Irving E. Stephens’s research while affiliated with Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and other places

Researchers continue to miss useful references because of unsystematic methodology and because on-going efforts at systematic bibliography have not utilized some key resources. Although no combination of available resources guarantees comprehensive bibliographic coverage for technical communication, composition, or rhetoric, researchers can significantly improve their personal efforts by using citation indexes and a few other databases.

Like other libraries with online information systems, Rensselaer's InfoTrax* integrates online information services into its library resources and also provides users with access to specialized campus databases. The "Request Service" program allows users to renew book loans, place holds on circulating materials, and initiate photocopy and interlibrary loan requests. Initial operating experiences indicates that a mixture of menu-based and command-driven approaches are needed to fit user and library needs.