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Cooperation, Convertibility, and Compatibility Among
Information Systems: A Literature Review

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Engin. Library

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Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 66-60028

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Cooperation, Convertibility, and Compatibility Among
Information Systems: A Literature Review

Madeline M. Henderson, John S. Moats, Mary Elizabeth
Stevens, and Simon M. Newman

The purpose of the study of the literature on which this report is based was to examine
those problems in the field of documentation and in the operation of information systems
which could possibly be solved or alleviated by some greater measure of cooperation,
convertibility, or compatibility among systems, particularly those systems for handling
scientific and technical information supported in whole or in part by the United States
Government. An account is given of early developments and general background informa-
tion about organizations active in cooperative documentation efforts. Current cooperative
activities are then discussed in terms of dissemination and publication of secondary sources,
acquisition and exchange of publications, analysis and identification, systematization and
terminology control, storage and search, and standardization. General problem areas,
special problems created by changes in the nature of the documentary materials to be
handled and special problems raised by the prospects for mechanization are then discussed.
A final section raises questions with regard to the implications for future progress.

Key words: Documentation, scientific and technical information, information centers,
libraries, mechanized information systems, convertibility, abstracting,
indexing, cataloging, technical reports, translations, cooperative acquisi-
tions, information exchange, standardization.

1. Introduction

1.1. Background

There are two principal developments that have converged, since the close of World War II, to influence the promotion of and participation in greater cooperation, collaboration, and coordination in the handling of recorded scientific and technical information. These two developments have made the problems of such cooperation an area of sharply increased need and of challenging new opportunities to the U.S. Government, the scientific community and its professional societies, and business and industry. The first development is the large-scale involvement of the Government itself both in sponsoring and in supporting research and development efforts, with accompanying recognition of its responsibility to make public, as promptly and widely as possible, the results of such efforts.

The second development is the technological advance that has occurred in information processing, with enormous potentialities for radically new systems and techniques. New opportunities arise from the successful use of machines to assemble, process, list, store, retrieve, and display records of various sorts; from the development of techniques for handling scientific and technical literature by clerical and machine manipulation, and from the development of new, unconventional, and less formal means for publication and dissemination.

A major reason for the increasing concern about possibilities for improved cooperation, convertibility, and compatibility among information systems is the problem of the so-called information explosion. Despite controversy as to the nature and extent of the steadily growing volume of scientific and technical information, it is indisputable that today the amount of literature that must be checked for possible pertinency far exceeds the the capacity of individuals to maintain awareness or to make full use of potentially related work. The number of scientists and engineers falls short of meeting demands; this means that there is a heavy premium on reducing duplication of efforts and conserving the technical man's time to the maximum extent possible. More effective utilization of information resources in science and technology can contribute to more effective use of scientific manpower. Such improved use of information is indeed a major concern of the Committee on Scientific and Technical Information (COSATI) of the Federal Council for Science and Technology (FCST), The Office of the President.

The present report is the outgrowth of suggestions advanced by the Ad Hoc Interagency Study Group on Language Compatibility in Mechanized Storage and Retrieval Systems. At the instigation of the National Science Foundation, this Study Group was established in 1961 to provide, on an informal working-level basis, a mechanism

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