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In beginning its work at the end of the 1950s, the Aslib Research and Development Department inevitably faced the task of identifying the most significant problems for investigation, at the same time having the need to establish appropriate experimental techniques. Most of the projects undertaken since that time have dealt with current problems, and to an extent the advent of new technologies and techniques to the information world (mechanization in the 'sixties, management studies in the early 'seventies, on‐line working and publication problems in more recent years) is reflected in the work reported below. What follows is a complete bibliography of publications by members of the Department from its formation up to the end of 1977.

C. W. HANSON, B.Sc., F.I.Inf.Sc., who was for eleven years a member of the Editorial Board of this Journal, died on 20 February 1979, aged 77.

When the Research Department came into existence early in 1959, one major project was already in progress: the investigation of indexing systems, which will be described to you by Mr Cleverdon; and raw material had been collected by Dr Campbell for a survey of information/library units. We shall discuss the Survey also later in the conference.

In the absence of published data which would make possible an examination of the costs and value of a large group of information services, attention is concentrated in this paper on a single organization—the Information Department of the British Scientific Instrument Research Association.

Since Bernal made his pilot survey of the use of scientific literature for the 1948 Royal Society Scientific Information Conference, at least three dozen other investigations have been reported of the needs of scientists and engineers for information, of their information gathering habits, and the use to which they put information.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/eb026299. When citing the article, please cite: C.W. HANSON, MARIAN JANES, (1961), “COVERAGE BY ABSTRACTING JOURNALS OF CONFERENCE PAPERS”, Journal of Documentation, Vol. 17 Iss: 2, pp. 143 - 14.

Winter meetings will be held at 5.30 for 6 p.m. on Tuesday 23rd January and Wednesday 21st February at Aslib. On 23rd January Mr Clifford Hatts, a Senior Designer in the BBC Television Design Department, will speak about his work, with special reference to transmission of information by visual means. On 21st February Mr C. W. Hanson, Head of Research Department, Aslib, will report on work in progress in information and library research, other than that being carried out by Aslib.

With the increasing popularity of computer simulation models as tools for environmental management and assessment, there is often a need to consider how well the output from such models represent reality. Statisticians evaluate the basic assumptions of least‐squares regression models by either computing statistics from or graphically evaluating residuals (observed minus predicted values). Even though there are usually a priori assumptions about residuals from simulation models we have found that their graphical or statistical evaluation can suggest model deficiencies. In this paper residuals from three simulation models were examined with the objective of suggesting limitations or desirable changes. The ability of simulation models to mimic observed data were used to provide support for visual appraisals.

A sample of conference proceedings received at the National Lending Library in 1970 has been analysed for publication delay, physical form, subject, publisher, size, language and presence of indexes, synopses, and discussions. The interdependence of these attributes with one another is discussed. Of the conferences that ought to have indexes only 22% have subject indexes and 26% author indexes. One in every four conferences deals with medicine. The median of publication delay is twelve months. Two‐thirds of all conference proceedings have from nine to fifty papers. The social sciences separate out as a distinct group having long publication delays, few large conferences, and being published mainly by university publishers.

A meeting will be held at 5.30 for 6 p.m. on Wednesday 21st February at Aslib. Tea will be served at 5.30. The speaker will be Mr C. W. Hanson, B.SC, F.I.INF.SC, Head of Aslib Research Department, who will describe some of the substantial volume of research into information and library matters now being carried out by other organizations than Aslib, particularly that in progress in the USA and USSR, and discuss its implications.