite number of possible outcomes resulting from his choice.

Two alternatives are available to 'learn' the best course of action. One is to assign a subjective score to each course of action, outcome pair and follow the courses of action that lead to the highest current estimates of the expected score. This approach quickly establishes a dominant course of action which under certain circumstances may not be optimal. The other alternative forces much more switching between courses of action and no dominant action arises.

These alternatives are combined in a two-phase approach to zeroing in on the optimal course of action. In phase one the decision maker cycles until enough information has accu mulated. In phase two he follows the highest expected utilities. The algonthm is written out in detail in the appendix.
Information systems planning and operation in Less Developed Countries. Part 2: Case study, information systems, evaluation
Authors: Bell Simon
Published: March 2007

Aimed primarily at academics working in the field of development studies. First, it is intended to give an overview of the major issues involved in the diffusion of information to less developed countnes (LDCs), and a review of the types of organization that operate in the field, their accessibility and specializations. It is hoped that this presentation will encour age academics to become interested in the value and power of information as a thing in itself, and correspondingly to dedi cate greater efforts to making use of, and furthenng the cause of those information services which are appropriate and cost effective

Second, the paper is an attempt to pull together the various aspects of the subject of 'information for LDCs', encouraging librarians and information specialists to consider issues other than those concerned mainly with technical access to facilities, (e.g. the political control of information, the 'privatization of information' and appropriate information systems for local populations, etc.).

Generally, recent literature (1978-84) is used throughout This is partly in order to demonstrate the latest thinking on the subject, but also due to the relative sparseness of earlier matenal which is still relevant.
Online: views on costs and cost-effectiveness
Authors: Nicholas David , Erbach Gertrud , Harris Kevin
Published: March 2007

Interviews with online users—both intermediaries and end—users—in The Media and The City are used as the basis for an assessment of funding and cost issues. Few experienced any difficulties obtaining financial support for online activities, with most justifying the expenditure on the grounds of savings in staff, material and space. The 'information-is-free' syn drome continues to restrict the online industry, and the atti tudes of some database hosts to this barrier are reported. The issue of cost-effectiveness is addressed by outlining the case of the iritermediary and that of the end-user. Many online users experience difficulties in determining which hosts or databases are the most cost-effective for a given search or service. The variant and constantly-shifting price structures adopted by hosts were at the heart of their problems and made cost benefit calculations particularly difficult.
Indexing of interdisciplinary literature on crime, violence, and mental disorder
Authors: Denno Deborah W.
Published: March 2007

Recent growth in interdisciplinary research on crime, vio lence, and mental disorder has encouraged the development of computerized techniques for organizing literature from a variety of sources and many different fields. This paper describes a detailed, pre-tested format for classifying systematically re search references on factors such as: sample selection and sample characteristics, test instruments and methodology, de sign, and major findings and conclusions. Special efforts were made to address those problems frequently encountered by interdisciplinary researchers, such as differences in terminology and orientation across disciplines. It is intended that this format will facilitate links across disciplines and thus promote comprehensive approaches to research, medical diagnosis, and policy development.
Perceptions of the organizational information system
Authors: Belohlav James A. , Raho Louis E.
Published: March 2007

The information system plays a central role in many con temporary organizational activities. How well the information system is integrated into organizational processes, though, is a key factor influencing the degree of effectiveness present in decision-making especially at strategic levels. To optimize deci sion-making, the appropriate information system level must match the type of decision situation. This study examines the perceptions of the information systems within 132 organiza tions.
A database medical diagnostic support system using standardized medical data: a pilot study
Authors: Meredith John W. , Selen W.J.
Published: March 2007

In the past two decades a wide variety of information systems have been developed to facilitate medical diagnosis, better known as medical expert systems. These systems can be divided into several methodological categories, one of which is the database approach. A problem with this approach is the difficulty in filling the knowledge base directly from the source text because of complexities of natural language. This paper discusses the development of a computer-aided medical di agnostic system using standardized symptom codes as its input. based upon the results of a comprehensive questionnaire that is filled out by the patient. Subsequently, the patient's potential disease is predicted by linking symptoms with most likely diseases. The methodology of the system is discussed and a few examples are presented, as well as directions for further devel opment of this approach to medical information processing and decision making.
A document retrieval system based on nearest neighbour searching
Authors: Lucarella Dario
Published: March 2007

Document filing and retrieval systems can be designed using advanced techniques resulting from recent research in information retneval.

In this paper, a document retneval system is presented, based upon the vector processing model. The system employs an automatic indexing procedure with a weighting scheme to reflect term importance. Documents are stored using an in verted file organization. Natural language quenes are sup ported with a retrieval strategy based on best match techniques and relevance feedback.

The emphasis is on nearest neighbour searching to locate documents closest to a given query. That means, after having defined a sirrularitv function, the identification of those docu ments in the collection which exhibit a higher degree of re semblance to the query.

The problem is introduced with reference to a straightfor ward search procedure that returns the nearest neighbour set manipulating the inverted file entnes. Then. an improved al gorithm is presented which optimizes both the number of documents to be evaluated and the number of inverted lists to be inspected.
How building designers react to the technical publications of the Building Research Establishment and other organizations
Authors: Snow Chris , Brewer Ron
Published: March 2007

As part of its programme of research aimed at improving the effectiveness of technical publications, BRE commissioned a survey of architects and architectural assistants to find out about their usage of, and views on, the technical publications of the Building Research Establishment and other organiza tions. An initial postal survey of some 2000 people collected some preliminary information. This was then used to help in selecting a sample of 100 designers for more detailed ' across the drawing board' interviews.

This summary of the results of the survey gives information on the frequency with which technical publications are used, the types of publications preferred, specific views on BRE's output and suggestions for improvements.

The full results of the research are given in the report "Designers' use of BRE and other technical publications" produced for BRE by Mandix in October 1985. (The report is available for examination in the BRE Library).