CONCORD: the development of a free‐text retrieval system for microcomputers and its use in legal education

The paper describes the development of CONCORD, a free‐text retrieval package enabling the creation of databases designed and implemented in an educational environment. It traces its origins in user studies involving major online systems, and in the choices made when a program for IBM and similar microcomputers is designed for students, teachers and librarians for whom mainframe packages are too complex or costly. Each choice is reviewed and a technical section is added to demonstrate some of the opportunities and pitfalls of further development in this area. Finally, a brief account is given of one implementation at a law school.