Studying The History Of Nuclear Information System Information Technology Essay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS) is an information system on the nonviolent uses of nuclear science and technology. INIS signifies a variety of experience and a wide range of information in the nuclear field. Printed Atomindex and associated magnetic tapes that were released in April 1970, is the first INIS outputs product. INIS has become one of the most popular and complete information system. The secretariat function of the International Nuclear Information System is vested in the IAEA´s INIS & NKM Section, located at the Vienna International Centre (VIC), Austria. (INIS, 2010).

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT IN INIS

International system proposed

1967

INIS Secretariat established

1969

IAEA Board of Governors approved the system

1970

First products generated in printed and electronic forms

1970

INIS membership comprises 39 Member States and 11 international organizations

1970

First training course held

1971

INIS Thesaurus developed and adopted for documents indexing

1973

Full subject scope covered

1976

Abstracts added to references

1977

100 000 NCL full texts on microfiche available

1978

INIS Database accessible on traditional online system

1979

French INIS Thesaurus completed

1981

Russian INIS Thesaurus completed

1982

German INIS Thesaurus completed

1983

INIS Multilingual Dictionary (English-French-German-Russian) completed

1985

First definition of Membership Arrangements distributed

1985

250 000 NCL full texts on microfiche available

1986

One million database references available

1990

Expert system for indexing quality control implemented

1990

Input preparation software FIBRE introduced

1991

INIS Database available on CD-ROM

1992

Expansion of subject scope to include the environmental and economic aspects of non-nuclear energy sources

1993

Routine receipt of input to the system by electronic mail

1994

Definition of membership arrangements

1994

INIS Mission Statement revised

1994

Spanish INIS Thesaurus completed

1995

INIS Multilingual Dictionary (English-French-German-Russian-Spanish) completed

1996

INIS Web Site launched

1996

500 000 NCL full texts on microfiche available

1997

Two million database references available

1997

New electronic technology implemented, and INIS NCL full texts available on CD-ROM; Start of electronic document delivery service

1997

INIS computer based training package on CD-ROM released

1998

INIS Database on Internet launched

1998

INIS Data Processing System launched (all processing done on-line)

2000

INIS Web services launched

2000

INIS Distance Learning Program on Internet launched

2000

Definition of membership arrangements revised

2004

INIS2 – a regional portal site – opened at the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI)

2004

INIS given new role in nuclear knowledge preservation and management

2004

Computer-assisted indexing (CAI) system started in the INIS Secretariat

2004

Two and a half million database references available

2005

INIS 35th anniversary (1970-2005)

2006

INIS membership comprises 116 Member States and 22 international organizations

2006

INIS Multilingual Dictionary (Arabic-English-Chinese-French-German-Russian-Spanish) completed

2006

INIS Database includes 2.7 million bibliographic references and about 700 000 full-text documents

2008

Three million bibliographic references available on the INIS database

2008

INIS Database Open Access Pilot Project launched in seven countries

2009

Opening of the access to the INIS Database on the Internet

2010

INIS 40th Anniversary (1970-2010)

2010

INIS membership comprises 123 Member States and 24 international organizations

(Sources: http://www.iaea.org/inis/About_us/history.htm)

MISSION OF INIS

The below Mission Statement was approved by the INIS Liaison Officers at their 33rd

Consultative Meeting in October/November:

To provide quality nuclear information and knowledge management services to member states.

To create a reservoir of nuclear information and knowledge for future generations

To assist with the development of a culture of knowledge sharing within the Agency and among Member States.

To maintain and develop INIS in cooperation with member states and active partners to preserve scientific and technical nuclear information

(Todeschini, 2010)

VISION OF INIS

To be the world’s most authoritative and comprehensive source of reliable information and knowledge on the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

To see INIS products and services at the core of a Web of nuclear information and knowledge bases.

(Todeschini, 2010)

PARTICIPATION OR MEMBERSHIP FROM OTHER BODIES, COUNTRIES, ASSOCIATIONS OR TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP

INIS is operated by the IAEA in collaboration with over 120 Member States and more than 20 international organizations. This government level international co-operation is one of the hallmarks of INIS (INIS brochure, 2009).

INIS knows the advantages of partnership and cooperation with international partners in the information industry, such as

To fulfill the need for timely exchange of global information,

To broaden information resources and

To encourage the developments in information processing and standardization.

(International Nuclear Information System (INIS), 2010)

Two main international partners for INIS are:-

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), a specialized agency within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA), Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE).

(International Nuclear Information System (INIS), 2010)

OECD/NEA

As a part of the collaboration plan between the IAEA and OECD/NEA, the NEA arranges for its Computer Program Services to IAEA Member States that are not OECD Members. The liaison function between OECD/NEA, IAEA and Member States is vested in the INIS Secretariat.

(International Nuclear Information System (INIS), 2010)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE)

A major international partner for INIS in the areas of data processing standards and authorities is the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDE), an international information system focusing on all aspects of energy.

(International Nuclear Information System (INIS), 2010)

PRODUCT AND SERVICE

At the achievement of INIS is the INIS Database, which contains over 3.3 million records. It consist a unique collection of over 250,000 full-text documents of non-conventional literature (NCL), not offered through commercial channels. Conventional literature is literature which is commercially available through normal distribution channels, such as the book and magazine trade or publishing houses. INIS non-conventional literature is the collection of full text documents comprises all other forms of literature, including scientific and technical reports, patent documents, pre-conference papers, and non-commercially published theses and laws that have been cited in the INIS database but are not readily available through commercial channels (also called grey literature). The INIS collection of full text documents comprises literature on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy from 1970 to the present. (INIS, 2010)

It represents a unique multilingual thesaurus in the nuclear field and acts as major tools for indexing and describing nuclear information and knowledge in a structured form, which contribute in multilingual and semantic searches of the INIS Database. The INIS Reference Series defines the rules, standards, formats, codes and authority lists on which the International Nuclear Information System is based. (INIS, 2010)

Promotion of INIS is assumed together by the INIS Secretariat and INIS Liaison Officers in Member States. Its purpose is to growth awareness of the INIS System, its products and services and highlight benefits for current and potential users. To support its Member States, the INIS transfers knowledge and know-how in data collection and information processing. It also helps create national INIS Centers in developing countries. (INIS, 2010)

BENEFITS OF INIS

In collaboration with Member States and international organizations, INIS updates and manages annual input of around 120,000 new records. Every input record to the INIS Database is examined by the professional of the INIS Secretariat verifying the correctness and quality of the bibliographic description and subject analysis (classification, indexing and abstracting). (INIS, 2010)

INIS Members send an article about nuclear literature published in their country or by their international organization, to the INIS Secretariat, via Internet (e-mail/FTP), on CD-ROM or other media. FIBRE (Friendly Inputting of Bibliographic Records) is a tool used by INIS Centers to restructure their input preparation, ensure higher quality and consistency, reduce costs through less correction, and improve processing time. (INIS, 2010)

A system for computer assisted indexing was created to support the subject analysis by suggesting descriptors in study titles and abstracts of bibliographic records produced by INIS Members, the INIS Secretariat, or purchased from publishers. (INIS, 2010)

The other benefit of INIS is creation of the INIS Multilingual Thesaurus. INIS specialists from Member States and the IAEA have made a controlled vocabulary for indexing and searching the INIS Database. As a result of organized study over the years the INIS Thesaurus has changed to over 30 000 terms. It is available in all official languages of the IAEA: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish, as well as in German. It represents a unique multilingual thesaurus in the nuclear field. (INIS, 2010)

Capacity Building (Training and Distance Learning) is the one of the advantages of INIS. This program is to promote to its Member States, the IAEA transmit knowledge and know-how in data collection and information processing, in particular to developing countries and new INIS Members. It also helps create national INIS Centers in developing countries. Training seminars for staff of national INIS and the INIS Distance Learning Programed on the Internet and on CD-ROM support these efforts. (INIS, 2010)

FUTURE PLANNING

Every organization needs a future planning in order to success in their business. This situation is an also occur in International Nuclear Information System. To make INIS become a successful organization there are four element INIS focusing to make their dream come true. The four elements are the real purpose of INIS organization, the business model of INIS – the way we carry business between us and user, our advanced product and service and increase of information by uniqueness and quality, not quantity. (INIS Liaison Office, 2010)

Future direction of INIS can be defined by the four directional pillars, it is INIS purpose which has to be larger than its products, and it is to provide the world with easy access to nuclear information for peaceful use. (Savic, 2009)

Secondly, INIS business model should remain a self-governed not for profit, collaboration system of member state and international organization. (Savic, 2009)

Thirdly, INIS is inseparable from the information technology it uses and future tools and means have to be outside the ordinary. They have to be creative and innovative in order to achieve the desired purpose. (Savic, 2009)

Lastly, INIS should continue to accumulated world nuclear literature. However, its focus should be on quality growth, achievable through the continuous use of reliable nuclear information provided by recognized sources preferably as full text. (Savic, 2009)