This study analyzes the number and costs of online searches in a chemical company during the period 1982-1987. The Company, which employs about 2,000 people at the main site, for many years manufactured only one product, which was sold direct to refineries. Early in the 1980s, the Company started to diversify, with a resultant dramatic increase in the demand for searches. In this paper the areas of demand involved are recognized, and then, having established a con sistent method of recording and analysis by category, the results are studied and an endeavour made to identify the technological, fiscal and human reasons and factors responsi ble for the fluctuations seen.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
R.K. Summit and C.T. Meadow, Emerging trends in the online industry , Special Libraries, Spring (1985) 88-92.
2.
P.W. Williams , Does the intermediary still have a cost effective role? In: Proceedings Tenth International Online Information Meeting. London, December 1986 (Learned Information. Oxford , 1986) 161-168.
3.
M. O'Leary , Price versus value for online data, Online12 (2) (1988) 26-30.
