The following call for proposals will be displayed in HTML format later 
today at http://www.sbu.ac.uk/~litc/newsagent/ where additional 
information may be found about the NewsAgent project.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS

REPORT ON FILTERING AGENTS

INTRODUCTION

The Library Information Technology Centre (LITC), South Bank University 
invites applications to conduct a survey of news filtering agents, in 
relation to the needs of the NewsAgent project, one of the research 
projects within the Electronic Libraries Programme (eLib).

NewsAgent will offer a user-configurable electronic news and current 
awareness source aimed initially at the LIS community, but ultimately 
applicable to all subject areas. As a system for content feed, it will 
proactively deliver data to the user rather than merely acting as a 
repository. The user will define what is relevant, not the producer, 
supplier or librarian.

The report will assist us in the selection of suitable technology for the 
project, and contribute to the business plan for the exit strategy.

Three open distributed meta-stores will be established for the NewsAgent 
project, requiring one or more methods of filtering data for delivery to 
the user.

FILTERING

An information filtering system's role is to sort through large volumes 
of dynamically generated information and deliver to the user those 
items/sources which are likely to satisfy his or her information 
requirements, according to criteria already supplied to the filtering 
agent by the user.

By filtering and customising data before it arrives on the user's desk, 
the data received is focused on specific needs; research time is saved by 
not having to search through and discard irrelevant material. 
Custom-filtered real-time information has very real cost benefits to the 
user.

REPORT

The report will examine existing filtering agents, comparing their 
function and suitability for the NewsAgent project. Both freely available 
and commercial software will be assessed, with an audit of the technology 
required to operate the filtering agents.

Criteria for evaluation of agents will include: methods and range of 
configurability; interface; search methods; matching, sorting, ranking 
and selection of relevant materials; notification and delivery of data to 
the user; output to user and to meta-store.

Research and development work relevant to NewsAgent should be identified, 
and links established; business applications in current use will be 
identified, with an overview of the market prospects for the NewsAgent 
service.

DISSEMINATION OF RESULTS

The results of this report will be circulated to interested eLib 
projects, promoted through the NewsAgent web pages, and published in the 
LITC Report series.  

APPLICATIONS

Applications should include an indication of how the survey will be 
approached, and who will be contacted.

Criteria against which the proposals will be evaluated are as follows:-
- Experience and expertise of the proposer
- Demonstration in the proposal of ability to carry out the work 
required, to the required deadline
- Demonstration of understanding of the needs of the library management 
sector
- Demonstration of ability to conduct technical assessments of software 
products
- Demonstration of ability to assess the relevance of software for 
library-based electronic publishing
- Experience of conventional and electronic academic publishing
- Ability to present complex issues and technical information clearly for 
library managers
- Proposed fee for the work

The cost of this report is expected to be less than £4,000. The final 
report will be required no later than 7th June 1996.

Four copies of Applications should be submitted in a sealed envelope, 
labelled LITC: NewsAgent Project Agents Survey by 5pm, 26th April 1996 
to:

Mr Robin Yeates
Project Co-ordinator
LITC
South Bank Technopark
90 London Road
London SE1 6LN

FURTHER INFORMATION

The contact for further discussion of the project and requirements for 
the survey is:-

Mr Robin Yeates
Project Co-ordinator
LITC
South Bank Technopark
90 London Road
London SE1 6LN
Tel: 0171 815 7871
Fax: 0171 815 6699
Email: [log in to unmask]

-- 
Robin Yeates
Senior Researcher/Centre Manager
Library Information Technology Centre (LITC)
South Bank University
South Bank Technopark
90 London Road
London SE1 6LN
UK
email: [log in to unmask]
tel  : +44(0)171 815 7871 (direct)
       +44(0)171 815 7872 (switchboard)
fax  : +44(0)171 815 6699
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