TIS Intelligent Gateway Computer: An Alternative to the Doomsday Scenario

摘要

We describe our work experience in the Technical Information Department (TID) with the Technology Information System (TIS) at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). Contrary to the Doomsday Scenario postulated for information workers by Dennis A. Lewis, we find that physicists, chemists, biologists, and engineers in our highly computer-oriented work environment show interest in conducting their own searches occasionally, but prefer the information specialist to provide the routine and complex searches required for their programmitic, interdisciplinary work. Requests for information now include also factual data and oblige us to retrieve them from several different sources, some of which are overseas. To respond in a timely manner, we have started to use the Intelligent Gateway Computer (IGC) facilities of TIS. They permit automated access of major information centers worldwide, downloading, and postprocessing of retrieved results, where permissible. Postprocessing includes text analysis, graphical display of statistical interpretations and online concording of bibliographic citations from the Department of Energy Technical Information Center (DOE/RECON). We also have started to use electronic mail to communicate our results to the end user and to discuss new searches during execution with the requestor via TIS by audiovisual means. This permits the creation of topical, subject-oriented datafiles, their online review for relevancy, annotation with numeric data and commentary, and the direct production of computer-generated master copy of cross-correlated indexes for printing. The extraction of scientific and technological intelligence is of particular interest and promise. Our information specialists are starting to work as a team with the R and D staff and contribute to the development of innovative tools in information management. (ERA citation 08:028783)