- Email: [email protected]
of U.S. government documents
Government Publications Review, Vol. 4. No. 1. pp. 51-57. Pergamon Press, 1977. Printed in Great Britain.
VTEWS AND OVER-VIEWS ON/OF U.S. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
FREDERIC O’HARA Professor of Library Science, Palmer Graduate Library School, Long Island University, Greenvale, NY 11548,U.S.A.
Author’s Note - In this periodic review of government publications, the judgments expressed are those of the reviewer, Dr. Frederic O’Hara, Professor of Library Science, Graduate Library School, Long Island University, Greenvale, NY 11548. Unless otherwtie indicated, all items may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Dr. O’Hara does not handle the distribution of any documents. THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE* (WHAT WAS ONCE THE PB, THEN THE OTS, NEXT THE CFSTI UNDER THE NBS, AND NOW THE NTIS) 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22151. Phone 703-321-8500. NTIS had its beginning in June 1945 when Executive Order 9568 established the Publication Board. This inter-departmental board, of which the Secretary of Commerce became the director, was set up to review all classified scientific and technical information of the Federal Government for possible release to the general public. This was followed by Executive Order 9604 in August 1945 which authorized the gathering and release of scientific and technical information of enemy origin. In September 1950 Public Law 81-776 was passed. The Secretary of Commerce had sought legislation to establish a clearinghouse in the Department of Commerce. The purpose of the clearinghouse was to dissseminate scientific and technological information of value to American industry. The legislation incorporated the authority of the previous Executive Orders and forms the basis for today’s NTIS, which was first established as the Office of Technical Services. In part, Public Law 81-776 reads: “...the purpose of this act is to make the results of technological research and development more readily available to industry and business, and to the general public.. . “Sec. 2. The Secretary of Commerce...is hereby directed to establish and maintain within the Department of Commerce, a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of scientific, technical, and engineering information.. .” * Portions of this article will appear in a book by Dr. O’Hara soon to be published by the Pierian Press. 51
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Acting in response to the Report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee (Weinberg Report), submitted to President John F. Kennedy, the Federal Council for Science and Technology in February 1964 endorsed the establishment of an expanded Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information in the Department of Commerce. The enlarged organization was placed in the National Bureau of Standards. The Clearinghouse took over processing of unclassified documents produced by the Department of Defense under an agreement between the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Defense. Next, the Clearinghouse was transferred from the National Bureau of Standards on 2 September 1970, and became the National Technical Information Service in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Science and Technology. It now provides a focal point of contact with the Federal Government through which the results of Government-sponsored research in science and technology are made available to industry, commerce, and the general public. It provides a central service for the control and distribution of Government-sponsored translations of foreign technical documents. NTIS collects, organizes, publicizes, and provides reference, referral, and sales service for technical reports and translations received from domestic and foreign sources. The aim of NTIS is to achieve, through inter-agency agreement and cooperation, a unified documentation and distribution system for Government-generated technical reports and information on research in progress. In a recent year NTIS distributed over three million copies of its reports to approx 150,000 customers, and they processed over 50,000 technical reports through its various “announcement services” or through other Federal organizations. Keep an eye on this agency. It’s growing fast! OVER 60,000 R & D REPORTS AND TRANSLATIONS ON PAPER COPY, MICROCOPY, MAGNETIC TAPE, AND PUNCHED CARDS, ON STUFF LIKE ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CELESTIAL MECHANICS; MAN-MACHINE RELATIONS; AND ESCAPE, RESCUES & SURVIVAL AMONG OTHER SUBJECTS
Government Reports Announcements and Index Volume 1, 1946 onwards. Semi-monthly. C 51.9/3: (numbers). An abstracting journal that covers over 60,000 Government-sponsored and other research and development reports and foreign technical translations in the course of a year. These reports come in one or more of the following forms: paper copy, microcopy, magnetic tape or punched card and they originate with any one of over 125 Federal agencies like the Four Comers Regional Commission, the Maritime Administration, the Office of Minority Business Enterprise, and the Office of Solid Waste (how’d you like to be their librarian?). They (the reports) also come from over 30 foreign government and non-government agencies like the Israel Institute of Technology, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and the Instytut Mechanizacji I Elektryflkacji Rolnictwa of Poland. Non-Federal U.S. contributors include numerous colleges and universities like the University of Alaska and the University of Vermont Technical Information Center; and then there are over 30 others including the following: Automobile Manufacturers Association, General Motors Corporation, Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, and the National Safety Council. Some reports written in foreign languages are included, but most are in English. The prime arrangement of this abstracting journal is a classed one made up of approximately 20 subject fields of the COSATI (Committee on Scientific and Technical Information) Subject Category List. Each field is broken down into major sub-divisions. The list differs somewhat from that noted elsewhere in this section for the Weekly Government Abstract Series (formerly Government Reports Topical Announcements], so it is spelled out below under the heading:
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SUBJECT FIELD AND GROUP STRUCTURE Field 1. Aeronautics. Includes the following groups: Aerodynamics; Aeronautics; Aircraft, Aircraft Flight Control and Instrumentation; Air Facilities. Field 2. Agriculture. Includes the following groups: Agricultural Chemistry; Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Engineering; Agronomy and Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Forestry. Field 3. Astronomy andAstrophysics [but no Astrology]. Includes the following groups: Astronomy; Astrophysics; Celestial Mechanics. Field 4. Atmospheric Sciences. Includes the following groups: Atmospheric Physics; Meteorology. Field 5. Behavioral and Social Sciences (including Humanitiesl). Includes the following groups: Administration and Management; Documentation and Information Technology; Economics; History, Law, and Political Science; Human Factors Engineering; Humanities; Linguistics; Man-machine Relations; Personnel Selection, Training, and Evaluation. Psychology (Individual and Group Behavior); Sociology. Field 6. Biological and Medical Sciences. Includes the following groups: Biochemistry; Bioengineering; Biology; Bionics; Clinical Medicine; Environmental Biology; Escape, Rescue, and Survival; Food, Hygiene and Sanitation; Industrial (Occupational) Medicine; Life Support; Medical Personnel Selection and Maintenance (Medical); and Hospital Equipment; Microbiology; Pharmacology; Physiology; Protective Equipment; Radiobiology; Stress Physiology; Toxicology; Weapon Effects. Field 7. Chemistry. Includes the following groups: Chemical Engineering; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry; Physical Chemistry, Radio and Radiation Chemistry. Field 8. Earth Sciences and Oceanography (but no Earth Shoes). Includes the following groups: Biological Oceanography; Cartography; Dynamic Oceanography; Geochemistry; Geodesy; Geography; Geology and Mineralogy; Hydrology and Limnology; Mining Engineering; Physical Oceanography; Seismology; Snow, Ice, and Permafrost; Soil Mechanics; Terrestrial Magnetism. Field 9. Electronics and Electrical Engineering. Includes the following groups: Components; Computers; Electronic and Electrical Engineering; Information Theory; Subsystems; and Telemetry. Field 10. Energy Conversion (non-propulsive). Includes the following groups: Conversion Techniques; Power Sources; Energy Storage. Field 11. Materials. Includes the following groups: Adhesives and Seals; Ceramics, Refractories, and Glasses; Coatings, Colorants, and Finishes; Composite Materials; Fibers and Textiles; Metallurgy and Metallography; Miscellaneous Materials; Oils, Lubricants, and Hydraulic Fluids; Plastics; Rubbers; Solvents, Cleaners, and Abrasives; Wood and Paper Products. Field 12. Mathematical Sciences. Includes the following Groups: Mathematics and Statistics; Operations Research. Field 13. Mechanical, Industrial, Civil, and Marine Engineering. Includes the following groups: Air Conditioning, Heating, Lighting, and Ventilating; Civil Engineering; Construction Equipment, Materials, and Supplies; Containers and Packaging; Couplings, Fittings, Fasteners, and Joints; Ground Transportation Equipment, Hydraulic and Pneumatic Equipment, Industrial Processes; Machinery and Tools; Marine Engineering; Pumps, Filters, Pipes, Fittings, Tubing, and Valves; Safety Engineering; Structural Engineering. Field 14. Methook and Equipment. Includes the following groups: Cost Effectiveness; Laboratories, Test Facilities, and Test Equipment; Recording Devices; Reliability; Reprography. Field 15. Military Sciences. Includes the following Groups: Antisubmarine Warfare; Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Warfare; Defense; Intelligence; Logistics; Nuclear Warfare; Operations, Strategy, and Tactics. Field 16. Missile Technology (but no Slingshots). Includes the following groups: Missile Launching and Ground Support; MissileTrajectories; Missile Warheads and Fuses; Missiles.
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Field 17. Navigation, Communications, Detection, and Countermeasures. Includes the following Groups: Acoustic Detection; Communications; Direction Finding; Electromagnetic and Acoustic Countermeasures; i.r. and U.V. Detection; Magnetic Detection; Navigation and Guidance; Optical Detection; Radar Detection; Seismic Detection. Field 18. Nuclear Science and Technology. Includes the following groups: Fusion Devices (Thermonuclear); Isotopes; Nuclear Explosions; Nuclear Instrumentation; Nuclear Power Plants; Radiation Shielding and Protection; Radioactive Wastes and Fission Products; Radioactivity; Reactor Engineering and Operation; Reactor Materials; Reactor Physics, Reactors (Power); Reactors (Non-power); SNAP Technology. Field 19. Ordnance (but no Cap Pistols). Includes the following Groups: Ammunition, Explosives, and Pyrotechnics; Bombs; Combat Vehicles; Explosions, Ballistics, and Armor; Fire Control and Bombing Systems; Guns; Rockets; Underwater Ordnance. Field 20. Physics (but no Levitation). Includes the following groups: Acoustics; Crystallography; Electricity and Magnetism; Fluid Mechanics; Masers and Lasers; Optics; Particle Accelerators; Particle Physics; Plasma Physics; Quantum Theory, Solid Mechanics; Solid-state Physics; Thermodynamics; Wave Propagation. Field 21. Propulsion and Fuels (but no Skateboards). Includes the following groups: Air-breathing Engines; Combustion and ignition; Electric Propulsion; Fuels; Jet and Gas Turbine Engines; Nuclear Propulsion; Reciprocating Engines; Rocket Motors and Engines; Rocket Propellants. Field 22. Space Technology. Includes the following groups: Astronautics; Spacecraft; Spacecraft Trajectories and Reentry; Spacecraft Launch Vehicles and Ground Support. Abstracts are arranged under their respective subject fields and groups, (enumerated above) alphanumerically by accession number. Following this number you’ll find a note as to availability (some titles are not available from NTIS), and then the issuing agency’s name, and the title in bold-face caps, next the usual bibliographic description that here includes the grant number if any. After this, there’s a list of descriptors (subject headings to librarians) and the abstract. In addition to the expected scientific and technical subject headings like Earth Sciences and Oceanography, and Mechanical, Industrial, Civil and Marine Engineering, I want to call your attention to the major category Behavioral and Social Sciences. Among the subheads under this you might particularly note: Documentation and Information Technology. Under this heading you’ll find publications on library science, a number of them from ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center). Here are some titles: Conference on Access to Southeast Asian Research Materials: Proceedings, Selected Bibliography of Audiovisual Resources Suggested for Library Services to the Mentally Retarded, Biennial Report of the Texas Library and Historical Commission for 1968-1970, etc. GRA is also available on magnetic tape beginning with the 10 January 1970 issue. Back issues of this abstracting journal from January 1967 may be made available at a later date if the demand warrants. The tapes are 600 foot ‘mini reels’. The subscriber may select: (1) 7-track tape, 556 or 800 characters per inch (cpi), and odd parity. (2) 9-track tape, 800 cpi, and odd parity. Government Reports Index Volume 1, 1975. Semi-monthly. C 51.9: (numbers). Discontinued as a separate publication. Now published in with the Government Reports Announcements described above and for use in connection with each issue. Provides analytical subject, personal and corporate author, contract number, and accession/report number indexes. Brief bibliographical and purchasing information (or other information as to physical access) is given. There is a separately published annual, cumulation to the indexes. A recent annual cumulation totaled over 4500 pages! And these indexes are in very small * la 1975 the In&y ~a combined with the Government Reports Announcements where you’ll find the information described above. It is, however, cumulated separately at Year’s end.
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print in triple columns. Quite a sizable reference tool. I have just one criticism: there is no authority file of subject headings used in the subject index, so it is rather hard sometimes to find a heading. The annual subject index took up over 2100 pages in a recent year. USEFUL TITLES, SERIES, AND SERVICES NTISearch (Available on request from NTIS, 1964 onwards). This service, in answer to your specific search question, will provide you with 25-100 abstracts of reports from the NTIS file “of over 200,000 business and scientific reports acquired since 1964”. The subjects included are the same as those listed in Government Reports Announcements, the abstracting journal published by NTIS and described above. 1 would think that a lot would depend on the way you phrased your question here... just as with any query put to a reference librarian. It might take some chit-chat back and forth.. . . . And they do ask for your phone number. Call (703) 4514468. Weekly Government Abstract Series 1968. Weekly. CS1.7/5: (numbers and date). Formerly called Clearinghouse Announcements in Science and Technology, and then Government Reports Topical Announcements, it next changed its name to the above. It is a computer-produced “current awareness announcement service” that is available in any one (or all) of over 20 fields of science, technology, commerce, business and industry. It provides abstracts of recently released reports resulting from government sponsored research and development efforts by NTIS, the Defense Department, the Energy Research & Development Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Each issue runs from two to twelve pages, and most items abstracted are available from NTIS for a price in hard (photo) copy of on microfiche. These things never go out of print! You can always run off another photo or microcopy. This is a revolution in the printing (or photoprinting) industry.. . of course no copyright is involved here. Examples from the Topical Announcement Series on Computers, Control and Information Theory: each issue is subdivided to Computer Hardware, and Software, Control Systems and Control Theory, Information Processing Standards, and Information Theory. Research reports come from universities as the Illinois University Department of Computer Science, commercial firms like Bell Aerospace Company of Buffalo, New York, government agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, and the Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Titles from the Topical Announcement series on Library and Information Science include: Information and Retrieval System for the AFCRL Research Library; The AIP (American Institute of Physics) Program for Physics Information; A National Information System for Physics and Astronomy 1972-1976; Microfiche Viewing Equipment; Directory of Federally-supported Information Analysis Centers; On Browsing: the Use of Search Theory in the Search for Information; and so on. The Weekly Government Abstracts take in 20 odd fields and their major subdivisions include the following: Agriculture and Food. Agricultural Chemistry; Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Engineering; Agricultural Products Processing; Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Pathology; Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Forestry; Natural Resource and Wildlife Management; Soil Sciences. Behavior and Society. (These topics deserve your special attention. These seem to me to be the least known of the subjects covered by NTIS.) Anthropology and Archeology; Area Studies and International Relations; Criminology and Law Enforcement; Demography; Education; Government, Public Administration and Political Science; History and Law; Humanities (Did you know that the Humanities were part of Behavioral and Social Sciences?); Instructional Devices and Materials;
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Linguistics and Speech; Psychology and Psychometrics; Race Relations; Social Services; Sociology and Sociometrics. Biological and Medical Sciences. Anatomy; Biochemistry; Botany; Clinical Chemistry; Clinical Medicine; Cytology, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Dentistry; Ecology; Electrophysiology; Immunology; Microbiology; Nutrition; Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation; Parasitology; Pathology; Pest Control; Pharmacology and Pharmacological Chemistry; Physiological Psychology; Physiology; Psychiatry; Public Health, Hygiene and Industrial Medicine; Radiobiology; Stress Physiology; Surgery; Toxicology; Zoology. Biomedical Technology and Engineering. Biomedical Facilities and Supplies; Biomedical Instrumentation and Bio-engineering; Bionics and Artificial Intelligence; Escape (from what?), Rescue and Survival; Human Factors Engineering and Man-machine Relations; Life Support and Space Biology; Prosthetics and Mechanical Organs; Tissue Preservation and Storage. Chemistry (but no Alchemy). Analytic Chemistry; Industrial Chemistry and Chemical Process Engineering; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry; Organometallic Chemistry; Photochemistry; Physical Chemistry; Polymer Chemistry; Quantum and Theoretical Chemistry; Radio and Radiation Chemistry. Civil and Structural Engineering (but no sand castles). Architectural Design and Programming; Civil Engineering; Construction Equipment, Materials and Supplies; Flood Control; Harbors and Port Facilities; Highway Engineering; Structural Engineering; Water Supply Systems. Communication (but no mental telepathy). Communications Security; Optical Communication Systems; Radio Communication Systems; Satellite and Space Communication Systems; Subsurface Communication Systems; Telemeter Systems; Television Communication Systems; Wire Communication Systems. Computers, Control Theory, Information Theory. Computer Hardware; Computer Software; Control Systems and Control Theory; Information Processing Standards; Information Theory. Electrotechnology. Antennas; Circuits; Electromechanical Devices; Electron Tubes; Optoelectronic Devices and Systems; Power and Signal Transmission Devices; Resistive, Capacitive and Inductive Components; Semiconductor Devices. Environmental Pollution and Control (on self-destruct paper?). Air Pollution and Control; Noise Pollution and Control; Solid Wastes Pollution and Control; Water Pollution and Control. Industrial and Mechanical Engineering. Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Equipment; Bonding and Joining; Couplings, Fasteners and Joints; Fluidics and Fluerics; Hydraulic and Pneumatic Equipment; Industrial Engineering; Lighting Equipment; Machinery and Tools; Manufacturing Processes; Materials Handling; Metal Processing; Office and Household Equipment; Packaging and Containerization; Pumps, Filters, Pipes, Tubing, Fittings and Valves. and Management; Information Sciences; Library and Information Sciences. Administration Inventory Control; Management Information Systems; Personnel Management, Labor Relations and Manpower Studies; Reference Materials and Library Aids; Research Program Administration and Transfer of Technology. Materials Sciences. Ablative Materials and Ablation; Adhesives and Sealants; Carbon and Graphite; Ceramics, Refractories and Glass; Coatings, Colorants and Finishes; Composite Materials; Corrosion and Corrosion Inhibition; Elastomers; Fibers and Textiles; Iron and Iron Alloys; Lubricants and Hydraulic Fluids; Materials Degradation and Fouling; Miscellaneous Materials; Nonferrous Metals and Alloys; Plastics; Refractory Metals and Alloys; Solvents, Cleaners and Abrasives; Wood and Paper Products. Ocean Sciences and Engineeiing; Biological Oceanography; Chemical Oceanography; Dynamic Oceanography; Hydrography; Marine Geophysics and Geology; Oceanographic Instruments; Oceanographic Vessels and Platforms; Physical Oceanography; Underwater Habitats; Underwater Research Vehicles.
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Physics. Acoustics; Atomic and Molecular Physics; Cryogenic Phenomena; Crystallography; Electrical and Magnetic Phenomena; Fluid Mechanics; Lasers and Masers; Optical Phenomena and Equipment; Particle Accelerators; Particle and Nuclear Physics; Plasma Physics; Quantum Theory and Relativity; Radiofrequency Wave Propagation; Solid State Physics; Structural Mechanics; Thermodynamics. Transportation (except by rickshaw). Air Transportation; Pipeline Transportation; Subsurface Transportation; Surface Transportation; Transportation Safety. Selected Research in Microfiche (SRIM). 1969 to the present date. Semi-monthly. SRIM is a standing order service by means of which a subscriber can obtain all newly released documents either by subject category, or by issuing agency such as the Energy Research and Development Administration, Commerce or Defense Department, or National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or by subject category within an agency. You can order by any major category, sub-category or combination of categories from their list of SRIM categories. You can get all documents announced in a subject category, both prime and cross-referenced ones, or only the prime Documents come in alphanumeric accession number documents, eliminating cross-references. sequence. Microfiche is on either silver or diazo-film material depending upon production requirements of a particular document. The fiche comes in the standard size for most all Federal agencies - 4in. x 6 in. (105 mm x 148 mm) with up to 70 pages on one sheet. The prices will vary depending on choice or choices. The fee per fiche was an unbelievably low price in 1976. According to the brochure, SRIM here means listed in “distribution is made at the same time documents are announced “. “Announced” Government Reports Announcements which is described above.
VTEWS AND OVER-VIEWS ON/OF U.S. GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
FREDERIC O’HARA Professor of Library Science, Palmer Graduate Library School, Long Island University, Greenvale, NY 11548,U.S.A.
Author’s Note - In this periodic review of government publications, the judgments expressed are those of the reviewer, Dr. Frederic O’Hara, Professor of Library Science, Graduate Library School, Long Island University, Greenvale, NY 11548. Unless otherwtie indicated, all items may be purchased from the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402. Dr. O’Hara does not handle the distribution of any documents. THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE* (WHAT WAS ONCE THE PB, THEN THE OTS, NEXT THE CFSTI UNDER THE NBS, AND NOW THE NTIS) 5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22151. Phone 703-321-8500. NTIS had its beginning in June 1945 when Executive Order 9568 established the Publication Board. This inter-departmental board, of which the Secretary of Commerce became the director, was set up to review all classified scientific and technical information of the Federal Government for possible release to the general public. This was followed by Executive Order 9604 in August 1945 which authorized the gathering and release of scientific and technical information of enemy origin. In September 1950 Public Law 81-776 was passed. The Secretary of Commerce had sought legislation to establish a clearinghouse in the Department of Commerce. The purpose of the clearinghouse was to dissseminate scientific and technological information of value to American industry. The legislation incorporated the authority of the previous Executive Orders and forms the basis for today’s NTIS, which was first established as the Office of Technical Services. In part, Public Law 81-776 reads: “...the purpose of this act is to make the results of technological research and development more readily available to industry and business, and to the general public.. . “Sec. 2. The Secretary of Commerce...is hereby directed to establish and maintain within the Department of Commerce, a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of scientific, technical, and engineering information.. .” * Portions of this article will appear in a book by Dr. O’Hara soon to be published by the Pierian Press. 51
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Acting in response to the Report of the President’s Science Advisory Committee (Weinberg Report), submitted to President John F. Kennedy, the Federal Council for Science and Technology in February 1964 endorsed the establishment of an expanded Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information in the Department of Commerce. The enlarged organization was placed in the National Bureau of Standards. The Clearinghouse took over processing of unclassified documents produced by the Department of Defense under an agreement between the Secretary of Commerce and the Secretary of Defense. Next, the Clearinghouse was transferred from the National Bureau of Standards on 2 September 1970, and became the National Technical Information Service in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Science and Technology. It now provides a focal point of contact with the Federal Government through which the results of Government-sponsored research in science and technology are made available to industry, commerce, and the general public. It provides a central service for the control and distribution of Government-sponsored translations of foreign technical documents. NTIS collects, organizes, publicizes, and provides reference, referral, and sales service for technical reports and translations received from domestic and foreign sources. The aim of NTIS is to achieve, through inter-agency agreement and cooperation, a unified documentation and distribution system for Government-generated technical reports and information on research in progress. In a recent year NTIS distributed over three million copies of its reports to approx 150,000 customers, and they processed over 50,000 technical reports through its various “announcement services” or through other Federal organizations. Keep an eye on this agency. It’s growing fast! OVER 60,000 R & D REPORTS AND TRANSLATIONS ON PAPER COPY, MICROCOPY, MAGNETIC TAPE, AND PUNCHED CARDS, ON STUFF LIKE ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; CELESTIAL MECHANICS; MAN-MACHINE RELATIONS; AND ESCAPE, RESCUES & SURVIVAL AMONG OTHER SUBJECTS
Government Reports Announcements and Index Volume 1, 1946 onwards. Semi-monthly. C 51.9/3: (numbers). An abstracting journal that covers over 60,000 Government-sponsored and other research and development reports and foreign technical translations in the course of a year. These reports come in one or more of the following forms: paper copy, microcopy, magnetic tape or punched card and they originate with any one of over 125 Federal agencies like the Four Comers Regional Commission, the Maritime Administration, the Office of Minority Business Enterprise, and the Office of Solid Waste (how’d you like to be their librarian?). They (the reports) also come from over 30 foreign government and non-government agencies like the Israel Institute of Technology, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and the Instytut Mechanizacji I Elektryflkacji Rolnictwa of Poland. Non-Federal U.S. contributors include numerous colleges and universities like the University of Alaska and the University of Vermont Technical Information Center; and then there are over 30 others including the following: Automobile Manufacturers Association, General Motors Corporation, Lockheed Missiles and Space Company, and the National Safety Council. Some reports written in foreign languages are included, but most are in English. The prime arrangement of this abstracting journal is a classed one made up of approximately 20 subject fields of the COSATI (Committee on Scientific and Technical Information) Subject Category List. Each field is broken down into major sub-divisions. The list differs somewhat from that noted elsewhere in this section for the Weekly Government Abstract Series (formerly Government Reports Topical Announcements], so it is spelled out below under the heading:
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SUBJECT FIELD AND GROUP STRUCTURE Field 1. Aeronautics. Includes the following groups: Aerodynamics; Aeronautics; Aircraft, Aircraft Flight Control and Instrumentation; Air Facilities. Field 2. Agriculture. Includes the following groups: Agricultural Chemistry; Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Engineering; Agronomy and Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Forestry. Field 3. Astronomy andAstrophysics [but no Astrology]. Includes the following groups: Astronomy; Astrophysics; Celestial Mechanics. Field 4. Atmospheric Sciences. Includes the following groups: Atmospheric Physics; Meteorology. Field 5. Behavioral and Social Sciences (including Humanitiesl). Includes the following groups: Administration and Management; Documentation and Information Technology; Economics; History, Law, and Political Science; Human Factors Engineering; Humanities; Linguistics; Man-machine Relations; Personnel Selection, Training, and Evaluation. Psychology (Individual and Group Behavior); Sociology. Field 6. Biological and Medical Sciences. Includes the following groups: Biochemistry; Bioengineering; Biology; Bionics; Clinical Medicine; Environmental Biology; Escape, Rescue, and Survival; Food, Hygiene and Sanitation; Industrial (Occupational) Medicine; Life Support; Medical Personnel Selection and Maintenance (Medical); and Hospital Equipment; Microbiology; Pharmacology; Physiology; Protective Equipment; Radiobiology; Stress Physiology; Toxicology; Weapon Effects. Field 7. Chemistry. Includes the following groups: Chemical Engineering; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry; Physical Chemistry, Radio and Radiation Chemistry. Field 8. Earth Sciences and Oceanography (but no Earth Shoes). Includes the following groups: Biological Oceanography; Cartography; Dynamic Oceanography; Geochemistry; Geodesy; Geography; Geology and Mineralogy; Hydrology and Limnology; Mining Engineering; Physical Oceanography; Seismology; Snow, Ice, and Permafrost; Soil Mechanics; Terrestrial Magnetism. Field 9. Electronics and Electrical Engineering. Includes the following groups: Components; Computers; Electronic and Electrical Engineering; Information Theory; Subsystems; and Telemetry. Field 10. Energy Conversion (non-propulsive). Includes the following groups: Conversion Techniques; Power Sources; Energy Storage. Field 11. Materials. Includes the following groups: Adhesives and Seals; Ceramics, Refractories, and Glasses; Coatings, Colorants, and Finishes; Composite Materials; Fibers and Textiles; Metallurgy and Metallography; Miscellaneous Materials; Oils, Lubricants, and Hydraulic Fluids; Plastics; Rubbers; Solvents, Cleaners, and Abrasives; Wood and Paper Products. Field 12. Mathematical Sciences. Includes the following Groups: Mathematics and Statistics; Operations Research. Field 13. Mechanical, Industrial, Civil, and Marine Engineering. Includes the following groups: Air Conditioning, Heating, Lighting, and Ventilating; Civil Engineering; Construction Equipment, Materials, and Supplies; Containers and Packaging; Couplings, Fittings, Fasteners, and Joints; Ground Transportation Equipment, Hydraulic and Pneumatic Equipment, Industrial Processes; Machinery and Tools; Marine Engineering; Pumps, Filters, Pipes, Fittings, Tubing, and Valves; Safety Engineering; Structural Engineering. Field 14. Methook and Equipment. Includes the following groups: Cost Effectiveness; Laboratories, Test Facilities, and Test Equipment; Recording Devices; Reliability; Reprography. Field 15. Military Sciences. Includes the following Groups: Antisubmarine Warfare; Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Warfare; Defense; Intelligence; Logistics; Nuclear Warfare; Operations, Strategy, and Tactics. Field 16. Missile Technology (but no Slingshots). Includes the following groups: Missile Launching and Ground Support; MissileTrajectories; Missile Warheads and Fuses; Missiles.
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Field 17. Navigation, Communications, Detection, and Countermeasures. Includes the following Groups: Acoustic Detection; Communications; Direction Finding; Electromagnetic and Acoustic Countermeasures; i.r. and U.V. Detection; Magnetic Detection; Navigation and Guidance; Optical Detection; Radar Detection; Seismic Detection. Field 18. Nuclear Science and Technology. Includes the following groups: Fusion Devices (Thermonuclear); Isotopes; Nuclear Explosions; Nuclear Instrumentation; Nuclear Power Plants; Radiation Shielding and Protection; Radioactive Wastes and Fission Products; Radioactivity; Reactor Engineering and Operation; Reactor Materials; Reactor Physics, Reactors (Power); Reactors (Non-power); SNAP Technology. Field 19. Ordnance (but no Cap Pistols). Includes the following Groups: Ammunition, Explosives, and Pyrotechnics; Bombs; Combat Vehicles; Explosions, Ballistics, and Armor; Fire Control and Bombing Systems; Guns; Rockets; Underwater Ordnance. Field 20. Physics (but no Levitation). Includes the following groups: Acoustics; Crystallography; Electricity and Magnetism; Fluid Mechanics; Masers and Lasers; Optics; Particle Accelerators; Particle Physics; Plasma Physics; Quantum Theory, Solid Mechanics; Solid-state Physics; Thermodynamics; Wave Propagation. Field 21. Propulsion and Fuels (but no Skateboards). Includes the following groups: Air-breathing Engines; Combustion and ignition; Electric Propulsion; Fuels; Jet and Gas Turbine Engines; Nuclear Propulsion; Reciprocating Engines; Rocket Motors and Engines; Rocket Propellants. Field 22. Space Technology. Includes the following groups: Astronautics; Spacecraft; Spacecraft Trajectories and Reentry; Spacecraft Launch Vehicles and Ground Support. Abstracts are arranged under their respective subject fields and groups, (enumerated above) alphanumerically by accession number. Following this number you’ll find a note as to availability (some titles are not available from NTIS), and then the issuing agency’s name, and the title in bold-face caps, next the usual bibliographic description that here includes the grant number if any. After this, there’s a list of descriptors (subject headings to librarians) and the abstract. In addition to the expected scientific and technical subject headings like Earth Sciences and Oceanography, and Mechanical, Industrial, Civil and Marine Engineering, I want to call your attention to the major category Behavioral and Social Sciences. Among the subheads under this you might particularly note: Documentation and Information Technology. Under this heading you’ll find publications on library science, a number of them from ERIC (Educational Resources Information Center). Here are some titles: Conference on Access to Southeast Asian Research Materials: Proceedings, Selected Bibliography of Audiovisual Resources Suggested for Library Services to the Mentally Retarded, Biennial Report of the Texas Library and Historical Commission for 1968-1970, etc. GRA is also available on magnetic tape beginning with the 10 January 1970 issue. Back issues of this abstracting journal from January 1967 may be made available at a later date if the demand warrants. The tapes are 600 foot ‘mini reels’. The subscriber may select: (1) 7-track tape, 556 or 800 characters per inch (cpi), and odd parity. (2) 9-track tape, 800 cpi, and odd parity. Government Reports Index Volume 1, 1975. Semi-monthly. C 51.9: (numbers). Discontinued as a separate publication. Now published in with the Government Reports Announcements described above and for use in connection with each issue. Provides analytical subject, personal and corporate author, contract number, and accession/report number indexes. Brief bibliographical and purchasing information (or other information as to physical access) is given. There is a separately published annual, cumulation to the indexes. A recent annual cumulation totaled over 4500 pages! And these indexes are in very small * la 1975 the In&y ~a combined with the Government Reports Announcements where you’ll find the information described above. It is, however, cumulated separately at Year’s end.
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print in triple columns. Quite a sizable reference tool. I have just one criticism: there is no authority file of subject headings used in the subject index, so it is rather hard sometimes to find a heading. The annual subject index took up over 2100 pages in a recent year. USEFUL TITLES, SERIES, AND SERVICES NTISearch (Available on request from NTIS, 1964 onwards). This service, in answer to your specific search question, will provide you with 25-100 abstracts of reports from the NTIS file “of over 200,000 business and scientific reports acquired since 1964”. The subjects included are the same as those listed in Government Reports Announcements, the abstracting journal published by NTIS and described above. 1 would think that a lot would depend on the way you phrased your question here... just as with any query put to a reference librarian. It might take some chit-chat back and forth.. . . . And they do ask for your phone number. Call (703) 4514468. Weekly Government Abstract Series 1968. Weekly. CS1.7/5: (numbers and date). Formerly called Clearinghouse Announcements in Science and Technology, and then Government Reports Topical Announcements, it next changed its name to the above. It is a computer-produced “current awareness announcement service” that is available in any one (or all) of over 20 fields of science, technology, commerce, business and industry. It provides abstracts of recently released reports resulting from government sponsored research and development efforts by NTIS, the Defense Department, the Energy Research & Development Administration and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Each issue runs from two to twelve pages, and most items abstracted are available from NTIS for a price in hard (photo) copy of on microfiche. These things never go out of print! You can always run off another photo or microcopy. This is a revolution in the printing (or photoprinting) industry.. . of course no copyright is involved here. Examples from the Topical Announcement Series on Computers, Control and Information Theory: each issue is subdivided to Computer Hardware, and Software, Control Systems and Control Theory, Information Processing Standards, and Information Theory. Research reports come from universities as the Illinois University Department of Computer Science, commercial firms like Bell Aerospace Company of Buffalo, New York, government agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, and the Foreign Technology Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Titles from the Topical Announcement series on Library and Information Science include: Information and Retrieval System for the AFCRL Research Library; The AIP (American Institute of Physics) Program for Physics Information; A National Information System for Physics and Astronomy 1972-1976; Microfiche Viewing Equipment; Directory of Federally-supported Information Analysis Centers; On Browsing: the Use of Search Theory in the Search for Information; and so on. The Weekly Government Abstracts take in 20 odd fields and their major subdivisions include the following: Agriculture and Food. Agricultural Chemistry; Agricultural Economics; Agricultural Engineering; Agricultural Products Processing; Agronomy, Horticulture and Plant Pathology; Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine; Fisheries and Aquaculture; Forestry; Natural Resource and Wildlife Management; Soil Sciences. Behavior and Society. (These topics deserve your special attention. These seem to me to be the least known of the subjects covered by NTIS.) Anthropology and Archeology; Area Studies and International Relations; Criminology and Law Enforcement; Demography; Education; Government, Public Administration and Political Science; History and Law; Humanities (Did you know that the Humanities were part of Behavioral and Social Sciences?); Instructional Devices and Materials;
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Linguistics and Speech; Psychology and Psychometrics; Race Relations; Social Services; Sociology and Sociometrics. Biological and Medical Sciences. Anatomy; Biochemistry; Botany; Clinical Chemistry; Clinical Medicine; Cytology, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Dentistry; Ecology; Electrophysiology; Immunology; Microbiology; Nutrition; Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation; Parasitology; Pathology; Pest Control; Pharmacology and Pharmacological Chemistry; Physiological Psychology; Physiology; Psychiatry; Public Health, Hygiene and Industrial Medicine; Radiobiology; Stress Physiology; Surgery; Toxicology; Zoology. Biomedical Technology and Engineering. Biomedical Facilities and Supplies; Biomedical Instrumentation and Bio-engineering; Bionics and Artificial Intelligence; Escape (from what?), Rescue and Survival; Human Factors Engineering and Man-machine Relations; Life Support and Space Biology; Prosthetics and Mechanical Organs; Tissue Preservation and Storage. Chemistry (but no Alchemy). Analytic Chemistry; Industrial Chemistry and Chemical Process Engineering; Inorganic Chemistry; Organic Chemistry; Organometallic Chemistry; Photochemistry; Physical Chemistry; Polymer Chemistry; Quantum and Theoretical Chemistry; Radio and Radiation Chemistry. Civil and Structural Engineering (but no sand castles). Architectural Design and Programming; Civil Engineering; Construction Equipment, Materials and Supplies; Flood Control; Harbors and Port Facilities; Highway Engineering; Structural Engineering; Water Supply Systems. Communication (but no mental telepathy). Communications Security; Optical Communication Systems; Radio Communication Systems; Satellite and Space Communication Systems; Subsurface Communication Systems; Telemeter Systems; Television Communication Systems; Wire Communication Systems. Computers, Control Theory, Information Theory. Computer Hardware; Computer Software; Control Systems and Control Theory; Information Processing Standards; Information Theory. Electrotechnology. Antennas; Circuits; Electromechanical Devices; Electron Tubes; Optoelectronic Devices and Systems; Power and Signal Transmission Devices; Resistive, Capacitive and Inductive Components; Semiconductor Devices. Environmental Pollution and Control (on self-destruct paper?). Air Pollution and Control; Noise Pollution and Control; Solid Wastes Pollution and Control; Water Pollution and Control. Industrial and Mechanical Engineering. Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Equipment; Bonding and Joining; Couplings, Fasteners and Joints; Fluidics and Fluerics; Hydraulic and Pneumatic Equipment; Industrial Engineering; Lighting Equipment; Machinery and Tools; Manufacturing Processes; Materials Handling; Metal Processing; Office and Household Equipment; Packaging and Containerization; Pumps, Filters, Pipes, Tubing, Fittings and Valves. and Management; Information Sciences; Library and Information Sciences. Administration Inventory Control; Management Information Systems; Personnel Management, Labor Relations and Manpower Studies; Reference Materials and Library Aids; Research Program Administration and Transfer of Technology. Materials Sciences. Ablative Materials and Ablation; Adhesives and Sealants; Carbon and Graphite; Ceramics, Refractories and Glass; Coatings, Colorants and Finishes; Composite Materials; Corrosion and Corrosion Inhibition; Elastomers; Fibers and Textiles; Iron and Iron Alloys; Lubricants and Hydraulic Fluids; Materials Degradation and Fouling; Miscellaneous Materials; Nonferrous Metals and Alloys; Plastics; Refractory Metals and Alloys; Solvents, Cleaners and Abrasives; Wood and Paper Products. Ocean Sciences and Engineeiing; Biological Oceanography; Chemical Oceanography; Dynamic Oceanography; Hydrography; Marine Geophysics and Geology; Oceanographic Instruments; Oceanographic Vessels and Platforms; Physical Oceanography; Underwater Habitats; Underwater Research Vehicles.
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Physics. Acoustics; Atomic and Molecular Physics; Cryogenic Phenomena; Crystallography; Electrical and Magnetic Phenomena; Fluid Mechanics; Lasers and Masers; Optical Phenomena and Equipment; Particle Accelerators; Particle and Nuclear Physics; Plasma Physics; Quantum Theory and Relativity; Radiofrequency Wave Propagation; Solid State Physics; Structural Mechanics; Thermodynamics. Transportation (except by rickshaw). Air Transportation; Pipeline Transportation; Subsurface Transportation; Surface Transportation; Transportation Safety. Selected Research in Microfiche (SRIM). 1969 to the present date. Semi-monthly. SRIM is a standing order service by means of which a subscriber can obtain all newly released documents either by subject category, or by issuing agency such as the Energy Research and Development Administration, Commerce or Defense Department, or National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or by subject category within an agency. You can order by any major category, sub-category or combination of categories from their list of SRIM categories. You can get all documents announced in a subject category, both prime and cross-referenced ones, or only the prime Documents come in alphanumeric accession number documents, eliminating cross-references. sequence. Microfiche is on either silver or diazo-film material depending upon production requirements of a particular document. The fiche comes in the standard size for most all Federal agencies - 4in. x 6 in. (105 mm x 148 mm) with up to 70 pages on one sheet. The prices will vary depending on choice or choices. The fee per fiche was an unbelievably low price in 1976. According to the brochure, SRIM here means listed in “distribution is made at the same time documents are announced “. “Announced” Government Reports Announcements which is described above.