Information for the Developing World: NTIS's (National Technical Information Service's) Role in Information Transfer to Developing Countries

摘要

There is a great need for technical information in developing countries. 'Technical information' is broadly defined to include all knowledge relating to how any specific economic activity is carried out. The paper describes how the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) of the U.S. Department of Commerce is helping both individuals and institutions (ranging from small shopkeepers to technical institutes) in developing countries to solve their technical information needs by providing access to NTIS's vast collection of reports and documents. The paper first outlines the need for technical information in developing countries, then describes the techniques and mechanisms being used in the transfer of technical information, and finally, cites the findings of a recent study to illustrate how data from NTIS documents is being applied to address a wide range of technical problems in developing countries. The author concludes that the competent local implementing institutions, such as the libraries and technical information centers which distribute NTIS reports, are vital links in the chain of international information dissemination.