Search results

The possibility of having access to all the world's literature from a single computer terminal stimulated the imagination of the research workers in the late' sixties. It was this goal and the fascination of the co‐operation between man and machine, that inspired the major changes that have taken place in Information Retrieval over the past ten years.

A distinction is made between information retrieval and knowledge transfer, in terms of which the latter activity assumes a much greater degree of conceptual organization. It is argued that the current generation of on‐line information‐retrieval systems must evolve into so‐called ‘second generation’ systems that will support the more demanding requirements for knowledge instead of information. It appears that the man/machine interactive inquiry systems characteristic of today's on‐line activities can form a good basis for knowledge transfer, and an approach is described in which the LEADERMART information system is used as the platform for a knowledge‐transfer system. A model is described for the on‐line management and transfer of problem‐solving knowledge. Several ways in which information flow can be converted to knowledge‐transfer activities are explored, although there appears to be no unique paradigm for this conversion. Instead, knowledge transfer is explicated in terms of enhancements to on‐line retrieval manipulations, featuring an ever increasing emphasis on such direct forms of information transfer as numerical data retrieval and the retrieval of answer‐indicating passages. A new question‐analyzing procedure, QUANSY, is described which functions with another new technique for information regeneration to provide a start toward genuine knowledge transfer.

On‐line update combines a bibliography of recent on‐line articles with a search example from a data base producer or an on‐line system vendor.

The development and application of a minicomputer based information retrieval system (CAIRS) is described. Capable of performing several different tasks this relatively low cost computer system is dedicated to this application and is operated entirely by the information and library staff. Specifically designed for information retrieval the system can perform fast interactive on‐line searches using a visual display. The general operation of the system, factors affecting its selection, and its effect on providing an efficient information service are considered

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.

VINE is a Very Informal Newsletter produced three times a year by the Information Officer for Library Automation and financed by the British Library Research & Development Department. It is issued free of charge on request to interested librarians, systems staff and library college lecturers. VINE'S objective is to provice an up‐to‐date picture of work being done in U.K. library automation which has not been reported elsewhere.

On‐line update combines a bibliography of recent on‐line articles with a search example from a data base producer showing techniques especially useful in searching its data base. In this issue, we have asked INSPEC to provide a bibliography of literature concerning on‐line retrieval. Only articles which have been added to their file since June 1976 are included. Here is their report.

This paper discusses some particularly desirable features of the user‐computer dialogue involved in query formulation in an on‐line information retrieval system. The methods used in the Culham RIOT II system, designed to give on‐line access to a data base of 25, 000–50, 000 references, are described. To facilitate query formulation a matrix technique is employed and the most recent titles may be displayed while the query statement is under construction and before a full search is requested.

First of all, I must apologise for the interval between this VINE and the last. Unfortunately VINE's production cycle is growing longer as automated library systems become more complex, and consequently more time‐consuming to write up. Moreover, in this issue I have attempted in certain articles, for instance those on COM bureaux and the Telepen, to adopt a thematic approach to the subject, rather than reporting on individual projects. The process of cross‐checking the details of such articles with all the organisations concerned has been partly responsible for the delay in publishing VINE 17. Nevertheless in the long terms I still hope to increase the frequency with which VINE is published, thereby increasing its currency and decreasing the size of each individual issue.

Survey results of active research bioscientists invited to a summer conference are presented. A ranking of the sources used by respondents to obtain current and retrospective information shows that interactive searching is not a major source. Profiles are given of searchers, potential searchers, and non‐searchers. Causes of low search activity are discussed, and strategies are suggested to increase searching in academic environments.