Help system
A help system is a kind of sub-system. Many kinds of help systems exist. They may be short "tutoring systems" or comprehensive manuals. They may be context-specific and/or integrated in the general interface. Context specific help system analyses the last commands and systems responses and provide feedback on that basis. Help systems may also be text or pop-up menues in the general interface. There is no clear boundaries between the system itself and the help system. This is in particular the case with hypertext systems.
A help system to an OPAC typically informs about basic issues in online searching such as Boolean search, masking, and truncation. It may also inform of and provide access to the classification systems used, and may contain a whole course in user education, not only in electronic searching but also in information ressources in different domains. The Royal Library in Copenhagen published a guide to its help system (Melchior, 1989). This is a very comprehensive and ambitious help system. (Later editions of the system may be less ambitious).
Literature:
Brockmann, R. J. (1990). Writing Better Computer User Documentation From
Paper to Hypertext. Version 2.0. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Melchior, B. (Ed.). (1989). Hjælpesystem Rex. København: Det kongelige Bibliotek.
See also: Interface; Information systems, design of
Birger Hjørland
Last edited: 18-01-2006