I Tasks and
Organisation: A General Overview
'The Program of the Federal Government for the Promotion of Information
and Documentation' (1974-1977) led to the foundation of the
Fachinformationszentrum (FIZ) in 1977. FIZ is a "non-profit-making"
organization, whose corporate members are:
- the Federal Government and the 11 states
- the Max Planck Gesellschaft (MPG)
- the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (FhG)
- the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG)
- the Verein Deutscher Ingenieure (VDI)
- the Gesellschaft für Informatik (GI)
The last five associates joined the FIZ in 1984.
FIZ is located on the premises of the "Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe"
and has branch offices in Berlin, Bonn and Larchmont, New York.
FIZ has at present a staff of approximately 320, including 94
scientists and engineers.
FIZ is the national centre for information and documentation in:
- all aspects of energy
- nuclear research and technology
- physics and astronomy
- mathematics and computer science
FIZ is a database supplier and producer in these fields and is the
operator of an Online Service Center in Science and Technology which
includes:
- INKA - Information System Karlsruhe
- STN Karlsruhe, part of STN International - The Scientific
and Technical Information Network.
FIZ provides bibliographic, numeric and factual information on science
and technology to interested organizations and individuals, ensuring
neutrality and plurality of opinion.
The main user groups are:
- Scientists, engineers and technicians from
- universities, polytechnics and other research and
teaching institutions
- research centers and institutions
- small, medium-sized and large enterprises
- Members of working groups and committees in politics,
administration and industry
- Other groups or individuals interested in science and
technology.
At the top of the organisational structure of FIZ is the "Board of
Corporate Members" who nominates sthe directors and the members of the
Supervisory Board. It lays down the general policy. The "Supervisory
Board" supervises the activities of the directors and defines, together
with them, important financial as well as information policy issues.
The scientific-technical and administrative directors are both
responsible for the documentation and information activities.
FIZ has three scientific divisions (Energy and Technology, Mathematics
and Computer Science and Physics and Astronomy), one central division
for data processing and systems developments, one division of
information services, two administrative sectors (one for finance and
general accounting, and one for personnel and administrative services),
and, finally, a bibliographic service. Bibliographic, numeric and
factual databases are elaborated in the scientific divisions (including
online-cataloguing, indexing, classifying and abstracting activities).
The documents are provided by the bibliographic service. The databases
are then generated in the central division of data processing. The
division of information services takes care of the marketing activities.
II Activities
1. FIZ as a database producer
Bibliographic , numeric and factual databases are produced completely
or partly by FIZ. In order to minimize expenditure, FIZ cooperates on
an international, bilateral or multilateral level. Some 200 000
documents per year, covering all kinds of conventional and
non-conventional literature are inputed. Cataloguing, indexing,
classifying and abstracting of documenta are performed according to
international standards. Literature is evaluated either for the Federal
Republic of Germany only (cooperation) or on a worlwide basis (FIZ
database) depending on whether a database is produced in cooperation
with other organisations or by FIZ alone. The following databases are
produced in the working fields of FIZ:
a) Energy and Technology
- Bibliographic databases: In the energy field, FIZ
collaborates in the production of two important databases: INIS and
Energy.
- INIS
(International Nuclear Information System) is a typical example of a
database produced in international cooperation. Seventy-two member
states of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna)
and fourteen international organisations are now participating in INIS
and their combined input exceeds 70 000 published items a year. At the
end of 1984, the INIS bibliographic File, which was put into operation
in 1970, had grown to include some 900 000 items. The German
contribution to INIS is about 10%. The printed version "INIS
Atom-Index" is published by the IAEA. As we are celebrating the
fifteenth anniversary of INIS this year, it is worthwhile remembering
that the basic cooperation philosophy of INIS, namely, decentralization
of input and dissemination and centralization of data checking and
processing, has proved to be most effective in providing comprehensive
coverage of the nuclear literature, facilitating the handling of
documents in different languages, spreading the costs, and improving
the development of the national information infra-structure. INIS'
technical rules have a model character in the whole field of
information and documentation. The success of INIS lead to the Food and
Agriculture Organization (FAO) to adopt the same pattern for its own
International Information System for Agricultural Sciences and
Technology (AGRIS). A further application in the area of the social
sciences was made in the planning of the Development Sciences
Information System (DEVSIS). On a national level, INIS has been
theexample for most bibliographic and factual databases developed at
FIZ and other German information centres.
- ENERGY: An example of multilateral cooperation is the
Energy-Database which is produced by the US Department of Energy,
Office of Scientific and Technical Information (US DOE OSTI). It is the
most comprehensive bibliographic database containing references of
world-wide literature on energy research and technology, in fact for
all kinds of energy sources. FIZ evaluates and delivers in
machine-readable form some 25.000 documents published in the Federal
Republic of Germany and some other European countries (about 12% of the
input). The growth rate of the database is about 170 000 citations per
year. The number of citations is 1.8 Million (including INIS).
- Aeronautics and Astronautics: FIZ provides input to the
NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) database, sending
German non-conventional literature in the fields of aeronautics and
astronautics to the European Space Agency (ESA/Italy) where it is
processed. The database is offered by ESA, FIZ being the National
German Centre for astronautics and aeronautics. Retrospective searches
and SDI profiles are carried out by FIZ. The NASA-Database contains
some 1.3 Million citations and increases by 60 000 citations per year.
- Report literature in science and technology produced
within the Federal Republic of Germany is provided by FIZ for input
into the NTIS-Database which is produced by the National Technical
Information Service (US Department of Commerce). The computer tapes
contain the bibliograpic citation, an abstract in English, the
availability source, and indexing for each item.
- ENERGIE: this is a bibliographic database produced by
FIZ itself covering literature on energy research and technology
published especially in German speaking countries. The database
comprises some 120 000 citations (from 1979 to date). The growth rate
is about 20 000 documents annually.
- In addition to this, FIZ cooperates with other German
information centres, the Fachinformationszentrum Werkstoffe (Materials
Information Centre) for input processing for the SDIM-database (System
for Documentation and Information in Metallurgy).
- Numeric and Factual Databases:
- ENEC: The Energy and Economic Database has three
subfiles which have different sources. The Energy Balances contain data
on all energy sourcess of member states of the United Nations. Power
reactors contains the data on power reactors in the member states of
the IAEA, and Reserves and Resources corresponds to the data
collection of the last World Energy Conference. This database was
developed by the IAEA in cooperation with FIZ.
b) Physics and Astronomy
- Bibliographic Databases:
- PHYSICS BRIEFS: is produced by FIZ in cooperation with
the American Institute of Physics (AIP). It covers the world-wide
literature on all fields of Physics and related topics including
Astronomy and Astrophysics. AIP supplies the records of its own
publications and some other American journals. Special emphasis is
given to non-conventional literature and to that written in Eastern
languages. A total of 2 200 journals and serials form the main source
of this database; 400 are evaluated cover to cover. Increase of
citations is approximately 130 000 per year (1984), the AIP
contribution being about 20%. The database is offered exclusively by
FIZ.
- PHYSCOMP: is the only bibliographic database of data
compilations in all fields of physcis and related topics. It is
produced by FIZ. Approximately 3 600 citations are registered and
approximately 280 citations are updated annually. It is also offered
exclusively by FIZ.
- Numeric and Factual Databases
- ENSDF: (Evaluated Nuclear Structure Data File) contains
data on the nuclear structure and radioactive decay of all known
isotopes (8 600 data sets). It is produced by international cooperation
coordinated by the IAEA. The master file is maintained at the National
Nuclear Data Center of Brookhaven National Laboratory. The
bibliographic information is cited in a special database, ENSF-NSR.
Data which are or special interest to the life sciences are collected
in a subdata base called ENSDF-MEDLIST (1 800 data sets)
- ICSD: contains data on crystal structures of inorganic
compounds. So far ICSD contains some 32 000 entries. The following data
are stored for each compound: name, formula, bibliographic data,
crystallographic data, measuring conditions. A picture of the crystal
structure can be displayed on the terminal with graphic facilities. The
database is produced by the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry,
University of Bonn in cooperation with the Canadian Institute for
Scientific Information and FIZ. It is offered exclusively by FIZ
(except in Canada).
- C 13 NMR: (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Database)
contains data on 54.000 spectra of some 47 000 organic chemical
compounds. The molecular and structural formulae are given for each
compound. The producer of the database is the "Badische Anilin- und
Soda-Fabrik AG" (BASF) and it is offered exclusively by FIZ.
- In addition to these databases, FIZ publishes data
compilations on special physical properties. The series has the name
Physikdaten / Physics Data (2).
c) Mathematics and Computer Science
- Bibliographic Databases
- MATH: is the online version of the abstract journal
"Zentralblatt für Mathematik / Mathematics Abstracts" published
since 1931 and contains citations to publications in pure and applied
mathematics. 1 300 journals and series as well as conference
proceedings and books are evaluated (scanned) for MATH. It is produced
and offered exclusively by FIZ. Increase rate per year: 45 000 citations
- MATHDI: another database produced and offered
exclusively by FIZ is Mathematical Didactics. Its scope is the teaching
of mathematics and computer science at school and university level. The
corresponding abstract journal is International Reviews on Mathematical
Education (Zentralblatt für Didaktik der Mathematik). The database
has an increase of some 3 000 citations per year.
d) Referral Databases
- SIGLE: (System for Information on Grey Literature in
Europe) is a multi-disciplinary database for the purpose of tracing
grey (non-conventional) literature covering the fields of science,
technology, the humanities and social science, published within the
territory of the European Communities [sic] and to simplify its
delivery. It is produced by six national centres of member states of
the European Communities (Belgium, France, Great Britain, Ireland and
the German Federal Republic). It contains approximately 50 000
citations. Holland, Italy and Norway will be joining the system in the
near future and Sweden (Studsvik Library) and the European Communities
are associated institutions.
- CONF: this database produces information on conferences,
seminars and other meetings which deal with the fields of energy,
physics, mathematics and computer science, aueronautics and
astronautics, astronomy and astrophysics and engineering. The calendar
of events is available up to two years in advance. The database
includes approximately 28 000 conference citations.
- CORP: is a database containing the names of institutions
(corporate authorities) in standardized form. CORP is suitable for
searching institutions that are active in the fields of research
covered by FIZ. Thus this database is a very useful bibliographic
instrument for information centres and libraries. Some 50 000 names of
institutions are searchable. The database increases by approximately 1
500 entries annually.
2. Host Activities
FIZ is an online service centre in science and technology and related
fields. It is operator of:
a) INKA
Over 40 bibliographic and 15 numeric and factual databases are now
available through INKA, Information System Karlsruhe. INKA offers
access to a total of approximately twelve million citations from
different scientific and technological subject fields and to numerous
data and facts from specific fields. Besides the databases produced by
FIZ as a result of national and international cooperation, INKA's
database offer is completed with material available by domestic and
foreign producers, e.g. the INPADOC databases of the "Internationales
Patentdokumentationszentrum" in Vienna, COMPENDEX of the Engineering
Information Inc., New Aork, INSPEC of the Institution of Engineering
Information Inc., New York, INSPEC of the Institution of Electrical
Engineers, England, METADEX of the American Society for Metals and The
Metals Society, London, NTIS of the National Technical Information
Service (US Department of Commerce) and others.
The following German information and documentation centres are offering
their databases through INKA:
- Fachinformationszentrum Chemie offers the database
DETHERM which contains properties of the most important materials in
chemical engineering
- Fachinformationszentrum Werkstoffe offers databases in
Rheology, Tribology, and the SDIM database (Metallurgy and metallic
materials), part I of which (SDIM 1 1972-1979) was produced in
cooperation with the Commission of the European Communities, whereas
SDIM 2 (since 1979) is produced in cooperation with the Centre National
de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris.
- Informationszentrum Rohstoffgewinnung, Geowissenschaften
- Wasserwirtschaft (GEOFIZ) offers GEOLINE and MARINELINE. GEOLINE
covers literature in the fields of geosciences, natural resources and
water supply, 4 500 journals are evaluated by an international
cooperative group. Some 350 000 citations are available.
- MARINELINE covers literature in the fields of marine
research and technology. It contains some 17 000 citations from 1970
onwards.
- Informationszentrum Raum und Bau (IRB) produces several
bibliographic (ORLIS, LINA) as well as factual databases in the field
of regional and town planning, housing, and construction engineering.
The factual databases are on research projects (BAUFO) and on buildings
(BODO).
- Informationszentrum Sozialwissenschaften (IZ) produces a
bibliographic (SOLIS) and a factual database on sociology and related
subjects, the factual database (FORIS) contains research projects in
social sciences in the Federal Republic of Germany, Austria and
Switzerland.
- ONLINE GmbH produces the international BUSINESS database
of business contracts and opportunities for manufacturing, marketing,
sales, services, representation, cooperative ventures and research and
development in all industriess world-wide.
- Deutsche Bibliothek produces BIBLIOI-DATA which is the
national bibliographic database. It covers more than 1.2 million German
or German-language books, theses, maps, periodicals and other items
isssued since 1966. Information on aproximately 100 000 new titles is
added annually.
- In addition the "Fachinformationszentrum Technik" (FIZ
Technik) produces several bibliographic databases and operates an
online host service utilizing FIZ computer facilities. The following
databases are accessible: DECHEMA (chemical engineering), DKI (plastics
and polymers), DKF (automotive engineering), DOMA (mechanical
engineering), EKMRA (non-bibliographic file of manufacturers), MEDITEC
(biomedical engineering), VDI news (full text journal database
concerning the areas of economics, science and technology), ZDE
(electrical engineering) etc.
INKA is operated with SIEMENS 7561 facility and a disc storage capacity
of nearly 60 Gigabyte.
b) STN International
STN International is an international cooperation of Service-Centres
for users and contributors of technical and scientific information.
Within its scope are all subject areas pertaining to science,
technology and commerce, including all kinds of information (primary
and secondary literature, numerical and factual data). Its main
functions are database building and loading, online retrieval, display
and print, and document ordering.
The STN network consists of decentralized service centres whose
computers are linked and have standardized technical facilities. The
STN network has the same software for connecting the service centres
and for the retrieval language.
The STN network is operated on behalf of the DB suppliers on a prime
cost basis.
The STN network makes all databases available from every service centre.
The STN network loads each database at only one site and therefore
saves financial resources.
The STN network has a high computer utilisation factor as a result of
world-wide access.
The TN network provides access to information to users all over the
world.
The American Chemical Society and FIZ joined their online computer
services in 1984, building the first step to form STN International.
CAS ONLINE service was made accessible to European users through the
Karlsruhe node of STN International, whereas FIZ Karlsruhe's databases
are becoming accessible to North American users through the Columbus
node. Both nodes produce offline prints of search results locally to
speed delivery, and both operate help desks to provide local assistance
to online users. The CAS ONLINE database, until now offered only from
Columbus, Ohio contains
- the Registry File: 6 million chemical structure records
searchable by structure diagram, and
- the CA File: the complete contents of Chemical abstracts
from 1967 to the present - over 6 million papers and patents in all.
The source of the database is some 12 000 chemistry journals, plus
books, conference proceedings, and patent documents from all over the
world.
STN operates on Messenger Software, developed especially for STN to
provide access to all the networks' databases through a single command
language. STN is already accessible in Japan, through the Japan
Association for International Chemical Information, Tokyo., which is
CAS representative, whereas Kinokuniya Company, Ltd. represents Physics
Briefs. In Europe the Royal society of Chemistry (UK) serves the UK,
Denmark, finland, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway and Sweden for
questions concerning CAS. These countries (apart from The Netherlands)
are served by FIZ with regard to Physics Briefs as well as sto the
other FIZ databases. Questions about the Messenger command language and
the STN search system should be directed to the nearest STN service
centre.
As a result of this cooperation FIZ has acquirted an IBM 3081KX
facility, and is operating the new software, running this system
parallel to INKA, probably until the end of next year, when all FIZ
databases, as well as those offered by the other German information
centres through INKA shall be implemented in STN. Following databases
are already accessible: PHYS (produced by FIZ Karlsruhe), MATH
(produced by FIZ Karlsruhe), NTIS (produced by the US National
Technical Information Service) VTB (Chemical Engineering Reports,
containing 130 000 records in German, produced by BAYER AG), DETEQ
(DECHEMA Environmental Technology Equipment Databank Information about
600 companies and their products are reviewed. The database is in
English, French and German)), and DEQUIP (DECHEMA Equipments Suppliers
Databank. Contains information about 2 600 companies in the fields of
chemical engineering and biotechnology).
STN offers advantages for database producers and users.
For the database producers:
- new markets USA/Japan (for Europeans)
- improved sales
- integrated offer of printed and online service
- own marketing
- optional database design
- display formats
- pricing
- STN Service Centre (loading files, help desk, user
administration, invoicing, 24h offer, user training)
- network user for database production
For the database users:
- One extensive service
- every center whole service
- nearby service center
- offline prints
- one user agreement, password, invoice
- regional help desk
- help and training in several languages
- favourable prices
- invoices in national currency.
3. Electronic Publishing of
Patent Information
A project on electronic publishing of patent information is jointly
carried out by a consortium consisting of the German Patent Office,
the Satz-Rechen-Zentrum Hartmann + Heenemann, the Gesellschaft für
Information und Dokumentation and FIZ as the consortium leader. The
objective of the project is to develop and set up a German Patent
Database with textual and graphical information and to offer it to the
professional community by various computerized information services,
especially ba online access via public telecommunication networks. The
novel feature will bethe combined digital storage of text, graphs,
chemical structures and mathematical formulae in one database. Text
data are recorded by keyboarding or by OCR-Printer, drawings, complex
formulae etc. by an optimal laser scanner.
The storage and transmission of the digitized graphical information is
to be carried out in vector graphics which promises high compression of
the data to be stored and independence from the resolution capacity of
the terminals. All types of terminal shall be supported fortransmission
and display of text and graphics, including the extending text of
personal computers.
The tasks have been distributed as follows:
The German Patent Office provides the text data of the title pages of
patent publications as well as data for classification and
documentation, both in machine-readable form.
The Satz-Rechen-Zentrum processes these text data for input into the
database: it supplements the text with digital information of the major
technical drawings and by facsimile representations of chemical
structures and complex mathematical formulae.
The Fachinformationszentrum uses these data to set up a continuously
updated pilot patent database with text and graphical information and
offers this database for online access. File design and patent formats
will take into account all search possibilities specific to patent
publications. The database will be in German, but foreign users will be
offered scope notes and keywords of the International Patent
Classification in English and French. The database will utilize the STN
Base Software "Messenger". The data will be stored on magnetic disks;
copying of the display files on digital optical disks will be possible
if greater storage capacity is required.
The Satz-Rechen-Zentrum will also offer SDI services in printed and
machine-readable form, first via their own database, later via
connection to the FIZ host computer.
The Gesellschaft für Information und Dokumentation will accompany
the project with studies especially on user acceptance and economic
aspects.
A broad spectrum of users is expected and involved in the project
including national and international patent offices as well as the
public with the patent departments of the industry, small and
medium-scale enterprises, chambes of commerce, patent agents,
technology transfer agencies etc. (3)
4. Service program
The FIZ service program comprises the following items:
a) Production of data bases and data compilations in cooperation with
national and international partners
b) Online service offered in cooperation with other information centers
for the individual use of data bases in science and technology. When
searching in a data base, costs will arise for:
- data transmission between the computer and the terminal
(costs for using the data networks payable to the respective PTT)
- data base access (connect time, provide runs for SDI, and
possible online records)
- computer printouts of citations or other retrieval
results (offline via laser printer)
Especially advantageous for users are the quantity discounts (beginning
with 5 connect hours per month), the possibility for institutions to
pay flat rates, and the preferential prices for education purposes. The
following example can give you an impression what costs for data
transmission and data base searching can arise in the case of a 15
minute search in the data base PHYS:
Use of the data base PHYS DM 37,50
Computer printouts of
20 citations and mailing DM
13,00
Total sum
DM 50,50
In addition you have to pay for using the telephone and data networks
according to the tariffs valid (in Swedish Packet Switching Network,
DATAPAK).
c) Magnetic Tape Service: Licenses for use of machine readable data
bases. The following data bases are offered for inhouse use: PHYS, C 13
NMR, ICSD
d) Information Supply: Consisting of:
- scientific and other information (database/databank
searching and manpower investment excluded) (free of charge)
- retrospective bibliographic searches (compilation of up
to 100 citation prints selected from more than two bibliographic data
bases, manual search in publications, supplementary (value-added)
analysis of the retrieval results (Specific Retrospective Bibliographic
Searches) (DM 350,-)
- retrospective data searches: Compilation of specific
numerical data from numerical databanks available incl. supplementary
analysis of the retrieved results (per databank DM 350,-)
- Bibliographic SDI profiles: Installation of a profile
with compilation of up to 100 citations prints (DM 220,-)
- Patent SDI Profiles from the data base PATSDI:
Installation or modification of a profile, resp. according to the
expenditure of analysis and data base searching (scientific analysis
per hour DM 93,-; online searching in the data base per hour DM 195,-).
e) Editorial operations
FIZ is editor of four abstract journals /
bibliographic services published by German editors::
- Physics Briefs / Physikalische Berichte (pb): Deutsche
Physikalische Gesellschaft (Ed.); Physik-Verlag (publisher)
- Zentralblatt für Mathematik / Mathematics Abstracts
(ZfM): Heidelberger Akademie der Wissenschaften / FIZ (Eds); Springer
Verlag (publisher)
- Zentralblatt für Didaktik der Mathematik /
International Reviews on Mathematical Education (ZDM): Vereich für
Didaktik der Mathematik / FIZ (Eds.); Ernst Klett Verlag (publisher)
- Forschungsberichte aus Technik und Naturwissenschaften /
Reports in the Fields of Science and Technology (FTN): Technische
Informationsbibliothek Hanover / FIZ (Eds.); Physik Verlag (publisher)
- and the High Energy Physics Index (HEP) edited by the
Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron / FIZ.
FIZ also publishes data collections in physics (Physik Daten / Physics
Data), distributes the research reports of the Federal Ministry for
Science and Technology, and has an own research report series.
f) Bibliographic operations
- FIZ library provides all documents necessary for the
production of the data bases including some 4000 journals
- literature supply in cooperation with the Technische
Informationsbibliothek (TIB) (FIZ is connected to the International
Library Loan System)
- Special Central Library for non-conventional literature
in the working fields of FIZ (some 1,8 million documents). An online
ordering system has recently been set up (4).