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Purpose - The purpose of the study reported here was to assess the degree to which new forms of web-based information and communication resources impact on the formal toxicology literature, and the extent of any change between 2000 and 2005. Design/methodology/approach - The paper takes the form of an empirical examination of the full content of four toxicology journals for the year 2000 and for the year 2005, with analysis of the results, comparison with similar studies in other subject areas, and with a small survey of the information behaviour of practising toxicologists. Findings - Scholarly communication in toxicology has been relatively little affected by new forms of information resource (weblogs, wikis, discussion lists, etc.). Citations in journal articles are still largely to ‘traditional’ resources, though a significant increase in the proportion of web-based material being cited in the toxicology literature has occurred between 2000 and 2005, from a mean of 3 per cent to a mean of 19 per cent. Research limitations/implications - The empirical research is limited to an examination of four journals in two samples of one year each. Originality/value - This is the only recent study of the impact of new ICTs on toxicology communication. It adds to the literature on the citation of digital resources in scholarly publications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To validate the use of fuzzy control systems for information channel optimisation. Design/methodology/approach - The research presents findings from a multi-year case-based study of an international software organisation. At the outset of the study, baseline log-file data were collected from the organisation's customer relationship management and financial systems. As part of a business process reengineering effort, a fuzzy control system model was created and implemented to optimise the software support communication channels. After the first year, data were recollected to determine the effectiveness of the model. The log-file analysis was augmented with individual interviews of stakeholders within the business. Findings - The optimisation strategy based on the fuzzy control system allowed the organisation to focus on answering more queries from higher value customers and cut the support resolution time nearly in half, in less than a year. By focusing on higher value customers and more productive information channels, staff efficiency increased and costs were reduced. This research indicates that customers using synchronous communication channels such as the telephone seem to get better service than those using asynchronous channels such as e-mail or web. Additionally, the research also indicates that several geographic factors such as proximity and language proficiency could influence information channel choice affecting the level of service received. Research limitations/implications - The case findings could be specific to the observed organisation or to the software service industry. Additional research is necessary to determine the universality of the method and ancillary findings. Originality/value - Methods outlined in this case provide both practitioners and researchers with new tools to explore and react to the challenges of information channel proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]