Information Retrieval List Digest 101 (February 7, 1992) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/irld/irld-101 IRLIST Digest February 7, 1992 Volume IX, Number 5 Issue 101 ********************************************************** I. NOTICES A. Meeting Announcements/Calls for Papers 1. AICS '92: U. Limerick, Ireland, September 10-11, 1992 2. SIGDOC '92: "Going Online," Ottawa, Canada, October, 13-16, 1992 II. QUERIES B. Requests for Information 1. Information on Software 2. Natural Language Interface to Databases III. JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. U. Pittsburgh, Department of Information Science: Two Assistant or Associate Professors 2. Georgia College: Catalog Librarian ********************************************************** I. NOTICES I.A.1. Fr: Richard F.E. Sutcliffe Re: AICS '92 Announcement and Call for Papers University of Limerick, Ireland, September 10-11, 1992 AICS'92 ANNOUNCEMENT AND CALL FOR PAPERS 5th Irish Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science Keynote Speaker : Erik Sandewall, Linkoping University, Sweden University of Limerick, Ireland. September 10-11, 1992 AIMS: The conference brings together Irish and overseas researchers and practitioners from all areas of artificial intelligence and cognitive science. The aim is to provide a forum where researchers can present their current work and where industrial and commercial users can relate this research to their own practical experience and needs. Submissions from abroad are particularly welcome and assistance with travel costs may be available for a small number of participants. TOPICS OF INTEREST: Papers are invited which describe substantial, original and unpublished research on all aspects of artificial intelligence and cognitive science, including, but not limited to: Application and Theory of Expert Systems Human-Computer Interaction Learning Natural Language Knowledge Representation Principles and Applications of Connectionism User Modelling Decision Support and Strategic Planning Robotics Speech Image Processing FORMAT FOR SUBMISSION: Authors should submit three copies of a complete paper, not to exceed 5000 words. The first page should comprise the title, author(s), address, phone, fax and e-mail, together with a 200 word abstract. The text of the paper should then start on the second page. Submissions should be made to the conference chairperson at the address given below. SCHEDULE: Papers Due: 24 April, 1992 Notification of Acceptance: 12 June 1992 PUBLICATION OF PROCEEDINGS: The abstracts of accepted papers will be distributed at the conference. The proceedings of previous AICS conferences have been published in the British Computer Society Workshop Series with Springer Verlag, and it is expected that those of AICS'92 will be also. CONFERENCE INFORMATION: The University campus is situated in rolling parkland beside the river Shannon. The conference will take place in the newly built Robert Schuman building which has fully equipped lecture theatres so that workstation or PC software can easily be demonstrated, The University is easily reached by road, rail or by air - Shannon international airport is only 20kms away. Further information and registration details can be obtained by email from aics92@ul.ie or by contacting : Kevin Ryan - Conference Chairperson AICS'92 Department of Computer Science and Information Systems University of Limerick Plassey Technological Park Limerick, Ireland Phone (353)-61-333644 Fax (353)-61-330316 PROGRAMME COMMITTEE: Roddy Cowie, Queen's University Belfast Mark Keane, Trinity College Dublin Gabriel McDermott, University College Dublin Michael McTear, University of Ulster Abdur Rahman, University of Limerick Kevin Ryan, University of Limerick Alan Smeaton, Dublin City University Humphrey Sorensen, University College Cork Richard Sutcliffe, University of Limerick ********** I.A.2. Fr: Sigdoc92 (S.) Sigdoc92 Re: SIGDOC'92 Call for Papers Going Online: The New World of Multimedia Documentation CALL FOR PAPERS FOR SIGDOC'92 The 10th Annual International Conference October 13 to 16, 1992 The Westin Hotel, Ottawa, Canada Sponsored by the Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group on Documentation in cooperation with Northern Telecom and Bell-Northern Research While words will always be important to technical documentation, increasingly they are recognized as only the beginning. New options, in the form of online and multimedia information, are redefining technical documentation. Technical documents are no longer just "read". By means of hypertext, animation, links to databases, illustrations, and video sequences, documents are "explored". Their "readers" learn from text, graphics, video images, and sound and are guided by their own interests, expertise, and need for information. Readers of multimedia documents become, in effect, co-authors of personally tailored documents that are experienced differently by every reader. Online capabilities are growing to meet our imaginative drive to develop multimedia documents that make complex systems accessible to users. But we must bring to bear on these new forms our experience--in document management, quality control, and presentation techniques--gained through working with printed documentation. We must build on this knowledge and modify it to successfully create the multi-media documents that not only challenge our notions of information presentation, but also of document form and use. At our 10th annual conference, SIGDOC'92, we want to hear your ideas, experiences, research results, and theories about going online. We welcome proposals for conference sessions or workshops on the following suggested topics or related issues. SUGGESTED TOPICS: The new documentation set --striking the right balance between online and printed documentation Planning and design --matching document types to multimedia technologies Quality assurance --methodology for online editing and usability testing --defining and controlling quality in multi-source, multi- media documents Hardware platforms --hardware requirements for multimedia documents --backward compatibility New applications --database searching as an online document capability --optimizing network resources Tools --automated testing and information building The bottom line --affordability of multimedia documents PRESENTATION TYPES: Papers --30-minute presentation of a paper by one or more authors Panels --20- to 30-minute presentations of 2 to 3 related papers Roundtable discussions --discussion involving a moderator and a number of prepared speakers and audience members Pre-conference workshops --half day or full day workshop PRESENTATION PROPOSALS: Presentation proposals must include: --a 500- to 1000-word description of the session topic, outlining the thesis, main points and implications for the field. Also, describe the methods used to develop your thesis and conclusions. --the name, title, organization, address and telephone number of each participant in the presentation. Please indicate which participant is the principal contact. Please send your proposal to: Roy MacLean, SIGDOC'92 Chairman Bell-Northern Research, Stop 92 P.O. Box 3511, Station C Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA , K1Y 4H7 telephone: (613)763-2134 fax:(613) 763-2626 INTERNET address: SIGDOC92@BNR.CA All proposals must be received by April 3, 1992. You will be notified if your proposal is accepted by May 29, 1992. All accepted papers (including those that comprise a panel discussion) will be published in the conference proceedings (copyright ACM). Camera-ready copy for the proceedings is due August 28, 1992. PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS: Full and half-day workshops will be run prior to the start of the conference. Conference fees do not include the workshop fees. More information on the workshops will be available in a later conference brochure. HOTEL ACCOMMODATION: Join us at the Westin Hotel, located near restaurants, museums, galleries, shopping, and all the sites of Canada's capital city. Special rates are available to SIGDOC'92 conference participants who register by September 10, 1992. Single or double accommodation is $140.00 (Cdn.) plus tax. To reserve your accommodation, call 1-800-228-3000. FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: SIGDOC'92 Bell-Northern Research, Stop 92 P. O. Box 3511, Station C Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA , K1Y 4H7 telephone: (613)763-2134 fax:(613) 763-2626 INTERNET address: SIGDOC92@BNR.CA ********************************************************** II. QUERIES II.B.1. Fr: Kevin Cox Re: Request for information on software I am about to start on some research using connectionist networks for information retrieval. To test the ideas I wish to use some real data and I need software to help me form vector descriptions of documents. From these descriptions I wish to find Nearest Neighbours using measures such as the Cosine between the two vectors. I am after software to help me analyse text files to produce appropriate vectors. Is there any Shareware software or commercial routines available to do some of the common operations on text such as stemming? I would also like to obtain copies of some of the standard collections that I read about such as the Canfield and INSPEC collections of documents and queries on the documents. Is there a source or some place I can request these? Thank you for any information Kevin Cox City Polytechnic of Hong Kong ********** II.B.2. Fr: Mohd Noor Re: Natural Language Interface to Databases Hello, I am currently doing research on Natural Language Interfaces(NLI) to databases. In particular I am interested in quantifying the difference in the ease of use of NLIs and formal query languages, e.g. SQL. At present I am collecting information from users point of view, about the strength and weaknesses of present commercial NLI systems, i.e. difficulties faced by users when interacting with the system(s) and questions that cannot be answered by the system(s). I would be pleased if you could give me information about: 1. The name of the system(s) that you are working on. 2. Your opinions about the ease of use of the system(s). 3. A list of questions that in your experience could not be answered by the system(s). 4. Any other information you think may be relevant. I would greatly appreciate any suggestions and pointers to similar research. E-mail responses (to mdsap@cs.strath.ac.uk) would be appreciated. Thanks in advance. Mdsap Mohd Noor mdsap@cs.strath.ac.uk Department of Computer Science University of Strathclyde Livingstone Tower, 26 Richmond Street, Glasgow G1 1XH United Kingdom ********************************************************** III. JOB ANNOUNCEMENTS III.1. Fr: Stephen Hirtle Re: Two Assistant or Associate Professors, U. Pittsburgh, Information Science Stephen C. Hirtle tel no: 412-624-9434 Department of Information Science fax: 412-624-5231 University of Pittsburgh INTERNET: sch@lis.pitt.edu Pittsburgh, PA 15260 BITNET: HIRTLE@PITTVMS UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Department of Information Science The Department of Information Science announces two open positions for tenure track Assistant or Associate Professors, with appointments beginning in either the Fall Term, 1992, or Fall Term, 1993. Candidates must have a Ph.D. in information science, computer science, cognitive science, telecommunications or a related field. We are seeking applicants with teaching and research interests in one or more of the following areas: artificial intelligence, broadband and optical networks, database management, design of interactive systems, geographic information systems, human-computer interaction, hypertext and hypermedia, information systems design, information storage and retrieval, medical informatics, standards, or visualization. The Department has seventeen faculty members and offers Ph.D. and master's and bachelor's degrees in information science and a master's degree in telecommunications. Specialized tracks are offered in systems analysis and design, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence/cognitive science. The Department's computing facilities included a variety of microcomputers (IBM PCs, compatibles, and Macintoshes), Sun Sparcstations, Sun III's and II's, AT&T 3B1's and 3B2's, all networked to a Sun IV Server. The Department telecommunications labs include a full array of test equipment, multiple networks, and two AT&T System 75 PBX's. The University computer facilities include a clustered VAX 9000, VAX 6250, VAX 8820, VAX 8800, a VAX 9000/210 Vector Processor. The multiple university ethernets are linked by an FDDI backbone which includes such specialized resources as a Cray Y-MP supercomputer, a Connection Machine, and a graphics and CAD laboratory. The University of Pittsburgh offers a wide variety of opportunities to interact with faculty of other departments and schools including an interdisciplinary program in intelligent systems and joint programs (with Carnegie Mellon) in computational linguistics and cognitive neuroscience. In addition, the Department and University have close relations with several major corporations that are funding research and teaching. We seek applicants with balanced research and teaching interests, and strongly encourage women and minority candidates to apply. Applications received by April 1st will receive full consideration. However, the positions remain open until filled. Our salaries, benefits, and teaching schedules are highly competitive. Applicants should send a vita, a statement of research interests, any relevant reprints or preprints, and three references to: Dr. Stephen Hirtle, Chair of Search Committee, Department of Information Science, LIS Building, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260. Inquiries via email may be addressed to sch@lis.pitt.edu. The University of Pittsburgh is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. ********** III.2. Fr: Westman@USCN Re: Catalog Librarian, Georgia College CATALOG LIBRARIAN POSITION: Catalog Librarian, Russell Library. Catalogs and classifies titles added to the library collection using the OCLC system. Processes added copies, updates holdings information, and assists in catalog revision. Some original cataloging. Assists in the reclassification process, which is nearing completion. Supervises assistants. The Catalog Librarian serves regularly scheduled hours at the Reference Desk, and participates in the collection development process. As members of the college faculty, librarians participate in research activities, on college committees, in community service, and in other professional development activities. QUALIFICATIONS: An ALA-accredited MLS, knowledge of AACR 2, familiarity with LC subject headings, LC classification practices, and MARC format. Previous OCLC cataloging experience and working knowledge of MS-DOS computers are desirable. A second master's and/or doctorate is desirable, and is required for promotion and tenure. Strong oral and written communication skills are necessary. Russell Library has a strong commitment to public service and team work. The applicant must have the ability to work with library colleagues on a variety of projects, as well as the ability to work effectively with students and faculty in an academic setting. The candidate will possess the ability to design and implement effective instructional methods for in-house training and staff development related to the Technical Services functions of the library. RANK AND SALARY: Twelve month, tenure track. Minimum salary $24,000. The college participates in the state teachers retirement system and social security. Group medical, dental, and life insurance are available. 21 days vacation, 12 holidays, and 12 days sick leave. RUSSELL LIBRARY: The library recently developed and installed a CD- ROM and administrative local area network which provides access to the catalog, indexes, and various software packages. It has an active library instruction program, and serves as a selective depository for U.S. government documents. The library's Flannery O'Connor Room houses the manuscripts, memorabilia, and personal library of the noted writer, who was a member of the class of 1945. APPLICATIONS: Send letter of interest with vita, three letters of reference, and transcripts of all college work to Ms. E. Lorene Flanders, Chair, Catalog Librarian Search Committee, Russell Library, CBX 43, Georgia College, Milledgeville, Georgia 31061. Deadline: February 20, 1992, or until filled. Candidate should be prepared to make an oral presentation to the search committee and the library faculty and staff. GEORGIA COLLEGE: A residential comprehensive senior college of the University System of Georgia, comprised of five schools: Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Nursing, and Graduate Studies. The College offers majors in more than 90 areas including undergraduate, graduate, and specialist degress and, since its founding in 1889, has enjoyed an excellent reputation. It currently has an enrollment of over 5000 students with a full range of student activity and athletic programs. LOCATION: Georgia College is located in historic Milledgeville, Georgia, antebellum capital of Georgia. It is approximately 90 miles southeast of Atlanta and 30 miles northeast of Macon, in the center of the state. The city is the county seat and the metropolitan area of Milledgeville has a population of approximately 38,000 people. Nearby Lake Sinclair provides many public recreational opportunities as well as those available at the College's lakefront facilities. There are modern health facilities, public and private schools, cultural opportunities, and successful businesses and industries that contribute to the area's growth. ********************************************************** IRLIST Digest is distributed from the University of California, Division of Library Automation, 300 Lakeside Drive, Oakland, CA. 94612-3550. 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