Information Retrieval List Digest 006 (December 1989)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/irld/irld-006

IRLIST Digest
December 1989
Volume VI Number 6
Issue 6

***************************************************************
              Continued from Volume VI Number 5, Issue 5
***************************************************************

 IV.  PROJECTS:  Initiatives and proposals / Bibliographies
                 Abstracts / Miscellaneous

      C.2.  Dissertation Abstracts

IV.C.2.
Fr: "Susanne M. HUMPHREY" <humphrey@MCS.NLM.NIH.GOV>
Re: dissertation abstracts

[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-15305.
AU UGALDE ARIAS, LUIS ALBERTO.
IN University of Minnesota Ph.D. 1988, 258 pages.
TI EFFECTIVE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN FORESTRY: AN APPLICATION TO
FUELWOOD AND MULTI-PURPOSE TREE SPECIES RESEARCH IN CENTRAL AMERICA.
DE Agriculture, Forestry and Wildlife.
AB The main goals of this study were: (a) the development of a
methodology to collect and organize silvicultural and environmental
information in forestry research on fuelwood and multi-purpose tree
species (MPTS) production, and (b) the design of a Management
Information System (MIS) to supply decision-support for different
end-users. This study was supported by a project of USAID for fuelwood
research in six Central American countries. Uniform standards and
guidelines for implementing fuelwood and MPTS experiments were
established in order to permit global exchange and transfer of
information on MPTS research. These standards for data collection and
field measurements, and minimum data sets were developed in
coordination with scientists to ensure the collection of useful
information and to gain acceptance of these standards.

The minimum data sets were developed to reflect what can be achieved
at a reasonable logistic expense with an acceptable degree of
consistency. The approach emphasized flexibility and simplicity in the
database implementation to allow for added complexity as the demand
for information and models increases. A menu-driven retrieval process
for the information was developed using a microcomputer. For the
implementation of the database KnowledgeMan/2 software was used.

Establishment of MPTS information databases will permit improvement in
all phases of forest management, including seed procurement and
species selection for environmental zones. The database can support
the decision on what, where, and how to plant trees. Assessments of
trade-offs among various production systems in terms of different
types of biomass components are also possible. It should elucidate
climatic, biophysical, and social constraints in tree seedling
production and establishment, and improved nursery operation and
stand-management techniques.  Finally, the MIRA (Manejo de Informacion
sobre Recursos Arboreos) system developed in this study can be
considered as a pioneering effort in database and MIS technology in
the tropical regions of the world for the application of silvicultural
research. It is also a first in terms of the cooperative effort
carried out by six Central American countries to develop and use
standardized data collection procedures for better coordinated
research in MPTS.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-19418.
AU MORRIS, ANDREW HUNTER.
IN Texas Tech University Ph.D. 1988, 237 pages.
TI SUPPORTING ENVIRONMENTAL SCANNING AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION
WITH THE PROCESSING OF TEXT: THE USE OF COMPUTER-GENERATED ABSTRACTS.
DE Business Administration, General. Information Science.
AB This research proposes a model text-based decision support system
designed to support the activities of environmental scanning and
organizational communication by actively filtering and condensing
text. To filter text-based information requires the use of automatic
routing schemes; to condense text requires the use of
computer-generated abstracts or extracts. A key element in the model
system is the ability of the computer to condense text by generating
short abstracts of documents.

Two approaches to condensing text have been proposed: (1) using
natural language processing techniques to construct a knowledge base
of the document contents, from which to write an abstract, and (2)
employing algorithm-based extracting systems to generate extracts of
important sentences and phrases. Systems using natural language
techniques are still being researched; most are successful only in
limited domains. Systems using extracting algorithms have been
researched, but have not been applied to the problem of information
overload in an organizational decision-making context. These two
approaches were tested in a laboratory setting with student subjects.

An algorithm for generating extracts was developed based on the
combined work of previous researchers, and tested against an expertly
written abstract such as might be constructed by a non-domain specific
artificial intelligence system if one is developed in the future.
Results of the study indicate that there was no difference in
comprehension of the documents when the information was presented with
the full text, by extract, or by abstract. These results demonstrate
that an algorithm for computer-generated extracts can be successfully
applied to text, reducing reading time and document length without
significantly reducing comprehension of the information contained in
the original text.
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-23547.
AU LEITHEISER, ROBERT LEO.
IN University of Minnesota Ph.D. 1988, 490 pages.
TI AN
EXAMINATION
OF THE
EFFECTS
OF
ALTERNATIVE
SCHEMA
DESCRIPTIONS
ON THE
UNDERSTANDING
OF
DATABASE
STRUCTURE
AND THE
USE OF
A QUERY
LANGUAGE.
DE Business Administration, Management. Information Science.
AB Business organizations are increasingly relying on data resources
that are stored in computerized databases. Utilization of these
resources requires knowing (1) the logical organization of data in the
database and (2) a language for retrieving data from that
organization. The logical organization of a database is described by a
database representation.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of
different features of database representations on the learning and use
of database systems by business end users. Three features are
examined: (1) type of concept used, (2) type of symbol used, and (3)
use of explicit representations of associations between major database
objects. These features define different approaches to representing
database organizations.

A two stage experiment was performed that compared four representation
approaches. Each approach used a combination of the three
representation features listed above. In the first stage, subjects
(MBA students) learned one of the representation approaches and then
applied what they had learned to three non-language database tasks. In
the second stage they learned the SQL query language, and performed
three database tasks with the approach and the language.

The principal findings were that the approach that used semantic
concepts took less time to learn than any of the storage concept
approaches and led to higher performance on one of the "without
language" performance tasks. The same approach resulted in longer
times for learning the SQL language and poorer performance on "with
language" tasks. No major differences were found in learning and
performance that were due to the type of symbols used or the use of
explicit association representations.

These findings were taken as evidence that the approach that used
semantic concepts has some advantages over the storage concept
approaches. Unfortunately, these advantages are lost when the popular
SQL query language is learned and used. The study calls for further
research to develop more appropriate languages for semantic
representations and to further explore the effects caused by specific
representation features.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-19327.
AU PYO, DONGJIN.
IN University of Maine Ph.D. 1987, 168 pages.
TI SELECTIVE DATA REDUCTION IN INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY.
DE Chemistry, Analytical.
AB The coupling of chromatographs to various types of spectrometers
has led to the development of a number of extremely powerful
instrument systems for the analysis of complex mixtures. Gas
chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and more recently,
GC-infrared spectrometry (GC/IR) are probably the two most widely used
examples.

As GC/IR becomes routinely available, methods must be developed to
deal with the large amount of data produced. We demonstrate computer
methods that quickly search through a large data file, locating those
spectra that display a spectral feature of interest. Based on a
modified library search routine, these selective data reduction
methods retrieve all or nearly all of the compounds of interest, while
rejecting the vast majority of unrelated compounds. A greater degree
of selectivity is observed than with chemigram-type routines.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-19930.
AU CHEN, HUNG-PIN.
IN The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col.
Ph.D. 1988, 173 pages.
TI QUERY PROCESSING ON THE ENTITY-RELATIONSHIP GRAPH BASED RELATIONAL
DATABASE SYSTEMS.
DE Computer Science.
AB An ERG (Entity-Relationship Graph) can be used to provide a
semantic structure to a relational database system. An ERG is defined
by local regions. A local region contains two nodes of entity types
and a node of relationship type. The semantic constraints of the
database represented by the ERG (Entity-Relationship Graph) can be
used to enforce the global integrity of the database system. A query
is mapped onto the ERG to obtain an ERQG (Entity-Relationship Query
Graph). This mapping can be specified by the user by navigating the
database or automatically allocated by the system via a universal
relation interface. The ERQG representation of a query can be
semantically decomposed into a sequence of Local Regions. These Local
Regions can then be processed according to their order in the query.
The ER-semijoin operation is introduced to process this sequence of
Local Regions. Using this approach, architectures of database systems
are proposed--two-phase interface and one-phase interface.  An
implementation of a user interface is also discussed.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-22961.
AU CHI, SHAN.
IN Northwestern University Ph.D. 1988, 81 pages.
TI A THREE-PHASE QUERY PROCESSING TECHNIQUE FOR INDEFINITE DATABASES.
DE Computer Science.
AB A new method, called the compile-access-prove (CAP) algorithm, is
proposed for query processing in indefinite databases. A database is
logically represented as a set of clauses among which the non-Horn
clauses represent indefinite information. Physically the database
intension, containing view definitions, is compiled into access rules
and the database extension, containing elementary facts, is stored as
relations on disks. Each access rule is a procedure consisting of
relational operations. In general, the indefinite elementary facts
need to be processed with a theorem prover. By storing all elementary
facts (including indefinite ones) into relations, it is possible to
replace the theorem proving steps with more efficient relational
operations. However, this process changes the semantics of the
database. At query time, the related indefinite elementary facts are
collected and sent to a theorem prover to recover the original
semantics. The CAP algorithm has the following advantages: (a) it is
capable of answering queries for recursive indefinite databases, (b)
the theorem prover involves only the indefinite facts related to the
query, (c) updating the database extension does not require the
recompilation of the database, and (d) the techniques developed for
Horn databases can be used in the algorithm.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-18780.
AU EPSTEIN, RICHARD GARY.
IN Temple University Ph.D. 1988, 631 pages.
TI INFORMATICS CALCULUS: A GRAPHICAL, FUNCTIONAL QUERY LANGUAGE FOR
INFORMATION RESOURCE SYSTEMS. (VOLUMES I AND II).
DE Computer Science.
AB This dissertation presents the functional information resource
model, a data model for multi-media data bases which is an extension
of the functional data model. The significant contribution of this
distribution is in the presentation of a graphical, functional query
language for this data model. This query language is called the
informatics calculus.

The data model can be viewed as a data model for hypertext systems.
Viewed in this light, the informatics calculus can be viewed as a
proposal for an interface for hypertext systems which will enable such
systems to capture the computation power of traditional databases.

The informatics calculus is a data base language in which the user
works in a workspace of objects. An object has a type and a state.
The type of an object determines its functionality. The emphasis in
this dissertation is upon query objects, objects which extract
information or generate applications from the information resource.

All informatics calculus objects consist of mosaics. A mosaic consists
of tiles denoting entity classes, subclasses, conditions, functions,
functors, functionals and other types of operations provided by the
model. The spatial arrangement of these tiles determine a unique
functional expression. For example, horizontal juxtaposition is used
to denote the functional combinator of Cartesian product and vertical
juxtaposition is used to denote functional composition. Each
informatics calculus expression denotes a particular arrangement of
information.

The final chapter of the dissertation discusses extensions of the
informatics calculus which includes an update language and a language
for querying the system catalogue. None of the proposed extensions to
the informatics calculus departs from the functional framework or the
graphical framework of programming by constructing mosaics. The
amenability of the informatics calculus for parallel execution is also
discussed.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-13974.
AU LYNCH, CLIFFORD ALAN.
IN University of California, Berkeley Ph.D. 1987, 247 pages.
TI EXTENDING RELATIONAL DATABASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS FOR INFORMATION
RETRIEVAL APPLICATIONS.
DE Computer Science. Information Science.  Library Science.
AB This thesis studies the use of relational database systems to
construct large, high performance information retrieval systems such
as online library catalogs or citation retrieval applications. The
major problem areas in relational implementations are query execution
costs, poor space utilization, and functionality deficiencies both in
query processing and in query languages such as SQL. Analytic and
simulation methods are applied to quantify these problems.

Proposals extending earlier work on user-defined operators for
relational query languages and accompanying secondary index support
allow both efficient query formulation and the definition of
space-efficient relational bibliographic databases. When column values
follow distributions typical of bibliographic databases (Zipf
distributions), a key performance problem is inaccurate selectivity
estimation. A framework for incorporating user-defined selectivity
estimators into a relational query optimizer is established, and
methods are given to construct highly accurate selectivity estimators
for bibliographic databases. Relational query optimizer extensions are
specified which incorporate query execution plans that use TID list
manipulation algorithms for evaluating single-relation queries into
the optimizer's vocabulary. With these extensions a relational system
can outperform an inverted file retrieval system on bibliographic
databases. Also explored are query planner extensions to implement
nonmaterialized relations (allowing both partially deferred evaluation
of queries and inexpensive iterative query construction) and
preexecution identification of queries that will be costly to evaluate
or will produce very large results. Both of these features are
important for public access information retrieval applications.
Finally, the thesis examines difficulties that arise in using a
relational query language to support advanced information retrieval
techniques such as ranking and weighted retrieval, and develops query
language extensions that would significantly improve the performance
of such searching techniques in a relational setting.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-15220.
AU REDDY, MARY ANN.
IN University of Pittsburgh Ph.D. 1988, 149 pages.
TI SEARCH STRATEGY SKILLS: A TWO METHOD COMPARISON OF TEACHING CD-ROM
BIBLIOGRAPHIC SEARCHING TECHNIQUES.
DE Education, Technology. Library Science.
AB This study was designed to test the mastery of CD-ROM online
bibliographic searching skills through the comparison of two methods
of instruction: CAI and the traditional lecture method.  One hundred
and two ninth grade students were the subjects of the study: fifty-one
students comprised each group. Both groups received instruction in
online technology, online technology, the Reader's Guide, CD-ROM and
search strategy skills. For the online and Reader's Guide portion of
the study, the CAI group, using nine Apple IIe computers, received its
instruction from three Combase, Inc. computer software programs:
Online Retrieval I; Online Retrieval II; and the Reader's Guide to
Periodical Literature, Level II. The classroom group received the
identical lessons through the traditional lecture method using the
overhead projector as an aid.

The testing instrument used in this study was WILSONDISC, a CD-ROM
database that contains the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature and
utilizes an IBM PC/XT computer and CD-ROM player.

The study began August 31, 1987 and was completed on November 20,
1987. The overall design of the study was a Pretest-Posttest
Control-Group design. Two t-tests and two Chi square tests were used
to measure the results of the study. At the.05 level, the statistics
yielded no significant differences in learning CD-ROM online
technology regardless of the method of instruction.  However, several
interesting factors emerged from the data collected.

First, the Attitude Survey revealed that the classroom students were
far more enthusiastic about CD-ROM than the computer group.  Secondly,
the computer group did not excel as predicted by statistics from other
studies, perhaps because 68% of the computer group was female and
because of class scheduling the initial computer lessons were
presented during an interrupted time frame which might have impeded
the concentration of the group.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-16874.
AU PROBERT, JOHN ELLWOOD.
IN United States International University Ed.D. 1988, 250 pages.
TI A SURVEY TO DETERMINE REASONS FOR LOW LEVEL COMPUTER USE BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT INVESTIGATORS.
DE Education, Vocational. Education, Adult and Continuing.
Sociology, Criminology and Penology.
AB The problem. Many investigators were not using the computerized
inquiry system to its fullest potential. The purpose of this study was
to investigate the relationship between the use of computerized
centralized criminal history files with the following variables: age,
attitude, and the amount of computer training the investigators
possess.

Method. A correlational study was conducted. Fifty-two investigators
from seven San Diego County area law enforcement agencies, eight
departmental administrators and 8 computer trainers were given
questionnaires designed to determine why the computerized inquiry
system was not being used to its fullest potential.

Results. The first hypothesis, which predicted that age inversely
correlates with the use of computers for information retrieval, could
not be supported. The second hypothesis, which predicted that adequate
terminal and computer program training according to the needs of each
investigator will have a positive relationship on the use of
computerized information retrieval system, could not be supported. The
third hypothesis, which predicted a positive correlation between
favorable attitude towards the computer and frequency of the use of
computerized information retrieval system, could not be supported.

Investigation revealed first that the experience of using the
computerized criminal history files and not the training or
administration's attitude created a highly favorable attitude towards
its use. The investigators frequently being overloaded with assigned
cases to investigate went to manual files for data because this
procedure was quicker. Second, two messages were emanating from the
departmental administrations. The first was encouragement to use the
computerized inquiry system, and the second message was to cut costs.
The investigators perceived the messages to mean that they should
reduce the use of the computerized inquiry system because of the high
cost of using it.
]
[
AN This item is not available from University Microfilms International
ADG05-63684.
AU EZIGBALIKE, INNOCENT F. CHUKWUDOZIE.
IN The University of New Brunswick (Canada) Ph.D. 1988.
TI LAND INFORMATION SYSTEMS DEVELOPMENT: SOFTWARE AND MANAGEMENT
CONSIDERATIONS.
DE Engineering, Civil.
AB The development and management of information systems have been
studied in various fields of research including: database management,
distributed processing, software engineering, management information
systems, and information resource management. By identifying the
similarities between land information processing and these fields, the
techniques and procedures developed and proved for other information
processing applications can be adapted for the land information system
(LIS).

This thesis examines the activities that process parcel level
information in New Brunswick, and proposes a conceptual structure for
an LIS to deliver information to the processes, and strategies for
developing an LIS and managing a land information environment in a
provincial jurisdiction. The thesis recommends that a query management
strategy by adopted to integrate the various departmental systems into
one logical distributed system, that an independent management
function be established to manage the LIS as a corporate resource of
the provincial government, rather than as departmental property, and
that the system be developed from existing systems by a phased
prototyping approach.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-09547.
AU BOUAZZA, ABDELMAJID.
IN University of Pittsburgh Ph.D 1986, 154 pages.
TI USE OF INFORMATION SOURCES BY PHYSICAL SCIENTISTS, SOCIAL
SCIENTISTS, AND HUMANITIES SCHOLARS AT CARNEGIE-MELLON UNIVERSITY.
DE Information Science.
AB This study investigated the frequency of use of information sources
in general and for research and teaching purposes in particular by
physical scientists, social scientists, and humanities scholars at
Carnegie-Mellon University. Out of 390 subjects, 240 answered the
questionnaire, making the response rate 61.53 percent.

Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and analyzed using
descriptive (Means, standard of deviation, and proportions) and
inferential (One-way ANOVA, Two-way ANOVA, and the Scheffe Test)
statistics. The null of the three hypotheses of the study were tested
at the.05 level of significance. The results obtained in this study
showed that the three hypotheses were partially supported. It was
found that physical scientists, social scientists, and humanists
differed only in their use of informal sources of information in
general, in data collection phase, and when developing a new course.
No difference was registered in their use of formal sources of
information for the same purposes.  The impact of the variables tenure
and experience on the use of information sources by the subjects has
been investigated as an auxiliary factor and found nonsignificant.

The findings of this study pointed to the importance of exhibitions,
concerts, performances, A.V. materials, and the library resources to
humanists. The same information sources were found of negligible
importance to both physical scientists and social scientists when
conducting a research project. The importance of using personal files
by the three groups was observed. It was found that journals were
especially important to physical scientists and social scientists.
Also, it was found that the use of information sources by respondents
varied from one phase of a research project to another. Thus, physical
scientists, social scientists, and humanists tended to rely heavily on
personal contact in the proposal phase and data analysis and
interpretation phase, whereas this reliance appeared to decline in the
data collection phase. Other findings were: the importance to
respondents of personal contact and personal files as a stimulus for
ideas in research; physical scientists and social scientists rated the
use of journals for obtaining new ideas in research higher than that
of textbooks; similarly, physical scientists and social scientists
rated the use of textbooks as sources of new ideas in teaching higher
than that of journals.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADGDX-82159.
AU DANIELS, PENNY JANE.
IN The City University (London) (United Kingdom) Ph.D 1987, 167
pages.
TI DEVELOPING THE USER MODELLING FUNCTION OF AN INTELLIGENT INTERFACE
FOR DOCUMENT RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS.
DE Information Science.
AB Available from UMI in association with The British Library.

This research forms part of a larger project, the eventual aim of
which is the design and implementation of an intelligent interface for
document retrieval systems. A number of functions which must be
performed by the human intermediary in order to successfully interact
with the user have been identified. The research presented here is
concerned with one function in particular: the user modelling
function, which aims to describe and model various aspects of the
user's background, personal characteristics, goals and knowledge. An
assumption underlying this research is that an intelligent interface
should simulate the functional behaviour of a competent human
intermediary. Therefore the ways in which human intermediaries carry
out user modelling and employ these models, have been investigated.

The primary method was to make audiorecordings of seven human
user/human intermediary interviews in online search service settings,
and to subject the transcripts to detailed functional discourse
analysis. This analysis produced a specification for the User Model,
and identified its components and the knowledge resources that are
needed by the intermediary, whether human or automatic, to carry out
the function of user modelling. This analysis was supplemented by the
examination of a number of users' problem statements, together with
their accompanying recordings, which had been collected for another
project, and by interviews with three intermediaries. The discourse
analysis revealed that the User Model interacts with the other
interface functions, and this interaction was also investigated.

The results showed that the User Model comprises a number of
subfunctions, requires extensive knowledge resources, and interacts
with the other functions, in particular providing information
necessary for the other functions' own processing. A formalism for
representing the User Model in a computer system is suggested, and an
attempt is made to validate the User Model by applying it to a new
dialogue. The results of the validation suggested that the User Model
is independent of the data on which it is based, and that the
formalism can adequately handle a new interaction. The implications of
these findings for the design and implementation of the user modelling
function in an intelligent interface, and for the design and
implementation of the interface as a whole, are outlined.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADGD--82394.
AU EPISKOPOU, DIANE M.
IN University of East Anglia (United Kingdom) Ph.D. 1987, 460
pages.
TI THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS METHODOLOGIES: A
GROUNDED THEORY OF METHODOLOGICAL EVOLUTION.
DE Information Science.
AB Available from UMI in association with The British Library.
Requires signed TDF.

An indepth study of forty computer-related companies and sixty user
organizations over a three year period (1983-86) investigating the
practice of systems development methodologies, focuses on
organisational, technical and personal aspects. A grounded theory
research approach is used to develop a theory derived directly from
the experiences of the participants, examined using phenomenological,
case study and survey methods.

The product of the research is a theory of information systems
methodology evolution, which explains what constitutes a methodology
and how it behaves in an organizational context. It includes
categories concerning methodology nature, methodology constraints,
formalisation of methods, historical influences, context
inseparability, communication between developer and client, power and
influence in the system development process and methodology evolution.

The theory challenges and augments the contingency view of methodology
selection and shows how methodologies evolve over time, effected by
the people and circumstances surrounding them.  The results and
implications of the research tackle the issues of the integration of
methodologies into an organisational environment and the development
of methodologies in context, including the need to develop and
maintain methodologies and control evolutionary phenomena of the
drifting and dragging of procedures. Guidelines are offered to systems
and methodology developers concerning the development and use of
suitable methodologies for the future challenges of information
systems development.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-17895.
AU GRIFFITHS, JOHN BARRIE.
IN University of Pittsburgh Ph.D. 1988, 127 pages.
TI INFORMATION NEEDS FOR NETWORK MANAGEMENT IN THE CAMPUS OF THE
FUTURE: A MODEL OF THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF USER REQUIREMENTS IN
NETWORK PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT.
DE Information Science.
AB Network management information needs encompass a variety of
choices. Since 1973 research has led to the common recognition of
network management concerns, objectives, functions and activities.
The changing telecommunications environment has affected network
management, which is now an important segment of data processing
management. During the recent, general growth in network use by many
types of organizations, research has been conducted into network
management aspects of centralization, decentralization, standards,
network performance measurement at technical and user levels, user
organization characteristics, and network monitoring and control
techniques. Network design estimates and assumptions play a part in
determining how performance measures are interpreted. Network
simulation and modelling are common sources of information for network
management, most approaches provide statistical views of network
performance measures based upon network designs. The relationship
between network performance measures and user requirements had not,
until this research, been investigated. Network user requirements
arise from their organization environments, which, for example, in the
case of libraries, are in turn affected by the use of networks. The
use of networks in academic organizations too, can be expected to
affect the information needs of their network managers. The
characteristics of eight categories of academic networks are
described, and seven key areas of network performance measurement are
identified. A symbolic model of the relative importance of user
requirements in network performance measurement is shown to describe
priorities in network management information needs during the
development of a campus-of-the-future network.
]
[


AN University Microfilms Order Number ADGDX-82189.
AU REYNOLDS, JAMES E. F.
IN The City University (London) (United Kingdom) Ph.D 1987, 360
pages.
TI THE DEVELOPMENT AND EVALUATION OF A FULL-TEXT DRUGS DATABASE:
MARTINDALE ONLINE.
DE Information Science.
AB Available from UMI in association with The British Library.

Martindale Online is a full-text database on drugs produced from a
structured neutral database that is also used to produce a print
product. Special characheristics of the database include a
hierarchical record structure and a facility for linking records
within the same hierarchy. The development of this database is
described.

Investigation at the development stage indicated a need to index the
database and this was carried out using descriptors from a specially
designed thesaurus. To evaluate the effect of this indexing, three
information pharmacists selected 98 queries for an assessment of
retrieval effectiveness; they and the author formulated sets of search
statements that were used to search the file in several different
ways. It was found that searching the indexed database via descriptors
and free text (when appropriate) produced significantly better
results, as judged by scores that incorporated precision and recall,
than searching either the indexed or the unindexed database solely in
a free-text manner.

As there was evidence that searchers were slow to make use of the
descriptors, highly structured search statements were created for each
query using all the details from the relevant sections of the
thesaurus and these statements were tested on the unindexed database.
While this test produced some conflicting results, it did suggest that
as far as major relevance was concerned such a method of searching
might be effective with Martindale Online and is worth exploring
further, especially with a view to producing a front-end system.

Detailed failure analysis was carried out on the searches performed in
the recommended manner. With the information pharmacists' search
statements the database was operating at a recall ratio of 60.2 for
all relevant records (69.3 for records of major relevance); with the
author's statements the recall ratio was 65.4 (73.2 for major
relevance). Corresponding precision ratios were 63.5 (58.3 for major
relevance) for the information pharmacists and 67.5 (59.6) for the
author.

The largest cause of both recall and precision failure was in
limitations of the search statements whether produced by the
information pharmacists who had varied experience of Martindale
Online, or by the author who has a detailed knowledge of the system
and the contents. Limitations in the indexing also accounted for both
types of failure; account has already been taken of these limitations
and modifications have been made to some of the indexing guidelines.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-14221.
AU CHEN, TSUNG-TENG.
IN The University of Arizona Ph.D 1988, 279 pages.
TI INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN INTEGRATED INFORMATION SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT
ENVIRONMENTS.
DE Information Science. Business Administration, General.
Computer Science.
AB Information System development involves various activities; the
process of developing information systems is considered to be the
production of a series of documents. The information derived from the
activities of the life cycle needs to be stored in a way that will
facilitate the carrying out of subsequent activities. That is,
information must be stored with a consistent, semantically rich,
flexible, and efficient structure that will make it accessible for use
by various tools employed in carrying out the development process.

In this research, knowledge base management system (KBMS) to manage
the information created by the information system development process
was designed and implemented. Several contemporary popular knowledge
representation schemes can be managed conveniently by this KBMS, which
utilized efficient database techniques to facilitate fast retrieval
and traversal of the underlying semantic inheritance net and frame
knowledge structure. Inference and logic deduction capability was made
a part of the static knowledge structure to further extend the
functionality of the KBMS. Furthermore, a specially designed
relational database management system was implemented and interfaced
with the KBMS to alleviate the possibility of a storage saturation
problem and to facilitate the storage of detailed exclusive
information of terms defined in the knowledge base.

Models that are applicable to various information system development
activities were identified and stored in the knowledge base. The
aggregation of those models is, in fact, a conceptual non-procedural
language that provides a concise descriptive framework to help the
user gather and manage information derived from various activities
during the information system development process. The knowledge base,
the language, and several knowledge-base related tools were used by
more than seventy graduate students in a case study for a system
analysis and design course.

An information system methodology specifically tailored for this
knowledge base supported environment was proposed and applied in a
simplified case to illustrate the process of how a database-centered
information system can be derived from the initial strategic planning
phase. The methodology explored and made use of the storage structure
of the closely coupled knowledge base and database. Finally, future
research direction was identified.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-09947.
AU SMITH, TIMOTHY WILLIAM.
IN The University of Arizona PH. 1988, 378 pages.
TI ASSESSING THE USABILITY OF USER INTERFACES: GUIDANCE AND ONLINE
HELP FEATURES.
DE Information Science. Business Administration, General.
Computer Science.
AB The purpose of this research was to provide evidence to support
specific features of a software user interface implementation. A 3 x 2
x 2 full factorial, between subjects design was employed, in a
laboratory experiment systematically varying existence or
non-existence of a user interface and media of help documentation
(either online or written), while blocking for varying levels of user
experience. Subjects completed a set of tasks using a computer, so the
experimenters could collect and evaluate various performance and
attitudinal measures. Several attitudinal measures were developed and
validated as part of this research.

Consistent with previous findings, this research found that a user's
previous level of experience in using a computer had a significant
impact on their performance measures. Specifically, increased levels
of user experience were associated with reduced time to complete the
tasks, fewer number of characters typed, fewer references to help
documentation, and fewer requests for human assistance. In addition,
increased levels of user experience were generally associated with
higher levels of attitudinal measures (general attitude toward
computers and satisfaction with their experiment performance). The
existence of a user interface had a positive impact on task
performance across all levels of user experience. Although experienced
users were not more satisfied with the user interface than without it,
their performance was better. This contrasts with at least some
previous findings that suggest experienced users are more efficient
without a menu-driven user interface. The use of online documentation,
as opposed to written, had a significant negative impact on task
performance. Specifically, users required more time, made more
references to the help documentation, and required more human
assistance. However, these users generally indicated attitudinal
measures (satisfied) that were as high with online as written
documentation.

There was a strong interaction between the user interface and online
documentation for the task performance measures. This research
concludes that a set of tasks can be performed in significantly less
time when online documentation is facilitated by the presence of a
user interface. Written documentation users seemed to perform
equivalently with or without the user interface.  With online
documentation the user interface became crucial to task performance.
Research implications are presented for practitioners, designers and
researchers.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-16314.
AU HELTNE, MARI MONTRI.
IN The University of Arizona Ph.D. 1988, 177 pages.
TI KNOWLEDGE-BASED SUPPORT FOR MANAGEMENT OF END USER COMPUTING
RESOURCES: ISSUES IN KNOWLEDGE ELICITATION AND FLEXIBLE DESIGN.
DE Information Science. Business Administration, Management.
AB Effective resource management requires tools and decision aides to
help determine users' needs and appropriate assignment. The goal of
this research was to design, implement, and test technological tools
that, even in a dynamic environment, effectively support the matching
of users and resources. The context of the investigation is the
Information Center, the structure used to manage and control the
computing resources demanded by end users. The major contributions of
the research lie in two areas: (1) the development and use of a
knowledge acquisition called Resource Attribute Charts (RAC), which
allow for the structured definition of the resources managed by the
IC, and (2) the design, implementation, validation, and verification
of the transportability of Information Center Expert, a system that
supports the activities of the IC personnel. Prototyping, the system
development methodology commonly used in software engineering, was
used to design the general architecture of the knowledge acquisition
tools, the knowledge maintenance tool, and the expert system itself.
The knowledge acquisition tools, RAC, were used to build the knowledge
base of ICE (Information Center Expert). ICE was installed at two
corporate sites, its software recommendations were validated, and its
transportability from one location to another was verified
experimentally. The viability of a rule-based consultation system as a
mechanism for bringing together knowledge about users, problems, and
resources for the purpose of effective resource management was
demonstrated.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-20760.
AU SWARTZMEYER, ELMER GORDON.
IN Georgia State University - College of Business Administration
PH.D. 1987, 330 pages.
TI AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF INFORMATION VALUE: A UTILITY APPROACH
TO BENEFIT ASSESSMENT.
DE Information Science. Business Administration, Management.
Economics, Commerce, Business.
AB The advent of database management systems (DBMS) has had a major
impact on the organizational use of computer information systems.  The
use of DBMS has provided system users with the flexibility to query a
data base and extract information necessary to deal with a particular
situation. This flexibility implies that the value of information
extracted by one query may differ from that of another. This research
applies a utility valuation methodology to data resident in an
organization's data base so that the expected value of the information
produced by a query may be calculated.

The value of information will vary with the user's perception of the
information worth. The statistical technique of conjoint measurement
is used in this research to provide a way of quantifying perceptual
value. Subjects are asked to rank hypothetical descriptions as to
their belief that these descriptions describe a data element within
the context of typical business scenarios. Profiles are derived by
varying levels of experimentally determined characteristics of
information.  Characteristics used are relevancy, accuracy,
timeliness, content, and reliability. A composite utility function is
then developed from this ranking and applied to a set of reports
composed of randomly derived combinations of data elements. The
predicted ranking of these reports is compared with subject ranking of
the same reports.

Results of this research indicate that the data element can be used as
the object of a utility assessment. The "value" of each data element
was calculated using MONANOVA. This program also provides quantitative
measures of each attribute used in the utility assessment. These
measures permit the comparison of one data element's "value" to
another and also the determination, in terms of attribute level, of
why one data element is valued differently from another. The Kendall's
Tau algorithm is used to compare the predicted versus actual report
ranking.

Research results indicate that the "value" of output information can
be predicted in advance of its use based on the "value" assigned to
data elements from which the information is composed.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-15698.
AU SHERBY, LOUISE SHARON.
IN Columbia University D.L.S. 1988, 371 pages.
TI THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ONLINE PUBLIC ACCESS CATALOG IN
A LARGE, MULTI-UNIT LIBRARY; A CASE STUDY.
DE Library Science.
AB This study is a management case study of the design and
implementation of the online public access catalog (OPAC) at the
Columbia University Libraries. The Libraries, using the structure of a
Decision Team, selected the Biblio-Techniques Library & Information
System (BLIS) as their online catalog in January 1983.  Once the
decision to go ahead had been made, the implementation process was
under the aegis of the BLIS (later CLIO) Steering Committee. The
Columbia University Libraries relied on a committee structure
comprised primarily by staff from the Libraries and the Columbia
University Center for Computing Activities (CUCCA) to implement the
online catalog. This committee structure proved to be an effective way
to implement such a system, although a costly one in terms of staff
effort.

A technological model designed by John Corbin in Managing the Library
Automation Project was used to structure the data for the study in
terms of the nine phases he describes. The study follows the design
and implementation process from the work of the Decision Team in
selecting the system to the Fall of 1987 when an evaluation review of
the BLIS system was conducted. The study looks at the process from the
point of view of the Libraries' management structure. Due to unique
factors that affected the Columbia University Libraries, additional
variables were identified beyond those considered in the Corbin model.
These variables are discussed at length and provide additional areas
for further research.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-18869.
AU WASHINGTON, MARYANN SHOWERS.
IN Temple University Ed.D. 1988, 134 pages.
TI INFORMATION RETRIEVAL FROM ONLINE DATABASES BY STUDENTS IN SECONDARY
SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS.
DE Library Science. Information Science.
Education, Technology.
AB Eighty-five secondary school library media specialists in
Pennsylvania were surveyed about information retrieval from online
databases by students in secondary school library media centers.  The
library media specialists surveyed managed sites funded for student
searching of online databases by the state under the LIN-TEL (Linking
Information Needs-Technology, Education, Libraries) project.

The study included search activities for 1985-1986 and investigated
what databases were used, how the databases were utilized in
curriculum areas, what training programs were in place, and the
problems and potential library media specialists attached to online
database searching by students. A profile of search sites collected
data about staff, equipment, searching, and LIN-TEL membership.

The LIN-TEL project was devised to train library media specialists
about online searching and provide limited funding for searching by
students. The issues of database selection, retrievability of
documents, and demands on staff time were identified by respondents as
interrelated issues impacting on student searching.

Library media specialists reported the major hindrance to online
database searching at their sites was lack of staff time. When the
financial support of the LIN-TEL project is withdrawn, respondents
anticipated the major hindrance to searching would become funding.
Acknowledged in the study is the impact of the introduction of CD-ROM
format databases on information retrieval in the school library media
center.
]
[
AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG88-13022.
AU WHITNEY, GRETCHEN.
IN The University of Michigan Ph.D. 1988, 376 pages.
TI THE LANGUAGE DISTRIBUTION OF BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORDS IN SELECTED
ONLINE DATABASES.
DE Library Science. Information Science.
AB This study explores the language distribution of materials included
in on-line bibliographic databases between 1970-84. Eight databases
(BIOSIS, Chemical Abstracts, GeoRef, MEDLINE, Criminal Justice,
Oceanic Abstracts, PAIS, PsycInfo) on DIALOG were chosen for their
world-wide coverage of literature in their respective fields. Trends
are accounted for by examining database provider policies and
practices. The data are compared with book and serial production
statistics, to begin to assess the possible relationship between the
databases and the actual availability of literature. The results
describe the degree to which English has increased, decreased, or
remained stable in relation to other languages, as reflected in the
availability of bibliographic records in these databases.
]

***************************************************************
               Continued in Volume VI Number 7, Issue 7
***************************************************************
IRLIST Digest is distributed from the University of California,
Division of Library Automation, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA.
94612-3550.

Send subscription requests to: LISTSERV@UCCVMA.BITNET
Send submissions to IRLIST to: IR-L@UCCVMA.BITNET

Editorial Staff:
   Clifford Lynch         lynch@postgres.berkeley.edu
                             calur@uccmvsa.bitnet
   Mary Engle             engle@cmsa.berkeley.edu
                             meeur@uccmvsa.bitnet
   Nancy Gusack           ncgur@uccmvsa.bitnet

The IRLIST Archives will be set up for anonymous FTP, and the
address will be announced in future issues.

These files are not to be sold or used for commercial purposes.
Contact Mary Engle or Nancy Gusack for more information on IRLIST.
The opinions expressed in IRLIST do not represent those of the
editors or the University of California.  Authors assume full
responsibility for the contents of their submissions to IRLIST.