. . . a surprisingly useful and largely readable effort. It presents in textbook style an introduction to the creation, use, and evaluation of online full text databases. "SLA SSD Bulletin"

This is the first complete treatment of full text databases. Comprehensive and up-to-date, the book incorporates an overview of the current status of full text databases with explanations of past research pertinent to full text and information regarding the future of full text. The major online systems that offer full text are described, with five systems highlighted: DIALOG, Mead Data Central's LEXIS and NEXIS, Westlaw, STN International, and BRS. The book features an extensive bibliography that includes articles specifically about full text databases as well as citations to research studies that use methodology particularly appropriate to full text research.

The first two chapters of the book describe in detail the major online systems that currently offer full text. Chapter 3 provides an overview of the search and display features on the major online systems that are particularly suited to full text searching. Chapters 4, 5, 6, and 7 focus on full text searching. Chapter 4 introduces and provides an overview of the types of full text research that have been done. The next three chapters describe in detail the methodology and findings of some full text research projects undertaken by the authors. Chapters 8 and 9 bring together the practical aspects of the research described in the preceding chapters and offer useful advice for searchers, database producers and online developers. The information is of immediate use for searching today's full text database, but also offers ideas for improvement in the near future. The final chapter focuses on the future of full text research. This book is appropriate for online searchers, database producers, database vendors and designers. It can also be used as a supplemental text in courses in advanced online searching and information storage and retrieval.