End-user searching of bibliographic databases

End users in contrast to intermediary searchers, are defined as searchers who also use the information that is the result of the search. Among the most heavily used end-user computer interfaces for information retrieval is the online catalog. A variety of studies dealing with such interfaces are discussed. The history of online database searching is briefly reviewed going back to the early 1970s, and the reader is brought up to date with an overview of recent work on end-user searching and software search aids such as interfaces, gateways, and transparent systems. The authors investigate the problems of training end users, and within that framework they cover command language training, the resultant new intermediaries, and the use of front-end software. End-user search services in libraries are discussed, and the end-user searches are characterized.