Do technical reports become published papers?
DOI: 10.1063/1.3060390
Since World War II the technical report has come to occupy a position of considerable importance among media in which results of scientific research first appear. The estimated 50 000 or more documents of this kind which are issued each year—particularly by laboratories engaged in defense‐related research—constitute the first appearance in print of much of the newest and most important scientific information being developed today. Almost half of these reports carry no security classification. Yet, for the most part they are not covered by the standard abstracting and indexing services. This is partly because the enormous complexity of the scientific report picture would make systematic coverage very difficult and partly because it would be almost impossible to assure readers of the abstracts of access to the parent reports.
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References
1. For a description of the National Science Foundation program directed toward improving the general availability of unpublished Government scientific reports, see Gray, Dwight E., College and Research Libraries, 18, 1, 23–27, January 1957.
2. The study was conducted by the Technical Information Division, Library of Congress, and was supported principally by the National Science Foundation; supplementary personnel support was provided by the Library and by the Armed Services Technical Information Agency.
3. Conducted by Mrs. Helen Brownson, National Science Foundation.
4. Predecessor to the ASTIA Reference Center.
5. Several such studies are summarized and referenced in Herner, Saul, “Technical Information—Too Much or Too Little”, Scientific Monthly, 83, 2, 82–86, August 1956.https://doi.org/KHYKD8
More about the authors
Dwight E. Gray, National Science Foundation.
Staffan Rosenborg, Library of Congress.
