ABSTRACT
V IDEOTEX is a general term that describes an interactive, user·friendly system for the delivery of information.1 Much has beenwritten about this new medium of communication since the early publications of its "inventor" (Fedida, 1975). The technology involved in videotex is not new; what is new is the concept of access to multiple data bases through a single, easy·to·use interface (Gecsei, 1983). To access information through a videotex system, a user typically con· nects a terminal device to the videotex computer by way of a telephone line and interacts with the system by using keyword and menu choices. The information in a videotex data base is ordinarily page-oriented and organized in a "tree" structure. The tree structure allows people with no previous experience to use videotex, since one moves through the tree by making increasingly specific choices on menu pages. The option of typing in predefined keywords at any point in a videotex session gives the more experienced user additional speed and flexibility (UNK Resources, 1984). The sections below on system architecture and data base design provide more detail about the structure and use of videotex.
