Expert selection of marketing databases
The selection of online sources to answer marketing queries was investigated by interviewing fifteen professional intermediary searchers. Results indicate an overall performance ranking for the hosts which were most used by these intermediaries. Selection of databases was influenced by cost, type and level of coverage, and the geographical focus of a database. The features and services offered by a host had little influence on database selection. Frequently-used databases were assessed for particular types of marketing information. The results were used to build a prototype expert system which recommends databases for marketing queries. The approach seems feasible, but more research into intermediaries’ expertise is needed.
Tracking British and European online business information : a guide to the guides
With the continued growth in online business information provision, database guides can be valuable in helping searchers evaluate and select suitable sources. Studies of business database selection by professional intermediaries indicate a need for detailed descriptions of records as well as for basic, directory‐style information in guides. Less experienced online users need introductions to online, hosts, and business information provision and, most importantly, they need guidance in searching major online sources. Both types of online user would benefit from the inclusion of evaluative comment in database guides. Current guides to British and European business information, both general guides and those dealing specifically with online sources, are reviewed with regard to their suitability for different audiences and to their currency, coverage and overall organisation. The best of these guides are identified. Some guides are inaccurate and many are poorly indexed, with little thought given to how guides are used. Designing guides for specific audiences would increase their effectiveness. They must be quick and easy to use, incorporating evaluative comment to assist selection of databases and record detail to assist searching.
The alcohol-aggression stereotype: a cross-cultural comparison of beliefs.
University students (N = 1,008) in eight countries participated in a survey aimed at mapping cross-cultural alcohol expectancies. Multisample structured means analysis was applied to compare changes in aggressive behaviors believed to occur in connection with drinking after "many" alcoholic drinks. Most subjects expressed the belief that intoxication was associated with greater aggressiveness, but there were significant national differences unrelated to self-reported alcoholic beverage preference, frequency of drinking to intoxication, or rates of personal involvement in episodes of alcohol-related aggression. Thus, the expectation that drinking leads to aggression may be determined to a significant extent by contextual factors and cultural traditions related to alcohol use.