DOE technology information management system database study report

Abstract

To support the missions of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Special Technologies Program, Argonne National Laboratory is defining the requirements for an automated software system that will search electronic databases on technology. This report examines the work done and results to date. Argonne studied existing commercial. and government sources of technology databases in five general areas: on-line services, patent database sources, government sources, aerospace technology sources, and general technology sources. First, it conducted a preliminary investigation of these sources to obtain information on the content, cost, frequency of updates, and other aspects of their databases. The Laboratory then performed detailed examinations of at least one source in each area. On this basis, Argonne recommended which databases should be incorporated in DOE's Technology Information Management System.