Information Retrieval List Digest 167 (June 15, 1993) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/irld/irld-167 IRLIST Digest ISSN 1064-6965 June 15, 1993 Volume X, Number 23 Issue 167 ********************************************************** I. NOTICES A. Meeting Announcements/Calls for Papers 1. CAIA-94 2. EDBT-94 B. Publications 1. Dissertation on Neural Networks, Natural Language Processing and Information Retrieval II. QUERIES A. Questions and Answers 1. Dutch Stoplist IV. PROJECT WORK C. Abstracts 1. IR-Related Dissertation Abstracts ********************************************************** I. NOTICES I.A.1. Fr: Timothy Finin Re: CFP for CAIA-94: 10th IEEE Conference on AI for Applications CALL FOR PAPERS CAIA-94 The Tenth IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Applications: Developing Enabling Technologies and Integrating AI into Application Solutions Marriott Riverwalk - San Antonio, Texas March 1-4, 1994 Increasingly, the role of AI in business and scientific applications is that of one component in a complex system. Integrating AI with knowledge sources and databases, user interfaces, and existing software is an important aspect of advancing the application of AI to real world problems. This year's conference will emphasize both the development of enabling AI technology and the issues involved in the integration of this technology into products and processes. We are also seeking innovative ideas for new application areas and new research and technology transfer paradigms. Our goal is to increase interaction between different communities and to increase our understanding of how AI technology can be applied to real- world problems. With these goals in mind, two general kinds of papers are appropriate. First are case studies of AI applications that address significant real- world problems. These papers must (1) justify the use of the AI technique, based on the problem and application requirements, (2) explain how the AI technology contributed to the solution and was integrated with other components, and (3) describe the status of the implementation. Second are papers on novel AI techniques and principles that may enable more ambitious real-world applications. All the usual AI topics are appropriate. These papers must (1) describe the importance of the approach from an applications context, (2) describe the work in sufficient technical detail and clarity, (3) clearly and thoroughly differentiate the work from previous efforts. While finished work is important, one major role for this conference is as a forum for exchanging ideas. For this reason, well-written reports on work-in-progress and descriptions of innovative partial implementations are encouraged. In fact, we hope to structure CAIA-94 in several ways to facilitate communication between researchers and practitioners. First, we will include invited speakers on various appropriate topics, of both technical and more general scope. Second, panel sessions are very important in an inter-disciplinary area and will be a key feature of CAIA-94. Third, CAIA will include a mix of introductory and advanced tutorials and a small workshop program oriented towards wide participation. Other, more novel forums such as evening discussion sessions may be tried. Papers should be limited to 5000 words and papers significantly longer that this will not be reviewed. Accepted papers will be allotted seven pages in the conference proceedings, and the best papers will be considered for a special issue of IEEE Expert to appear late in 1994. Awards will be presented to the best paper and best student paper at the conference. The first page of the paper must contain the following information (where applicable) in the order shown: * Title. * Author's name and affiliation (specify student status). * Contact information (name, postal address, phone and email address). * Abstract: A 200 word abstract that includes a clear statement describing the paper's original contributions and what new lesson is imparted. * AI topic: One or more terms describing the relevant AI areas, e.g. knowledge acquisition, explanation, diagnosis, etc. * Domain area: One or more terms describing the problem domain area, e.g. mechanical design, factory scheduling, education, medicine, etc. * Language/Tool: Underlying programming languages, systems and tools used. * Status: Development and deployment status, as appropriate. * Effort: Person-years of effort put into developing the particular aspect of the project being described. * Impact: A 20 word description of estimated or measured (specify) benefit of the application developed. In addition to papers, we will be accepting the following types of submissions: * Proposals for Panel Discussions. Provide a brief description of the topic (1000 words or less). Indicate appropriateness for this conference, the membership of the panel and interest in organizing/moderating the discussion. * Proposals for Tutorial Presentations. Proposals for three hour tutorials of both an introductory and advanced nature are requested. Tutorials which analyze classes of applications in depth or examine techniques appropriate for a particular class of applications are of particular interest. Include a detailed topic outline, a half-page synopsis of the focus, topics, a list of benefits to the audience, and a full professional vita. * Proposals for Workshops. Proposals are sought for one day workshops to be held in conjunction with the conference. These workshops should avoid having too narrow a scope (such as "AI in Radiology"); rather, they should be designed to foster communication between both experts and interested newcomers about a broad application area (for example, "Applications of AI to Software") or address a concern that covers many applications (for example, "Issues in Technology Transfer"). Include a one-page description of the workshop and a small organizing committee. IMPORTANT DATES: * August 31, 1993: Four copies of papers, and three copies of all other proposals are due to the program chair at the address listed below (no electronic submissions). * October 15, 1993: Author notifications mailed. * December 14, 1993: Accepted papers and tutorial notes due to IEEE. * March 1, 1994: Conference tutorial program and workshops. * March 1-4, 1994: Conference technical program. Submit Papers and all Proposals to: Peter G. Selfridge AT&T Bell Laboratories Room 2B-425 600 Mountain Avenue Murray Hill, NJ 07974 Phone: 908-582-6801, fax -7550 Email: pgs@research.att.com For registration and additional conference information, contact: CAIA-94 IEEE Computer Society 1730 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20036-1903 Phone: 202-371-1013 General information on CAIA-94, including this Call for Papers, is available electronically. Send email to CAIA@CS.UMBC.EDU or try the Gopher server on GOPHER.CS.UMBC.EDU for a description of what is available and how to retrieve. For more information or clarification, contact the IEEE Computer Society or the Program Chair at the addresses above. ********** I.A.2. Fr: agosti%ipdunivx.bitnet@vtcc1.cc.vt.edu Re: Extending Database Technology EDBT 94 CALL FOR PAPERS The Fourth International Conference on EXTENDING DATABASE TECHNOLOGY promoted by The EDBT Foundation sponsored by British Computer Society ESPRIT Network of Excellence IDOMENEUS 28 - 31 March 1994 St John's College, Cambridge, UK CONFERENCE THEMES: - Client-Server and open networked database systems - Distributed database techniques - Advanced transaction processing techniques - Object-Oriented, Deductive, and Active databases - Multimedia and hypermedia database systems - Advanced user interfaces for data manipulation - Databases and programming systems - Information resource dictionaries/repositories - Highly parallel database systems - Advanced database applications - Database implementation (query optimisation, integrity and security) INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS: Five copies in English of an original, unpublished paper, limited to 5000 words, should be submitted before the 18th June 1993 to: Matthias Jarke RWTH-Aachen Informatik V Ahornstrasse 55 5100 Aachen Germany E-mail: edbt94@picasso.informatik.rwth-aachen.de Submitted papers must not be under consideration for publication elsewhere during the review process. The Conference Proceedings will be edited and published by Springer-Verlag (in the Lecture Notes in Computer Science series) and will be distributed at the conference. IMPORTANT DATES: 18 June 1993 - submission deadline 20 September 1993 - acceptance notification 1 November 1993 - camera-ready copy due FURTHER INFORMATION: The Chairman of the Organising Committee is Dr Keith G Jeffery SERC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory E-mail: kgj@ib.rl.ac.uk For details of the conference or exhibition, please contact the secretariat: Miss Anna Duckworth EDBT 94 Conference British Computer Society PO Box 1454 Station Road SWINDON SN1 1TG, UK Telephone (+44) 793 480269 Facsimile (+44) 793 480270 To ensure that you receive the Advance Programme and that you are able to take advantage of early registration, please send your name and address to the secretariat. (You may alternatively notify the Organising Committee Chairman by e-mail if you wish.) Cambridge is a popular tourist city so accommodation should be reserved in advance. Organisations interested in taking part in the exhibition or an industrial session, or in possible sponsorship of the conference or social events are also invited to contact the organisers. ********************************************************** II. QUERIES II.A.1. Fr: David Karetnyk Re: Dutch Stoplist Can anyone direct me towards a stoplist (in electronic form) for Dutch? Summary of replies will be posted to IRLIST; including your name and comments, unless otherwise instructed. Thanks in advance, David. ********************************************************** IV. PROJECT WORK IV.C.1. Fr: Susanne M. 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 ADGMM-60344. AU MENDLER-JOHNSON, LUISE. TI THE CITATION CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESEARCH LITERATURE OF POLITICAL SCIENCE BY SUBFIELD: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF CANADIAN AND UNITED STATES ASSOCIATION JOURNALS. IN University of Alberta (Canada) M.L.S. 1990, 94 pages. SO MAI V30(03) pp412. DE Information Science. IS ISBN: 0-315-60344-5. AB The present study was intended to contribute to the domain of research into the characteristics of political science literature. The focus of analysis was on the subfields of political science and involved a cross-national comparison of the Canadian Journal of Political Science (CJPS) and the American Political Science Review (APSR). The objective of the study was to investigate whether the subfields of political science show differing citation patterns from each other and from the discipline as a whole. By utilizing journals from two different countries the study intended to reveal possible differences in national characteristics of citation patterns in this discipline. Information was gathered on the subfield and language distribution of articles in each journal and on the use of statistical methods in the articles. The method of citation analysis was applied to collect data on the publication format, subject, age, and language distribution of citations for each subfield and journal. (Abstract shortened by UMI.). AN University Microfilms Order Number ADG92-22427. AU TURNER, MARSHA KAY. TI A STUDY REGARDING INFORMATION-SEEKING BEHAVIOR, VALUATION OF INFORMATION INCLUDING PERCEPTIONS OF INFORMATION ATTRIBUTES, AND ASSOCIATED CORRELATES PERTAINING TO INFORMATION USAGE. IN The Florida State University Ph.D. 1992, 357 pages. SO DAI V53(03), SecA, pp652. DE Information Science. Library Science. AB The purpose of this research study was to gather and examine data on the relationships among individuals' demographic and use environment characteristics; information seeking behavior; valuation of information; and impact and usage of information. The research design methodology employed to accomplish this purpose included two techniques of descriptive research, the questionnaire and in-depth interview. The collected data were used to test the specified five study hypotheses in an effort to specify the nature of these relationships. The following null hypotheses were tested: (1) Perceptual valuation of selection attributes of received information by recipients/users is independent of their information seeking behavior (requesting/not requesting/receiving without opportunity to request information). (2) Information impact and usage is independent of recipient's/user's information seeking behavior. (3) Recipient's/user's perceptual valuation of information attributes associated with the quality of information content and/or the information channel is independent of their usage of the received information. (4) Perceptual valuation of information attributes associated with the quality of information content and the information channel is independent of selected demographic and personal characteristics for recipients/users. (5) Usage of received information is independent of selected demographic and personal characteristics for recipients/users. The hypothesized model of the reflected factors of information usage with the associated variables includes the following components: Information Seeking Behavior: Requestors, Non-Requestors, and Recipients Only. Information Channel Attributes: Ease of Use, Readability, Availability, Accessibility, Response Time, Procedures to Receive Information, and Instructions for Information Use. Information Content Attributes: Completeness, Accuracy, Relevancy, Timeliness, Volume, Currency, and Value of Information. Information Impacts: Increases in Productivity, Saves Time, Necessary Part of Work Activity, Confirms Existing Knowledge, Stimulus for Action, etc. Information Usages: Discarded, Considered and Rejected, Redirected, Communicated, Filed, Read then Filed, Stimulus for Action, etc., Transformed into Another Information Product, Analyzed and Combined with Other Information, and Other Usages. Demographic and Use Environment Characteristics: Type of Work Environment--Public or Private. Management Level--Manager or Non-Manager. Gender--Male or Female. Education Levels--High School through Graduate School Degree. Findings and conclusions are based on analysis and interpretation of the critical functions and relationships among the identified variables of the information transfer and utilization processes, and in the valuation activities accomplished by recipients/users. AN University Microfilms Order Number ADGDX-96299. AU SLACK, FRANCES ELISABETH. TI OPACS: USING ENHANCED TRANSACTION LOGS TO ACHIEVE MORE EFFECTIVE ONLINE HELP FOR SUBJECT SEARCHING. IN Council for National Academic Awards (United Kingdom) Ph.D. 1991, 293 pages. SO DAI V53(03), SecA, pp654. DE Library Science. Information Science. AB Available from UMI in association with The British Library. The research described in this thesis has examined the use made of online help during subject searching and has evaluated its effectiveness, making recommendations for an improved online help facility. A general survey of academic OPACs in the UK identified the facilities for subject searching and the amount of online help and offline instruction offered to users. Five OPAC systems in academic libraries were tested by inexperienced users and their successes and failures were observed. Enhanced transaction logs were used to record the test subject searches and analysis of these provided a way of discovering to what extent online help was used. The need for online help was considered in the light of conceptual problems encountered by users while carrying out subject searches. The areas of conceptual difficulty included: (1) the general OPAC instructions; (2) inputting of search terms; (3) refining the search strategy; (4) subject description. The analysis of the enhanced transaction logs showed that online help was used in only one third of the tests. Even when used online help was not sufficient to guide student testers out of the conceptual problems associated with subject searching. It was seen, however, that little additional guidance was needed to assist student testers in the successful completion of the test subject searches. A general model of online help requirements for subject searching was proposed. This model was tested as a prototype online help facility on an existing university library OPAC. Enhanced transaction logs were again analysed to discover the usage of the prototype online help facility and the success of the test subject searches. Results showed that although online help had been used less frequently than in the previous tests, the success rate of the student testers was higher. Some conceptual problems were still encountered in the test subject searches, but in most cases student testers were aided by the prototype online help facility. Finally, refinements to the proposed general model were made, and a revised model of online help requirements for subject searching was proposed for use on existing OPACs. ********************************************************** 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 calur@uccmvsa.ucop.edu or calur@uccmvsa.bitnet Nancy Gusack ncgur@uccmvsa.bitnet or ncgur@uccmvsa.ucop.edu Mary Engle meeur@uccmvsa.bitnet The IRLIST Archives is now set up for anonymous FTP, as well as via the LISTSERV. Using anonymous FTP via the host dla.ucop.edu, the files will be found in the directory pub/irl, stored in subdirectories by year (e.g., /pub/irl/1993). Using LISTSERV, send the message INDEX IR-L to LISTSERV@UCCVMA.BITNET. 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