Search results

The activities that are at present furthering the visibility of numeric data bases and systems are discussed. A tentative estimate of the numbers of existing numeric data bases and systems in various categories of accessibility (on‐line, batch, and remotely accessible) and availability (public, restricted, and in‐house) is made. Numeric data bases and systems are becoming offered by information retrieval services through many of the channels that made bibliographic and textual information systems successful. These include remote accessibility and marketing by large data base vendors. The user community for numeric data bases is generally more restricted, with the possible exception of business and financial numeric data bases. User training needs are generally greater as well. Numeric data bases may nevertheless reach large user audiences with the advent of distributed processing and, ultimately, data base maps which can automatically locate and link together data bases in many locations.

The coverage of the literature on on‐line retrieval systems by eight major machine‐readable data bases was determined. A search profile executed on these data bases produced 397 unique references. Ranking the data bases by journal coverage, relevance percentage, and the number of relevant items retrieved only from that data base showed that at least six data bases needed to be searched to obtain a comprehensive bibliography. These six data bases, in order of productivity, are INSPEC, CA Condensates, Social Sciences Citation Index, ERIC, MEDLINE, and BIOSIS. The need for an on‐line data base in library and information science is discussed.

Over the past decade machine‐readable data bases have grown both in number and variety. In addition to the familiar bibliographic data bases such as MEDLINE and ERIC, one now finds data bases containing such things as properties (e.g., RTECS ‐ Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances) and full text (e.g., LEXIS, a family of files that contains the full text of court decisions, statutes, regulations, and other legal materials). As data bases increase in importance as information resources, there is a growing need for printed tools which can assist librarians in their identification and use. Available tools fall into three categories: (1) guides issued by data base producers which describe the contents of a given data base and methods of searching (e.g., INSPEC Database Users' Guide); (2) guides produced by online vendors which indicate how data bases can be searched on a particular system (e.g., Lockheed's Guide to DIALOG ‐ Databases); and (3) data base directories which include coverage of data bases produced by many different organizations and processed by a variety of online vendors. The third category is the subject of this comparative review. Readers interested in the first two categories should consult Online Reference Aids: A Directory of Manuals, Guides, and Thesauri published by the California Library Authority for Systems and Services (CLASS). This publication contains information on manuals, guides, and other search aids for over 100 online data bases, including those available through the New York Times Information Bank, National Library of Medicine (NLM), Bibliographic Retrieval Services (BRS), Lockheed DIALOG, and System Development Corporation (SDC) ORBIT. This directory is arranged by data base name, giving ordering and price information for aids available from both data base producers and online vendors. Subject and vendor indexes are also provided.

The present situation concerning the use of different languages in data bases is outlined. It is somewhat analogous to that in the field of publishing, as English is the predominant carrier language used. Nevertheless, a number of monolingual data bases offer multilingual features, and there exist a few multi‐lingual data bases. This is already an indication that new tendencies are at work.

Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.

In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of material poses problems for the researcher in management studies — and, of course, for the librarian: uncovering what has been written in any one area is not an easy task. This volume aims to help the librarian and the researcher overcome some of the immediate problems of identification of material. It is an annotated bibliography of management, drawing on the wide variety of literature produced by MCB University Press. Over the last four years, MCB University Press has produced an extensive range of books and serial publications covering most of the established and many of the developing areas of management. This volume, in conjunction with Volume I, provides a guide to all the material published so far.

Satellite-based weather index insurance has recently been considered in order to reduce the high basis risk of station-based weather index insurance. However, the use of satellite data with a relatively low spatial resolution has not yet made it possible to determine the satellite indices free of disturbing landscape elements such as mountains, forests and lakes.

In this context, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was used based on both Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) (250 × 250 m) and high-resolution Landsat 5/8 (30 × 30 m) images to investigate the effect of a higher spatial resolution of satellite-based weather index contracts for hedging winter wheat yields. For three farms in north-east Germany, insurance contracts both at field and farm level were designed.

The results indicate that with an increasing spatial resolution of satellite data, the basis risk of satellite-based weather index insurance contracts can be reduced. However, the results also show that the design of NDVI-based insurance contracts at farm level also reduces the basis risk compared to field level. The study shows that higher-resolution satellite data are advantageous, whereas satellite indices at field level do not reduce the basis risk.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, the effect of increasing spatial resolution of satellite images for satellite-based weather index insurance is investigated for the first time at the field level compared to the farm level.

The purpose of this paper is to describe a proposed framework for traceability purpose. Hence, the framework provides a formal and structured way of viewing a traceability solution. This structure lays the required bases for a traceability system before starting development and deployment.

The paper examines several traceability publications, including systems and literature review. The study covers the traceability implementation phase. Therefore, this research approaches the traceability issue from three perspectives (description, engineering and executive one). The separation between aspects is essential when describing and comparing traceability systems. This distinction is also helpful when recommending solution improvements.

The framework identifies six traceability bases: aims, functions, specifications, data classification, processes and procedures. These can establish a basis for a general purpose tool that can enable users to develop an efficient traceability solution. Thus, the first ontology expresses the framework domain and ensures optimal use of it. The second one represents the bases that can serve as a knowledge base to manage the product data.

The suggested framework tackles the implementation of traceability. Therefore, the design emphasizes the importance of technological concerns. Some studied cases could require more research angles (i.e. economic and legislative). Thus, framework enrichment is essential for further improvements.

The framework helps users to develop a general, interoperable and scalable traceability solution. These are important to promote the generalization of traceability systems.

The framework fulfills a requirement for establishing general traceability foundations. Therefore, the guide independently operates of the product or the industry specificity. Moreover, the bases aim to bridge the gap between solution engineering and traceability requirements.

Mountbatten offers a vivid description of the current‐awareness function using the analogy of a very wide conveyor‐belt, representing the information publishers, on which books, periodicals and reports appear at random: ‘The searcher is on a platform just above the belt and as the information material passes underneath he can pick up and read anything that he thinks might be of interest to him. You can imagine his frustration as he realises that for every item he takes time to examine, hundreds of others of possible interest to him have passed by’. Personality and environment will determine whether the individual can find an intelligent compromise between the extremes of neurosis induced by worrying about the material he is missing, or complacency with any system which produces one or two interesting items.

Addresses the standardization of the measurements and the labels for concepts commonly used in the study of work organizations. As a reference handbook and research tool, seeks to improve measurement in the study of work organizations and to facilitate the teaching of introductory courses in this subject. Focuses solely on work organizations, that is, social systems in which members work for money. Defines measurement and distinguishes four levels: nominal, ordinal, interval and ratio. Selects specific measures on the basis of quality, diversity, simplicity and availability and evaluates each measure for its validity and reliability. Employs a set of 38 concepts ‐ ranging from “absenteeism” to “turnover” as the handbook’s frame of reference. Concludes by reviewing organizational measurement over the past 30 years and recommending future measurement reseach.