NCJ Number
50268
Journal
EVALUATION Volume: 3 Issue: 1-2 Dated: (1976) Pages: 11-14
Date Published
1976
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THE DATABANK OF PROGRAM EVALUATIONS (DOPE) AND THE DATABANK OF CANCER CONTROL (DOCC) ARE EXAMPLES OF EXPERIMENTAL CUSTOM RESEARCH DATABANKS.
Abstract
THE DATABANKS WERE DEVISED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES BETEWEEN 1973 AND 1975 AND CONTAIN AN ASSEMBLY OF COMPUTER-STORED ABSTRACTS OR BRIEF REPORTS OF PUBLISHED AND UNPUBLISHED LITERATURE. THEY CAN BE REACHED ON-LINE AND INTERACTIVELY FROM ANY DESK TELEPHONE IN THE UNITED STATES. INFORMATION IN THE DATABANKS IS ACCESSIBLE BY CUSTOM SEARCHERS THROUGH FORMATTED COMPUTER OUTPUT MICROFICHE AND THROUGH EQUIVALENT HARD COPY. THE OBJECTIVE IS TO MAKE A FOCUSED BODY OF INFORMATION REGARDING PROGRAM INNOVATIONS AND THEIR EVALUATION READILY ACCESSIBLE, AS WELL AS EASIER TO COMPREHEND AND DEAL WITH ANALYTICALLY THAN IS NORMALLY POSSIBLE WITH CONTEMPORARY BIBLIOGRAPHIC SOURCES IN COMPUTERIZED SYSTEMS. GOVERNMENTAL BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABANK ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE, THE CONGRESSIONAL INFORMATION SERVICE, THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, THE NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE, THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH, AND THE ALCOHOL, DRUG ABUSE, AND MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATION. FOUR PROBLEMS RELATED TO THE USE OF DATABANKS ARE NOTED: (1) BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABANKS REQUIRE LEARNING A DICTIONARY OF KEY WORDS; (2) MANY BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATABANKS COVER TOO VAST AN ARRAY OF TOPICS; (3) OUTPUT IS NOT SUFFICIENT; AND (4) THERE IS FAILURE TO INTEGRATE DATA ANALYSIS WITH SEARCH CAPACITY. FORMAT AND PROCEDURAL ASPECTS OF DOPE AND DOCC ARE DETAILED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED-DEP)