Digital Commons Network^™

The Past Catches Up., Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

IF YOU WERE IN LIBRARY SCHOOL anytime during the last 40 years, you are probably familiar with F.W. Lancaster and his books on indexing, online searching, or paperless information systems. I recently reread the first online searching textbook ever written, while preparing a Library Trends article (Spring/Summer 2008) in tribute to Lancaster. The book, Information Retrieval On-Line (Melville), by Lancaster and Emily Fayen, appeared in 1973 when only a few librarians and subject specialists were tackling the new world of online databases.

The Power Of Citation Searching, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

IT MAY BE EFFECTIVE to find relevant literature by searching for articles by subject descriptors or keywords, but subject searching is not the only way. When authors of scholarly pieces cite relevant sources in the references or notes sections of their articles, researchers can thus extend their literature searches.

Are You A Super Searcher?, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

MILLIONS OF PEOPLE around the world consider themselves to be good online searchers, and probably hundreds of thousands of them rate themselves as experts. College librarians and professors notice that a growing number of undergraduates and graduate students feel confident in their online abilities. Everyone who works in a library knows at least the library's online catalog system and probably many other online, CD-ROM, and web search systems. If everyone is above average, as in Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon, what makes an online searcher stand out?

Back To School Know-How, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Fee-based online databases such as Lexis-Nexis and Dialog are trying to attract a new crop of librarians by offering free training and enhanced password management.

Proving Your Point With Word Searches, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Online search services may be used to trace word usage which in turn may be used to determine the growth of an industry or to help in budgetary planning. Dialog and Lexis-Nexis are effective online services for use in analyzing word usage.

The Digital Reference World Of Academic Librarians., Carol Tenopir, Lisa Ennis

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Throughout the 1990s, the reference departments of academic libraries have seen a rapid evolution from a print-centered world to a digital-intensive one. Online, CD-ROM, and World Wide Web resources are often the first choice of both library users and reference librarians. For the latest measure of how academic libraries incorporate electronic information sources into their reference activities and the effect on library services, a questionnaire was sent to all academic members of the Association of Research Libraries in the 4th quarter of 1997. Over 73% of ARL libraries report more than 100 workstations or terminals. Not surprisingly, the big growth …

Taking Online Interaction For Granted, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

The ubiquity of library user familiarity with online searching allows librarians to focus on the social and human considerations of online interaction. Librarians can be leaders in humanizing the net, in improving search engine technology, and in educating the 79% who are still not online.

Learning From The Experts, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Online searching is often learned in school or through a brief workshop. However, two recent books on online searching can provide one with close to an expert training. Reva Basch's 'Secrets of the Super Searchers' and Mary Ellen Bates' 'The Online Deskbook' are two worthy releases on the subject.

The Evolving Database Marketplace, Jeff Barry, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Initially propelled by online searching and CD-ROM networking, and now given added momentum by the Internet, electronic reference resources are changing the way librarians provide reference service. Library users are accessing traditional citation and abstract databases with greater ease and efficacy than before, thanks to more consistent and friendlier interfaces and the integration of full text and graphics.

How fundamental are the changes to library reference services? According to LJ's 1996 Reference Survey, librarians estimate that in the next three years their CD-ROM reference sources will grow by 51 percent and their online sources by 43 percent, vs. fairly …

Generations Of Online Searching, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Presents an excerpt about online searching based on a presentation to the Florida Library Association. The assertion that online searching in the mid-1990s has its roots in earlier online generations; Evolution; Content/databases; People involved; Places people search; Uses for online services; Search engines/interfaces; Survival skills.

Front-End Software Proliferates, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Discusses how online searchers are expecting to use a proprietary front-end software package to access their systems. Description of what front-end packages are; The markets to which they are aimed; What a successful front-end system features; KR ProBase.

Online Images On Stn, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Chemical Journals of the American Chemical Society has increased the usefulness of its online files by adding images to the ASCII text. Instructions are presenting for searching the STN International network and downloading information.

Changes And Choices In The Online Year, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

The influence of the Internet and the introduction of alternative search engines, alternative interfaces and new pricing methods were major changes in the online database industry in 1994. Other trends included the development of integrated information systems.

The Emotions Of Searching, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Discusses research by the author and Diane Nahl (University of Hawaii) on how novice end users interact with CD-ROM, online public access catalogs (OPAC) and online systems. Measuring affective responses; Affective questions; How the librarian provides reassurance through answering the questions; Additional reading.

Standardization Across Databases, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Online data bases provide some facilities for multifile searching, but more standardization among separate data bases is necessary. Options for standardizing fields are discussed, and standardization efforts by Dialog and other data base distributors are reviewed.

Target, Freestyle, Win: Searching Takes On A New Look, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Compares three new search techniques available on major online systems: DIALOG's Target, Mead's Freestyle and West's WIN. Their advantages over their Boolean precursors; Details of what they each offer.

Hot Topics For The New Year, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Major issues at the Online/CD-ROM '93 conference included the national information infrastructure, Internet, the CD-ROM market, document delivery and new search systems for online data bases.

Natural Language Searching With Win, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Examines WESTLAW, one of the first major commercial online systems to embrace both natural-language input and partial-match searching. It is the computer-assisted legal research arm of West Publishing Company. WESTLAW's start online as a bibliographic and synopsis legal research service; Addition of full text; Other additions; Retrieval based on commands and Boolean logic; When to choose the WIN interface; More.

When Is The Same Database Not The Same? Database Differences Among Systems., Carol Tenopir, Katie Hover

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Users of online databases frequently have several options available for searching the same database. Selection of the appropriate access method can be simplified through the evaluation of seven criteria. Price, time periods covered, and frequency and timing of updates should be considered first. Variations in file structure among online systems should also be evaluated. Finally, the online systems themselves should be evaluated for their support systems and search features.

Choices For Electronic Reference, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Libraries should provide just as many of the electronic media reference sources as they can afford. They are obligated to be current, to offer the best possible source regardless of medium, and to increase constituent online literacy.

Author’S Privilege, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Important events in the use of electronic resources in libraries from 1983 to 1993 include the development of end user search services, test retrieval software, CD-ROM data bases and full-text data bases.

Ten Loose Guidelines For Online Searchers, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Over the past 20 years, guidelines to online searching have developed as databases and online systems have developed. Ten guidelines for new online searchers or experienced searchers who want to check their established style include: 1. Pre-plan the search, but do not overplan. 2. Know the purpose and motivation for the search. 3. Choose the best database or databases for each search. 4. Use cost-effective search techniques. 5. Use special care when searching for corporate or personal names. 6. Know and understand the difference between databases. 7. Plan the search strategy to match the type of database. 8. Know and …

Flat-Fee Pricing And Other Choices, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Libraries that frequently use online databases have several options for controlling costs. Pricing options offered by online systems include flat fee per search and flat-fee pricing per year.

Predicting The Online Future, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Major changes will mark the future of online. Five major forces are shaping online searching and the online industry. These forces are at work now and will continue to shape online in the future.

The five forces are:

1. developments in telecommunications;

2. improvements in scanning and storage technologies;

3. expansion of database distribution options (CD-ROM fits here as well as many other formats);

4. a broader user base with new needs; and

5. changes in the dynamics of database production.

Online Searching With Internet, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Librarians use Internet for its E-mail function and for remote access to online catalogs, electronic publications, databases and commercial online systems. The file transfer protocol allows transfer of information from another site.

Responsibilities Of Online Educators, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Employers complain that recently trained online searchers are not sufficiently selective in using printing or downloading options. Students need more supervised instruction in economical searching strategies.

Ethics For Online Educators, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Discusses ethical concerns with database instruction, including compliance with system contract provisions, product/service selection, instructor competence with different systems, and instructor obligations to instill a sense of ethical practices in students.

File Reloads, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Database file reloads may be made for file updates, file maintenance, database enhancements or enhancements to search capabilities. File reloads may affect the online searcher by requiring new documentation or new search techniques.

Options For Accessing Databases, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

A survey was conducted of the database searching options offered by research libraries. Most libraries offer two or more search options. Mediated online searching was the most common, followed by CD-ROM and online end user searching.

Predicting The Future, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Five factors will influence the online databases of the future: telecommunications developments, scanning and storage improvements, increasing database distribution options, user needs and demands, and changes in database production.