A common interface for accessing document retrieval systems and DBMS for retrieval of bibliographic data

Due to their ready availability, database management systems are being applied to bibliographic databases with increasing frequency. This is being done in spite of the fact that although DBMS query languages tend to be very powerful, they are far too complex for the casual user. It is proposed that PSI, an existing virtual-system intermediary for document retrieval systems, be extended to include access to DBMS containing bibliographic data in order to circumvent the complexity problem or the casual user. PSI currently provides a common command language for access to multiple document retrieval systems. It is shown that PSI could be extended to provide this same command language to access DBMS, whether the DBMS are relational or network.     

EARS: An online bibliographic search and retrieval system based on ordered explosion

Ergonomics Abstracts Retrieval System (EARS) is an online bibliographic information search and retrieval system using the hierarchical subject classification of the Ergonomics Abstracts. EARS is designed using an inverted file organization and is implemented on CDC-Cyber. The data base of abstracts is organized using a fixed-length record format, where each logical record corresponds to a variable number of fixed-length physical records. Accordingly, an index for the identification of physical records from the logical records is used. The data base is inverted on a three-level hierarchical classification scheme and postings files are used for data base inversion. The data base is accessed after selectively traversing a 4-layer structure of indexes and postings files. EARS provides facilities to perform combinations of searches, limited searches, and certain editing functions. The system is currently used extensively by the Western New York Human Factors research community. The logical and physical designs of EARS, its interactive operational features, and its current expansions are described in this paper.     

A design for an online bibliographic database: The DOBIS-LIBIS database

The database to be used with an online bibliographic information system must meet a number of requirements which are often not satisfied by conventional database management systems. Most important of these is the requirement for full authority file control over the indexes to the database. This paper reviews the special requirements of a bibliographic database and shows how they are met in the database system of DOBIS-LIBIS (Dortmund Library System-Leuven Library System).     

A microprocessor architecture for bibliographic retrieval system

In this paper the features of a microprocessor based architecture for bibliographic retrieval system are illustrated. The proposed system consists of the following three functional blocks: the “query processor”, the “simple query executers” and the “answer composer”. The query processor parses the queries and breaks the complex query into simple queries. Each simple query executer is able to perform the operations satisfying a simple query. Finally, the answer composer puts together the results of all simple query executers and produces the response to the query originally raised. This machine will allow the implementation of a very powerfull query language. The basic design goals are the system modularity and a whatever complex query's fulfilment. This is achieved through the proposed query language and by means of the system architecture allowing high parallelism in the performed operations.     

TOXLINE: evolution of an online interactive bibliographic database.

The National Library of Medicine has offered TOXLINE, an online interactive bibliographic database of biomedical (toxicology) information since 1972. Files from 11 secondary sources comprise the TOXLINE database. The sources supplied bibliographic records in different formats and data structures. Data from each supplier's format had to be converted into a format suitable for TOXLINE. Three different, successive retrieval systems were used for the TOXLINE database which required reformatting of the data. Algorithms for generating terms for inverted file search methods were tested. Special characters peculiar to the scientific literature were evaluated during search term generation. Developing search term algorithms for chemical names in the scientific literature required techniques different from those used for nonscientific literature. Problems with replication of bibliographic records from multiple secondary sources are described. Some observations about online interactive databases since TOXLINE was first offered are noted.     

The exact-display approach for online catalog subject searching

When public catalog users enter queries that exactly match the catalog's controlled vocabulary, online systems should respond with browsing lists of alphabetically arranged subject headings, because such displays guide users to retrievals based on the assignment of the matched subject headings to bibliographic records. Unfortunately, studies of online catalog searching demonstrate that alphabetical displays are no longer capable of managing large numbers of subdivided forms of subject headings, because searchers exhibit low levels of perseverance when faced with large numbers of retrievals. This paper introduces a new approach to displaying retrieved subject headings in subject searching—the exact-display approach—designed to encourage users to browse bibliographic information. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of the exact-display approach by showing how many user queries would be candidates for this approach, demonstrate an implementation of the exact-display approach in an experimental online catalog, and feature end-user experiences with this approach as implemented in the experimental catalog. End-user experiences gave the authors the opportunity to make several recommendations for enhancing the original design of the exact-display approach so that future implementations of this approach in operational online catalogs are responsive to the needs of online catalog users.     

Design of an interactive data retrieval system for casual users

Among the important criteria in the design and implementation of an interactive data retrieval system for casual users are: a friendly user interface, aids to train beginners on the system, versatility in output media, and error recovery techniques in an interactive session. These factors are considered in the design of an interactive data retrieval system which is used for the study of commodity market data. Although the concepts and considerations discussed in this article are discipline specific, the methodologies adopted are general in nature. The proposed system has been implemented and tested using an experimental data base on gold and silver futures.     

Frequency and impact of spelling errors in bibliographic data bases

Using a composite sample of over 3600 index terms drawn from 11 different machine-readable bibliographic data bases, estimates were made of the spelling error frequencies of each of these data bases, as well as the frequency of posting to misspelled terms. The terms studied included assigned index terms as well as some terms from titles and abstracts. The frequency of index term misspellings ranged from a high of almost 23% for one data base to a low of less than $\text{1}\text{2}\text{\%}$ for another data base. The frequency of posting to misspelled terms ranged from about one posting in 8000 citations for one data base, to about one posting in 160 citations in another data base. The impact of these error rates is discussed for the tape supplier, tape user and end user. Some suggestions are given regarding search strategry.     

Performance prediction of data fusion for information retrieval

The data fusion technique has been investigated by many researchers and has been used in implementing several information retrieval systems. However, the results from data fusion vary in different situations. To find out under which condition data fusion may lead to performance improvement is an important issue. In this paper, we present an analysis of the behaviour of several well-known methods such as CombSum and CombMNZ for fusion of multiple information retrieval results. Based on this analysis, we predict the performance of the data fusion methods. Experiments are conducted with three groups of results submitted to TREC 6, TREC 2001, and TREC 2004. The experiments show that the prediction of the performance of data fusion is quite accurate, and it can be used in situations very different from the training examples. Compared with previous work, our result is more accurate and in a better position for applications since various number of component systems can be supported while only two was used previously.     

Emis: An online fact retrieval and publication system2

EMIS is an online multi-purpose research tool for scientists and electrical engineers who study, process or use solid-state electronic materials. It provides for: (a) Retrieval of continuously updated information on hundreds of properties (selected materials). (b) Rapid publication of research results (all electronic materials). (c) Selection of material supply sources (all electronic materials).     

Online assessment of the value of information for searchers of a bibliographic data base

The object of the experiment described in this paper was to assess the value of information for individual searchers in a realistic search environment. An additive linear function, which combined the ratings of information features provided by searchers, was used to model how humans value information. Twenty Industrial Engineering graduate students and faculty, who were attempting to satisfy a genuine information need by searching a data base of technical literature on Operations Research, served as experimental subjects. Included in the data analysis are a comparison of two alternative retrieval methods, an evaluation of how well humans are able to estimate the relevance of a document from the document's features, and an investigation of the value function components (features and coefficients) and functional form.     

Towards an information retrieval language based on a relational view of data

Among the problems associated with modern information retrieval systems is the lack of any systematic approach to the design of query language interfaces. In this paper we attempt to show how a relationally organised data base is well suited to bibliographic data management, and how, given such a relational organisation it is possible to construct an interface which separates the query language from the physical representation of the data base. It is also shown how such a query language organisation may be usefully interfaced to existing retrieval systems. Finally a query language for retrieval applications is proposed.     

APL-based on-line retrieval of financial data

FACTS is an APL-based interactive on-line system used for retrieval of budget and accounting data. The system provides selective retrieval and manipulation of financial data for management in a development laboratory. The terms “teilnehmer” and “teilhaber” are defined and it is argued that use of a teilnehmer system, such as APL, can considerably reduce the programming and monitary investment for information science systems applications. A brief discussion of APL's text editing facilities is also included to introduce this relatively unknown language to information scientists.     

Storage and retrieval considerations of binary data bases

A binary approach to data storage and retrieval is introduced. It views the data base as a two-dimensional matrix that relates entities to all possible values the attributes of these entities may take. As such, it provides a unified solution to the two conflicting types of data base transactions—operational and managerial. An analytical investigation of the feasibility of binary storage and a compression method for reducing meaningless areas of the matrix are presented. Storage efficiencies of binary and conventional inverted file methods are compared and evaluated. An analysis of retrieval considerations associated with the binary matrix is given, particularly the issue of going from high to low orders of compression. Results of these analyses indicate that the binary data base's efficiency increases with increases in query complexity. Future research directions are sited and discussed.     

面向客户服务的产品数据管理研究

为客户提供优质服务,集成客户信息和产品服务信息对制造企业具有重要意义。本文介绍了客户信息模型和产品服务信息模型,并提出了实现两者集成的关键技术。     

Structure of hierarchic clusterings: implications for information retrieval and for multivariate data analysis

Hierarchic clustering methods may be used to condense information for a user, as they are in multivariate data analysis, or to achieve computational advantages, as they are in information retrieval. The structure of the hierarchic classification produced has a direct bearing on the effectiveness and utility of using cluster analysis, yet this important feature of the classification has only been implicitly referred to in the literature to date. In this study, three different coefficients are defined, each of which quantify the symmetry-asymmetry (balancedness-unbalancedness) of hierarchic clusterings on a scale from 0 to 1. Using examples of data from the areas of information retrieval and of multivariate data analysis, a number of hierarchic clustering methods are discussed in terms of the hierarchies they produce.     

Using clustering and classification approaches in interactive retrieval

Satisfying non-trivial information needs involves collecting information from multiple resources, and synthesizing an answer that organizes that information. Traditional recall/precision-oriented information retrieval focuses on just one phase of that process: how to efficiently and effectively identify documents likely to be relevant to a specific, focused query. The TREC Interactive Track has as its goal the location of documents that pertain to different instances of a query topic, with no reward for duplicated coverage of topic instances. This task is similar to the task of organizing answer components into a complete answer. Clustering and classification are two mechanisms for organizing documents into groups. In this paper, we present an ongoing series of experiments that test the feasibility and effectiveness of using clustering and classification as an aid to instance retrieval and, ultimately, answer construction. Our results show that users prefer such structured presentations of candidate result set to a list-based approach. Assessment of the structured organizations based on the subjective judgement of the experiment subjects suggests that the structured organization can be more effective; however, assessment based on objective judgements shows mixed results. These results indicate that a full determination of the success of the approach depends on assessing the quality of the final answers generated by users, rather than on performance during the intermediate stages of answer construction.