Pioneers in Uncharted Territory: VINITI and the Communist Influence on the U.S. Scientific and Technical Information System

摘要

Given that the rise of the Internet has greatly intensified information management problems in contemporary society, the historical perspective, or looking at the roots, is viewed by many as an indispensable component of the quest for practical solutions to information overload. This historical comparative study intends to narrow the gap in the existing knowledge about the impact of the Soviet military-industrial complex on the rise of the scientific and technical information management system in the mid-20th century United States, particularly in such agencies as the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Technical Information Service (NTIS). Along with a chronological analysis of primary and secondary documents, data are being collected via a series of interviews with prominent experts in the field whose research has revolved around both VINITI and the formative years of the U.S. scientific and technical information domain. Conclusions regarding the NSF and NTIS reactions to the Soviet developments are being made based on such indicators as organizational changes, budget allocations, and manpower changes.