Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250301pmid: N/A

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250302pmid: N/A

Jahoda, Gerald

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250303pmid: N/A

Question analysis and search strategy development, two major components in the process of answering reference questions, were characterized as nine decision making steps. Twenty‐eight reference questions were analyzed in terms of these nine steps. The answers to each step were examined to determine whether rules for performing the individual steps by machine could be developed. Reasons are given for concluding that it would be very difficult, if not impossible, to have these reference process steps performed by machine.

Tallman, Johanna E.

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250304pmid: N/A

The roles of the government, author, publisher, library, user, public, and foreign countries are linked to the basic issue of the resolution as well as to the broader implications of the copyright problem. The major contention is that, since the government supports research and publication for the benefit of the public, this information should be disseminated at a minimum cost with maximum accessibility, at no extra profit to the publisher. Fiscal implications relate higher costs of publications to library budgetary limitations as basic reasons for subscription cuts. Data and citations from various sources are used to support the arguments for the affirmative of the resolution.

Solomon, Susan L.

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250305pmid: N/A

The economic theory of optimal scale may be applied to service organizations with stochastic volumes, such as the data processing installation of a firm, as well as to production facilities with deterministic volumes. The objective of such analysis is to ascertain which systems are most flexible in processing wide ranges of volumes efficiently and to postulate a general shape for the cost function of similar facilities, if possible. The more flexible the data processing system, the better it is able to cope with fluctuations in transaction volume over time and the less the need for extensive pre‐installation systems study. A simulation model of the job environment of three common EDP systems provides information on the shape of their cost functions in the neighborhood of optimality.

Martin, Jean K.; Parsons, Ronald G.

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250306pmid: N/A

An evaluation of a current awareness service in Physics and Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin is presented. The service is provided currently to over 130 physicists and astronomers; about half of them participated in the evaluation. The computer‐produced printouts were derived from the monthly SPIN tapes of the American Institute of Physics. It was found that 67% rated the current awareness printouts favorably and 20% unfavorably. Participants tended to use SPIN to supplement their usual literature needs. The primary complaints about the effectiveness of the service were the broadness of the classification scheme, insufficient journal coverage, and slowness in receipt of abstracts on the tapes. A retrospective search facility is available but not heavily used at the present time, due to the short time span covered by the tapes.

Rex Hartson, H.

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250307pmid: N/A

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. And in such indexes, although small pricks to their subsequent volumes, there is seen the baby figure of the giant mass of things to come.

Sandison, Alexander

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250308pmid: N/A

Chen's data for the raw frequency of use of 138 physics journals in the science library at M I T are re‐examined and converted to densities of use‐per‐metre of shelf. Other units of size for obtaining densities, and their measurement, are discussed. There is no evidence for synchronous obsolescence in the 1955 to 1968 volumes of these journals: instead there is some statistically significant evidence of greater density of use with greater age. Similar evidence elsewhere is cited. The ranking order for heaviness of use is also radically altered by converting raw frequencies to densities of use.

Heine, M. H.

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250309pmid: N/A

Swets's theory of information retrieval allows the threads of document weighting formulae, probabilistic measures of effectiveness, and management theory to be woven into a coherent pattern. Benefits of the theory are the beginnings of a quantitative description of retrieval languages, a clear distinction between retrieval `systems' and `language', a recognition that retrieval performance can be tailored to suit individual needs in a systematic way, and confirmation that question Generality is a pivotal feature of the retrieval process. The hypotheses involved are still in need of rigorous experimental testing.

Levine, Emil H.

doi: 10.1002/asi.4630250310pmid: N/A

Based on empirical and anecdotal evidence, there appears to be a definite relationship between increased browsing capability (browsability) and user acceptance of lower relevance. New automated microform retrieval devices are providing near instantaneous retrieval of documents. The effect of this new capability on indexing criteria should be further explored. New indexing philosophies should be developed in order to optimize the total document retrieval system to the user's constraints of time and comprehension.