Federal Scientific and Technical Information in an Electronic Age: Opportunities and Challenges

摘要

The Federal Government is the largest single source of scientific and technical information (STI) in the world. Scientific advancement and technological innovation depend on the open exchange of STI. The House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology asked the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA) to examine the opportunities and challenges facing the Federal Government with respect to the dissemination of STI. The staff paper presents the results of OTA's inquiry. OTA found that the government does not have an overall strategy on dissemination of STI. An overall strategy would help (1) maximize the return on the substantial Federal research and development (R&D) investment, and (2) meet other national goals to which STI can contribute-such as improving the education of U.S. scientists and engineers, the international competitiveness of U.S. industry, and the strength of the U.S. civilian technology base. The paper answers questions within a framework for an overall strategy on STI dissemination, and identifies key elements that could be useful in such a strategy. A followup OTA report (Spring 1990) will analyze selected strategic elements in greater depth.