To read this content please select one of the options below:

ONLINE SEARCHING AIDS: A REVIEW OF FRONT ENDS, GATEWAYS AND OTHER INTERFACES

EFTHIMIS N. EFTHIMIADIS (Centre for Interactive Systems Research Department of Information Science, City University, London EC1V 0HB)

Journal of Documentation

ISSN: 0022-0418

Article publication date: 1 March 1990

239

Abstract

This review reports on the current state and the potential of tools and systems designed to aid online searching, referred to here as online searching aids. Intermediary mechanisms are examined in terms of the two stage model, i.e. end‐user, intermediary, ‘raw database’, and different forms of user — system interaction are discussed. The evolution of the terminology of online searching aids is presented with special emphasis on the expert/non‐expert division. Terms defined include gateways, front‐end systems, intermediary systems and post‐processing. The alternative configurations that such systems can have and the approaches to the design of the user interface are discussed. The review then analyses the functions of online searching aids, i.e. logon procedures, access to hosts, help features, search formulation, query reformulation, database selection, uploading, downloading and post‐processing. Costs are then briefly examined. The review concludes by looking at future trends following recent developments in computer science and elsewhere. Distributed expert based information systems (debis), the standard generalised mark‐up language (SGML), the client‐server model, object‐orientation and parallel processing are expected to influence, if they have not done so already, the design and implementation of future online searching aids.

Citation

EFTHIMIADIS, E.N. (1990), "ONLINE SEARCHING AIDS: A REVIEW OF FRONT ENDS, GATEWAYS AND OTHER INTERFACES", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 46 No. 3, pp. 218-262. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb026861

Publisher

:

MCB UP Ltd

Copyright © 1990, MCB UP Limited

Related articles