Value of Publisher in Determining Relevance in an OPAC

[Gerry McKiernan]

  _Value of Publisher in Determining Relevance in an OPAC_

    In my recent postings relating to Data Mining and Knowledge
Discovery in Databases (KDD), I note the potential value of
using the Publisher of an item from an OPAC search as one
additional potential factor in identifying significant works
on a specific subject that might be used in an envisioned
enhanced OPAC. As a practicing librarian, I find that I will
intuitively [?], select works published by certain publishers
that have an established reputation for authoritative
publication in specific, broad or general fields.For example,
one _expects_ that Oxford University Press publishes quality
work in any and all fields, or one expects that the ACM publishes
authoritative work in the various fields of Computer Science.
This professional belief and judgment is based upon my knowledge
of the particular press as well as overall knowledge of a
subject.

    For my review paper on Data Mining and KDD, I am interested
in learning about any research and any associated literature that
has studied the user's knowledge or perception of the significance
of the publisher in selecting items from an OPAC search, or any type
of bibliographic search for that matter, e.g. an index or abstract
service.

    As always, any citations, leads, comments, criticisms, opinions,
or reactions, will be much appreciated.

    Regards,


Gerry McKiernan
Curator, CyberStacks(sm)
Iowa State University
Ames IA 50011

gerrymck at iastate.edu
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~CYBERSTACKS/


            "The Best is Yet to Come"