TEST PROGRAM FOR EVALUATING PROCEDURES FOR THE EXPLOITATION OF LITERATURE OF INTEREST TO METALLURGISTSnIV. A Cost Analysis of Abstract Preparation And Processing for An Operational Service

摘要

To establish and operate any information service in a library, documentation center, or whatever it may be called, costs money. The words "costs" and "money" appear to have unpleasant connotations for many and are frequently avoided. Yet, regardless of the time spent in determining philosophy, policy, functions, and aims of any system, the fact remains that perhaps the greatest limiting factor to ultimate realization of a retrieval system is the objective consideration of dollars and cents.nIt is not within the scope of this paper to review the history and past accomplishments in the field of information retrieval, already reported in innumerable papers, proceedings, and books. Nor is it within its scope to review the activities of the Center for Documentation and Communication Research. Suffice it to say that since 1955 the Center has been a part of the School of Library Science of Western Reserve University to engage in research, education, and operational services in information retrieval and machine literature searching. Many Government and private agencies and organizations have contributed financial assistance toward research and education, but to date the American Society for Metals has provided the funds for us to begin an operational service, and the National Science Foundation has provided a major grant to conduct a test and evaluation of the service.