Examines the justification for applying concepts of economics to decisions about information services. (Author/LS)

This paper is concerned with the organization and retrieval of records in document retrieval systems which admit of imprecision in the form of fuzziness in document characterization and retrieval rules. A mathematical model for such systems, based on the theory of fuzzy sets, is introduced. (Author)

The main functions of a national scientific and technical information system are described and the requirements they must meet are examined; these include compatibility of all system components, information retrieval languages, hardware and software. (Author)

This paper reviews studies of information dissemination as a basis for determining how on-line retrieval can best compete with a multitude of other sources of references. (22 references) (Author/SJ)

An indexing system for chemistry and technology of macromolecular substances is sketched out, whose characteristics are convenience of use and low cost. The selection mechanism consists of a set of optical coincidence cards. The selection is a result of 15 years experience in the German Plastics Institute. (13 references) (Author)

An introduction to some of the causes of the information explosion, how they have become manifest in business and industry as well as in libraries, and some of the systems that are trying to cope with it. (SE)

Report of a conference, the main purpose of which was to discuss the results of the study by Unesco and the International Council of Scientific Unions on the feasibility of setting up a world science information system and to make recommendations concerning its establishment. (4 references) (SJ)

The reasons for setting up a register of technical experts within a large organization, and some of the problems that arise and the kinds of resistance encountered in developing such a system are considered. (5 references) (Author/NH)

A technique for structuring and searching a large file of chemical structures is presented. The technique involves generating a nested, structured tree based on the Wiswesser analysis of chemical structures. An important virtue of the tree is the rapid and inexpensive file updating. (9 references) (Author/NH)

The compatibility property of documentation system is defined by the capacity of the system to posit relationships of equivalence. This state is reached when cataloging references are properly structured and when a program allows searching the same data in the system. (15 references) (Author/MM)