The chapter one describes the meaning of factual databases briefly, and then analyzes the state-of-the-art of them based on two database directories, i.e., EUSIDIC's and cuadra's. The present situation of the factual databases in Japan is also described. Despite the fact that furnishing of factual databases brings out large merit, the database construction, particularly in science and technology fields, has not been proceeded thoroughly. The authors consider the reason why factual databases have been constructed at slow pace and the problems to be solved in the future. The chapter two is concerned with the history, the present situation and the future plan of the activities in JICST on factual databases.

View full abstract

A user selects about ten search terms among all the keywords previously listed from a few of relevant documents. Weight value of each term is calculated based on the use frequency in the relevant documents and database to be searched. Then the lowest value of use frequency in the relevant documents is employed as the threshold value. Boolean search formulas which show weight values more than the threshold value are constructed one after another, and executed. The search results can be ranked by using calculation model of relevance score of each citation. Under this method five topics were searched against INIS database. It was found that the relevance ratio was 68%, and the recall ratio was 71% on the average. These searching efficiencies were equal to those gained by search formulas which were constructed manually by a search specialist. Time and labor loads of users seem markedly less, and the program construction also seems simple in this method so that it is expected to be effective for the practical use.

View full abstract

Informationalization has been progressed in all sides, for instance, society and economy. It has drastically large and wide impact. Keeping pace with it plenty of unprecedented information media have been provided. However, the emergence of these new media does not necessarily gives advantages from the viewpoints of information gathering and effective using. It rather seems to bring out more strict environmental condition. This paper considers how information environment changes as informationalization goes, and particularly points out the environmental problems in terms of information amount, obsolescence of information and decentralization of information resources.

View full abstract

A new file produced by JICST is now available through JOIS network. That is “JICST File on Government Reports in Japan” which is a bibliographic database pertaining to report literature issued irregularly by central or local government and other public organizations. The literature of this type has hitherto been difficultly accessible and is now expected to be used more widely.

View full abstract