Information Retrieval List Digest 070 (June 22, 1991) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/irld/irld-070 ========================================================================= Date: Sat, 22 Jun 91 22:08:03 PST Reply-To: Information Retrieval List Sender: Information Retrieval List From: IRLIST Subject: IRLIST Digest, Vol. VIII, No. 27, Issue 70 IRLIST Digest June 22, 1991 Volume VIII, Number 27 Issue 70 ********************************************************** I. NOTICES A. Meeting Announcements/Calls for Papers 1. Bellcore Information Filtering Workshop CFP C. Miscellaneous 1. Top 20 Hits on CD-ROM IV. PROJECT WORK B. Abstracts 1. Selected IR-Related Dissertation Abstracts ********************************************************** I. NOTICES I.A.1. Fr: Rich Hintz Re: Top 20 Hits on CD-ROM PC/Computing magazine's June 1991 issue has a cover story about the TOP 20 CD HITS (strictly reference titles, no Madonna). They rated CDs using the following five criteria: 1.) General usefulness. 2.) Speed and ease of use in indexing/retrieval software. 3.) Quality and presentation of information. 4.) Overall excellence and innovation. 5.) Value. Their TOP 2O [the envelope please]: 1. MICROSOFT BOOKSHELF FOR WINDOWS [Best Multimedia CD] 2. THE 1990 GROLIER'S ENCYCLOPEDIA [Best Encyclopedia on CD] 3. THE LIBRARY OF THE FUTURE 4. OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY ON CD-ROM [Best Dictionary on CD] 5. CMC'S VALUE PACK: MULTIMEDIA BIRDS OF AMERICA/SHERLOCK HOLMES ON DISC/ SHAKESPEARE ON DISC [Best Value CD] 6. PC-SIG ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SHAREWARE 7. MICROSOFT PROGRAMMER'S LIBRARY 8. MAGAZINE RACK REFERENCE 9. THE GUINNESS MULTIMEDIA DISC OF RECORDS 10. COMPUTER SELECT 11. MCGRAW-HILL CONCISE ENCYCLOPEDIA AND THE DICTIONARY OF SCIENTIFIC AND SCIENTIFIC TERMS 12. WASHINGTON POST [Best Text-Based CD] 13. THE PHYSICIAN'S DESK REFERENCE (PDR) 14. U.S. HISTORY ON CD-ROM [Best Educational CD] 15. FACTS ON FILE, 1980-1990 16. JANE'S ALL THE WORLD'S AIRCRAFT [Best Text-and-Graphics CD] 17. MICROSOFT SMALL BUSINESS CONSULTANT 18. BUSINESS DATELINE ONDISC 19. PHONEDISC USA 20. MICROSOFT STAT PACK This article also contains an extensive list of other CDs they reviewed to come up with their top 20. Jonathan Lord University of Virginia Health Sciences Library Charlottesville, Virginia Bitnet: jml4s@virginia.bitnet Internet: jml4s@virginia.edu ********************************************************** IV. PROJECT WORK IV.B.1. Fr: Susanne Humphrey Re: Selected IR-Related Dissertation Abstracts The following are citations selected by title and abstract as being related to Information Retrieval (IR), resulting from a computer search, using BRS Information Technologies, of the Dissertation Abstracts Online database produced by University Microfilms International (UMI). Included are UMI order number, title, author, degree, year, institution; number of pages, one or more Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) subject descriptors chosen by the author, and abstract. Unless otherwise specified, paper or microform copies of dissertations may be ordered from University Microfilms International, Dissertation Copies, Post Office Box 1764, Ann Arbor, MI 48106; telephone for U.S. (except Michigan, Hawaii, Alaska): 1-800-521-3042, for Canada: 1-800-268-6090. Price lists and other ordering and shipping information are in the introduction to the published DAI. An alternate source for copies is sometimes provided. Dissertation titles and abstracts contained here are published with permission of University Microfilms International, publishers of Dissertation Abstracts International (copyright by University Microfilms International), and may not be reproduced without their prior permission. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG91-03653. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG91-03653. AU CHEN, LUNG ALBERT. TI KNOWLEDGE-BASED RETRIEVAL OF INFORMATION AS A PROCESS OF EVIDENTIAL REASONING. IN University of California, Berkeley Ph.D. 1990, 156 pages. DE Computer Science. Information Science. AB Knowledge-based retrieval of information has been proved to enhance the performance of conventional retrieval systems. Systems like RUBRIC (RUle-Based Retrieval of Information by Computer) and KADR (Knowledge-Assisted Document Retrieval) have successfully incorporated the techniques developed in the research of knowledge-based systems to solve the retrieval problem. Current knowledge-based retrieval systems, however, share several common problems. They are designed either for special users or their reasoning mechanism is not general enough. When developed for specific users, they reflect user preference instead of expert knowledge; when the reasoning mechanism is not sufficiently general, an inadequate model could lead to counterexamples. The focus of this research is to design a theoretically sound knowledge-based retrieval system for general users. In this system, expert knowledge serves as a basis for automatic query formulation and query evaluation; furthermore, the entire retrieval of information is considered to be a process of evidential reasoning. The foundation of the reasoning methodology is Dempster-Shafer theory and its extension. The new approach subsumes the conventional Boolean system and has advantages over the other retrieval systems. REDER (REtrieval of Documents based on Evidential Reasoning) is a prototype of such a system and demonstrates a complete process of knowledge-based retrieval of information. The results of a retrieval experiment verifies the performance of this system. AN This item is not available from University Microfilms International ADGC1-58157. AU FLORIAN, DORIS. TT INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS. A SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF PROBLEMS AND PRIORITIES FOR FUTURE SOLUTIONS: FROM EXPERTISE TO ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. TI INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SYSTEME. EINE SYSTEMATISCHE ANALYSE DER PROBLEME UND PRIORITATEN FUR ZUKUNFTSWEISENDE LOSUNGSKONZEPTE: VON EXPERTISE BIS ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE. LG GERMAN. IN Technische Universitaet Graz (Austria) Dr.Techn. 1990, 246 pages. DE Computer Science. RC TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT GRAZ LIBRARY, TECHNIKERSTRASSE 4, A-8010 GRAZ, AUSTRIA. AB A large number and range of problems are involved in performing the tasks of information retrieval. The user's expertise needed to accomplish these tasks can be seen as a multi-dimensional knowledge space including, among others, subject expertise, system expertise, and language skills. Insufficient expertise in one or more dimensions leads to unsatisfactory retrieval results. For each task problem there are two approaches to improve the balance of expertise to complexity: increasing the user's expertise through education or advice; and reducing the user's need for expertise by simplifying the system or delegating the tasks to the system itself. A clarification of the potential of artificial intelligence compared with other developments is derived. The suggested solutions and the respective courses of action identify a framework applicable for the need and the circumstances of different users, subjects, systems, languages, and new developments. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG91-02854. AU HUANG, WIN-BIN. TI A TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT CASE RETRIEVAL AND REASONING SYSTEM. IN Washington State University Ph.D. 1990, 118 pages. DE Computer Science. AB The case-based reasoning component of the legal expert system Trademark Reasoning and Retrieval System (TR2S) is described. This includes a formal language (RDL - Relational Description Language) for describing trademark infringement cases and the arguments presented in court decisions. Indexing principles useful for arranging a case memory are developed. The RDL representation of arguments, a survey and rules are given. The indexing features that may be involved in a case are described. A knowledge structure to organize case memory is shown. This knowledge structure, called conceptual category, contains indexing features, rules and traversal guides can provide the function of rule-based reasoning and case-based reasoning. A complete and detailed discussion on trademark infringement case representation issues is presented. Retrieving techniques and three searching strategies are presented. An approach is proposed to attack the open texture problem of the case law. We also demonstrate the performance of the current implementation of the system. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG91-03609. AU REESE, PHILIP F. TI COPING WITH UNFAMILIAR SOFTWARE: LEARNING PROCESS, DIFFICULTIES, AND INSTRUCTIONAL IMPLICATIONS. IN University of California, Berkeley Ph.D. 1989, 128 pages. DE Education, Sciences. Education, Technology. AB Increasingly many people need to use computers, but find the task difficult and learning aids inadequate. The aims of this thesis are to examine difficulties experienced by users of unfamiliar software and to identify their learning styles. Such information should help to improve learning aids. The study investigated how people learned a particular kind of software, the TOPS networking software for MacIntosh computers. Fourteen subjects participated in the study, some using conventional aids provided with the software and the rest using special hierarchically structured aids. Both groups performed the same set of tasks. Individual subjects were observed and tape recorded. The investigation revealed the following difficulties: (1) Reliance on rote procedures, while failing to acquire adequate models of networks, computers, or the operation of the TOPS software. (2) Faulty discriminations among newly introduced words, and faulty discriminations between newly introduced words and similarly named lay words. (3) Problems using the learning aids because of difficulties locating information (e.g., by means of indices or table of contents), or because of inadequate background knowledge needed to use these aids. (4) Confusion because of inadequate feedback provided by the software, or because of learning aids that insufficiently describe observable feedback to be expected from the software. The subjects exhibited predominantly one or the other of two distinctive learning styles. 'Modeling' led subjects to undertake a task with an adequate conception of its goals, to base their actions on their understanding of the software, to develop a model of the software (i.e., coherent knowledge of its structure and functions), to search for information on the basis of their model, and to cope successfully with most difficulties. In contrast, 'patching' led subjects to undertake a task without an adequate conception of its goals, to rely predominantly on rote or trial-and-error procedures, to develop only fragmented models about software operation, to search for information in linear or random fashion, and often to become stymied when encountering difficulties. These results lead to several suggestions for improving instructional aids that accompany software. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG13-40858. AU PEARCY, DANIEL E. TI A COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR CLINICAL RESEARCH IN ORTHODONTICS: A DATABASE SYSTEM FOR THE STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL OF PATIENT INFORMATION. IN University of Louisville M.S. 1990, 127 pages. DE Health Sciences, Dentistry. AB Analysis of currently available database management programs for the IBM personal computer platform has led to the selection of dBASE IV to manage orthodontic patient records in the Department of Growth and Special Care at the University of Louisville. A user-friendly, menu driven Patient Information Database system has been created using the dBASE IV programming language. This program allows untrained individuals to input patient records, automatically perform ad hoc analysis of clinical and personal data, and output appropriate printed reports. Unanticipated future information needs may be addressed with searches performed from the dBASE command line level. 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