The main focus of this thesis is on the design of an electronic academic journal. The thesis commences with an examination of the way in which the paper-based journal system is used, in order to identify its associated problems, which may be alleviated through the use of the electronic medium, and those features which should be retained in an electronic journal system The use of location as an incidental navigation cue by readers of both paper and electronic documents is explored. It is concluded that, although of significant benefit, certain types of location cues are lost in the electronic medium, and other navigation aids must therefore be found. Although it may be possible to imitate paper documents on screen, there are several arguments against such an approach. Hypertext systems enable the capabilities of the electronic medium to be more fuIly exploited, and make it possible to use alternative document structures, but these may present problems for readers. The major difficulty would appear to be that, due to the flexible access which hypertext permits, readers get lost. A series of studies was therefore conducted examining the utility of various facilities in assisting readers to navigate through a hypertext document. A number of features were identified which helped readers to relocate information from within the hypertext, and it would appear that the same facilities were of benefit for both hierarchical and web structured documents. It was also found that navigation efficiency was positively correlated with the ability to construct an accurate map of the document's structure. In the final study, a database of journal articles containing the facilities derived from the previous studies was constructed, and performance in an essay-question type task was compared using two interfaces to the database. The frrst was a chronological list of the articles in the database, and the second contained the same navigation facilities as the individual articles. Objective and subjective performance measures both pointed to the superiority of the second type of interface, and these findings are discussed in the context of future electronic journal systems.

The thesis examines the relationship between evolution and change in local government structures and the development of the public library service, concentrating on the development of that service in Wales. This relationship is examined against governmental enquiries such as the Roberts Report (1959), the Bourdillon Report (1962) and the Redcliffe Maud Report (1969), and the culmination of these enquiries, The Public Libraries and Museums Act, 1964 and The Local Government Act, 1972. Special attention is paid to Section 207 of the Local Government Act which enabled district councils in Wales to apply for library powers. An investigation of the mechanics and rationale of awarding such powers in 1974 and 1984 is based on research of private papers and statistical analysis. Expenditure patterns and service delivery levels of all public library authorities in Wales are examined for the period 1979-1989 to attempt to discover whether counties or districts best match selected criteria of efficiency. The whole topic is brought full circle though an examination of the post-1990 proposals for the re-structuring of local government, concentrating once again on the implications for the public library service in Wales.

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No description available.

A feature of research into Information Retrieval has been the continued use of small test collections in experiments. The assumption that any results will remain valid when the system is used to interrogate a large operational database is examined critically particulaIly with regard to the difference in size of collections involved and the reasons for this. Experiments investigatinsg MEDLARS database with reference to several sub-collections containing varying numbers of documents are described. These include analyses of single term and two-term combination behaviour and actual retrieval searches. The effect cn the clustering structure of diffeIent small sub-collections is also studied. The results ottained for MEDLARS are examined in the context of some well-known test collections, namely Cranfield 2 and INSEC. Results for MEDLARS data indicate that very large collecticns ( > 20,000 documents) may be necessary in order to ensure that the experimental data is indeed representative and may therefore be used to accurately predict the performance of a particular system in the operational ervironment.

This thesis considers the concept of information as meaning through the following research question: how can we work critically with a tradition of information systems development methodologies? Motivation for this derives from the way 'hard' methodologies have traditionally regarded information as structured data. This neglects 'soft' concerns for how people attribute meaning to data through a process of 'inward-forming' as they use data to make sense of a situation. The research is potentially important insofar as it considers how viewing information as structured data may have confused attempts at theory building. That is, if information is conceived of as structured data, then this may be reflected in how we conceive of a methodology's theory with the result that the meaning of a methodology becomes guaranteed by the theory. This gives rise to a prescriptive tradition of theory that is potentially misleading because it neglects the personal skills of those who use methodologies. This is investigated through a descriptive/interpretive research approach using a poststructuralist textual analysis of concepts in the theory and practice of a methodology. While structuralism views meaning as something static contained 'within' a text that readers passively consume, poststructuralism emphasises how readers actively derive meaning through their interactions with texts. In addressing the hermeneutic and deconstructive aspects of poststructuralism, the research draws on the philosophers, Paul Ricoeur and Jacques Derrida respectively. With regard to Derrida, deconstruction is used to argue how the main position asserted by a methodology's texts is undermined by elements within the texts themselves. This critically questions the foundations on which a methodology claims to be based. The general purpose is to build theories of methodology that address information as meaning. To this end, the thesis centres on four areas of investigation: it considers themes associated with linking 'hard' and 'soft' methodologies, investigates a specific methodology that links such approaches, raises a critical element by deconstructing concepts in inquiry, and considers implications for the relationship between theory and practice of methodology. The area of application for the research was Multiview Methodology (MVM) because it combines a range of existing methodologies that reflect 'soft' concerns for how people interpret meaning as well as a traditional 'hard' focus on structuring data for use on computerised information systems. The deconstructive approach used in this research is not yet common in the field of information systems. As such, this research is intended to contribute towards new critical strategies that challenge methodologies as conceptual systems in their own right as distinct from strategies that challenge their authors. Focusing on the conceptual implications of methodologies rather than their authors' intentions resulted in four main outcomes: a conception of paradigm as network, which refers to a shared conception of meaning, though commitments to beliefs in particular models vary from heuristic to ontological; a Trojan horse phenomenon, which refers to tendencies to reiterate limitations criticised in others; constraints of traditional print media insofar as these are associated with linear and static descriptions of methodology in use; and methodology as metaphor, which refers to the process through which we understand the unfamiliar in terms of the familiar thereby creating new concepts while still retaining aspects of our past experiences.

This thesis develops a methodology for situated requirements determination in information systems analysis. The thesis challenges convention and adds to the body of knowledge in this area since the methods of the methodology are more usually associated with the social sciences. The role of the systems analyst and the nature of information systems as a distinct discipline form a major part of the thesis and the scope of this investigation includes an exposition of information systems methodologies in general and 'soft' methodologies in particular. A major element of the thesis is the empirical work carried out in which the researcher has undertaken two 'live' systems analysis studies using the methodology which has been developed in action supported by computer software for qualitative data analysis The results from the study are presented in terms of learning and are analysed to help answer the questions relating to the appropriateness of the methodology and the usefulness of the methodology for practising systems analysts. The research methodology used is action case and the appropriateness of this is examined in depth since studies of this type raise a number of questions relating to the validity of this type of research and the role of the researcher. The thesis draws together the different problems and questions that arise in order to produce a coherent, consistent and academically worthy account based upon the literature and empirical findings. In short the thesis addresses the basic issue that motivated its production, namely, how systems analysts faced with organisational complexity really find out what is going on. The outcomes of the research argue for a new role for the systems analyst as postmodern 'bricoleue and tentatively propose the usefulness of social science methods in information systems practice.

The Lee Valley Industrial Heritage Electronic Archive (LVIHEA) is a model record of industrial buildings composed as a composite of multimedia data files relevant to the interpretation of the region's dynamic industrial environment. The design criteria concerning natural, human and artificial resources are applicable to education and heritage management strategies. The prototype model was evaluated in terms of its efficacy and effectiveness with designated user groups. The developed model will enable qualitative and quantitative analyses concerning the economic, social and industrial history of the region. It can be used as a pedagogic tool for instruction in the principles of structured data design, construction, storage and retrieval, and for techniques of data collection. Furthermore the data sets can be closely analysed and manipulated for interpretative purposes. Chapter one attempts to define the Lee Valley in terms of its geographic, historical, economic and societal context. The aims and resources of the project are outlined and the study is placed in the bibliographic context of similar studies. Thereafter it addresses the processes leading to and a description of the structure of the prototype model. A paper model is presented and the data structures conforming lo or compatible with established planning, archiving and management protocols and strategies are described and evaluated. Chapter two is a detailed description and rationale of the archive's data files and teaching and learning package. It outlines procedures of multimedia data collection and digitisation and provides an evaluative analysis. Chapter three looks at the completed prototype and reviews the soft systems methodology approach to problem analysis used throughout the project. Sections examining the LVIHEA in use and the practical issues of disseminating it follow. The chapter concludes by reviewing the significance of the research and indicates possible directions for further research. The survey is artifact rather than document led and begins with the contemporary landscape before "excavating" to reveal first the recent and then the more distant past. However, many choices for inclusion are necessarily reactive rather than proactive in response to the regular "crises" where conservation is just one consideration in a complex development. Progressive strategies are sometimes sacrificed for the immediate opportunity to record information concerning an artifact under imminent threat of destruction. It is acknowledge that the artefact (building) would usually disappear before its associated documentation and that therefore it was imperative to obtain as much basic detail as possible about as many sites as possible. It is hoped that greater depth can be achieved by tracking down the documentation to its repositories when time permits. Amenity groups had already focussed their attention on many of the more "interesting" sites and every opportunity was taken to incorporate their findings into the LVIHEA. This study provides an insight into the cycle of development and decline of an internationally important industrial landscape. It does so in a structured environment incorporating modem digital technology while providing a framework for continuing study.

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