INTERDISCIPLINARY SEARCHING - PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTED REMEDIES - A REPORT FROM THE ICSTI GROUP ON INTERDISCIPLINARY SEARCHING

In response to its mission of identifying and describing problems of interdisciplinary searching, and of proposing remedies and solutions, the ICSTI Group on Interdisciplinary Searching (a) gathered the relevant information through a questionnaire addressed to the database builders, online system vendors, search intermediaries and end users; (b) analysed and organised the input; and (c) presented a report. The report discusses the problems within six distinct categories: (1) coverage and technical content of the database; (2) bibliographic information; (3) textual content; (4) numeric data; (5) file organisation, and (6) interdisciplinary searching on multiple hosts. Under each category, problems are first listed in a generic way and then described in greater detail. Numerous specific examples are given with explanations, whenever feasible, of the reasons for their occurrence. For each category, possible remedies and solutions are listed. The most essential recommendations that have emerged deal with the need for greater standardisation at every stage in building the databases and in organising access to them. A number of bodies and groups working on international and national standards, and on solving other specific aspects of the problems, have been identified. The needs for close co-operation, exchange of good documentation, extensive training and mutual understanding are most evident.