DOCUMENT RESUME White, Lucinda M. Guide to Sources: Term ... · research strategy for students using the Fogler Library at the University of Maine. The student is first guided to

DOCUMENT RESUME

ED 291 411 IR 052 311

AUTHOR White, Lucinda M.TITLE Guide to Sources: Term Paper Strategy.INSTITUTION Maine Univ., Orono, Raymond H. Fogler Library.PUB DATE Aug 87NOTE 3p.PUB TYPE Guides - Non-Classroom Use (055)

EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.DESCRIPTORS Academic Libraries; Encyclopedias; Guidelines; Higher

Education; Indexes; *Information Seeking; IlabraryGuides; *Research Papers (Students); *SearchStrategies

IDENTIFIERS *University of Maine Orono

ABSTRACTThis two-page guide suggests an eight-step term paper

research strategy for students using the Fogler Library at theUniversity of Maine. The student is first guided to encyclopedias foroverview articles with bibliographies, then directed to the cardcatalog; periodical indexes; and indexes for books, journal articles,and newspaper articles. Finally, students are directed to stylemanuals for assistance in organizing and writing the paper, and forfootnote and bibliography preparation. (EW)

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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be madefrom the original document.

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U.S. DEPANTIAANT Of EDUCATIONOffice of Educanonat Research and Improvement

EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATIONCENTER em

ekrhis document has been reproduced asreceived from the person or OrgarezabortOriginating it

0 Minor changes have been made to Improvereproduction Quality Choose your topic. Possible ideas may come from yourPo. nts of 'newof opt moos stated in this docu- professor, textbor* it an encyclopedia article on thement do not necessarily represent Whoa!OERI posmon or policy subject, or a periodical index.

GUIDE TO SOURCES: TERM PAPER STRATEGY

2.

3.

Find a brief introduction or overview of the topic in anencyclopedia, perhaps one of the following:

REF H 35 E35 Editorial Research ReportsREF AE 5 E333 Encyclopedia AmericanaREF AE 5 E363 Encyclopedia BritarnicaREF LB 15 E47 Encyclopedia of EducationREF B 41 E5 Encyclopedia of PhilosophyREF H 40 A215 International Encyclopedia of the Social.

SciencesSCI REF Q 121 M3 McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and

Technology

Use the index or table of contents. Also note descriptiveterms used and names mentioned.

Look for a bibliography or list of references at the endof the encyclopedia article. This will lead you to othersources of information on your topic.

4. Books on the topic are listed in the card catalog. Checkthe Library of Congress Subject Headings (red books by thecard catalog) to determine what subject terms are used.You may want to check various terms found in theencyclopedia. Look in the card catalog under theappropriate heading to find books. Note the call numbersneeded to locate particular books, as well as noticingcall numbers for possible browsing areas in the stacks.

5. Find periodical or magazine articles on your topic usingan index such as:

Applied Science and Technology IndexBiological IndexBusiness Periodicals IndexEducation IndexGeneral Science IndexHumanities Index

RAYMOND H. FOGLERLIBRARY

Science Index TableScience index TableIndex TableIndex TableScience Index TableIndex Table

BEST COPY AVAILABLE2

"PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THISMATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY

Lucinda M.White

TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCESINFORMATION CENTER /PIC)"

InfoTracMagazine IndexReaders' Guide to Periodical

LiteratureSocial Sciences Index

Computer StationMicrofilm ReaderIndex Table

Index Table

6. Locate newspaper articles on your topic:

National Newsoaper IndexNewsbankNew York Times Index

Microfilm ReaderIndex TableIndex Table

7. Use the Periodicals Printout to see if the Library has themagazine(s) or newspaper(s) you need and to find wherethey are located.

8. Use a style manual for assistance in organizing andwriting the paper, preparing footnotes, arranging abibliography, etc. Several style manuals are kept at theInformation Desk.

The Information Services Department offers a Term Paper CounselingService which provides individual assistance with library research forterm papers, independent study projects, etc. Check at the InformationDesk or call 581-1673 for en appointment.

LMW 8/87

Browne, Mairad, 1942Information enterprises in Australia.

Bibliography.ISBN 0 909177 52 X.

1. Information services Australia. I. Kuring-gaiCollege of Advanced Education. School of Library andInformation Studies. II. Title.

020'.994

0 Copyright KCAE 1985

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgements

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Page

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9

1. Introduction 11

1.1 Aims of the Study 131.2 Limitations of the Study 131.3 Brief Review of the Literature:

the Information Industry 141.4 Some Terms 16

2. Methods Used in the Study 17

2.1 Developing the Framework of the Study 192.1.1 Private Sector, Public Sector, Voluntary Sector 192.1.2 Information Services, Information Centres,

Information Enterprises 202.1.3 Information Service, Information Output,

Information Transfer 212.2 Identifying Individual Information Enterprises

for Inclusion in the Study 222.3 Contacting the Information Enterprises 252.4 Analysis of Responses 26

3. Profiles of The Individual Information Enterprises 29

3.1 Introductory Notes 313.2 Notes on Information Provided in the Profiles 313.3 The Information Enterprises: Profiles 33

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Page

4. The Information Enterprises: Categories and General Summaries 81

4.1 Introduction 834.2 Characteristics of Categories of Information Enterprises 84

(a) Information Management Enterprises 841. Communitybased Information Management

Enterprises 842. Information Management Enterprises ForProfit 85

(b) Information Services Enterprises 861. Community Welfare Information Service

Enterprises 872. Special Interest Information Services

Enterprises 883. Information Service Enterprises Designed

to Promote the Interests of anOrganisation or Group 88

4. Information Service to Enterprises Basedon Information Brokerages 90(a) Resource Providers 90

(i) Computerbased Resource Providers 91(ii) Printbased Resource Providers 91

(b) Factfinders 92

4.3 Summary of Services Provided by Information Enterprises 93

5. Information Enterprises and the Information TransferProcess 97

6. Concluding Comments 103

7. References 107

Appendices: 113

1. Extract from Commission of Enquiry into the Efficiencyand Administration of Hospitals: Selected Studies,December 1980 'cHarg, M. Issues of Public andPrivate in the Health Domain, pp. 7-11. Canberra, AGPS,1981.

2. Model of the Information Transfer Process by King andAssociates from Telecommunications and Libraries: a

Primer for Librarians and Information Managers by D.W. Kinget al, White Plains, N.Y., Knowledge Industry Publications,1981, p. 8.

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121

3. Draft Model of the Information Transfer Process IncorporatingWork by King et al.

4. Letter Mailed to Information Enterprises

5. Names of Individual Information Enterprises in Relation toCategories of Information Enterprise

6. Lists of Information Organisations.

Table

Summary of Services Provided by Information ManagementEnterprises (IME) and Information Service Enterprises (ISE)with Frequency of Occurrence

Figure

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Page

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124

127

94

Role of Information Enterprises in the Information Transfer Process 101

7.

FOREWORD

The major objective of this study was to carry out exploratorywork on a segment of the information industry in Australia, withparticular reference to information services provided by what iscolloquially called the private sector.

The study was based on a non-random survey of informationorganisations and involved analysis of the literature in the areaand printed materials describing the services provided byindividual organisations. This provided a basis foridentification of a range of what were termed 'informationenterprises'. The information enterprises were categorised bybroad type and general descriptive summaries compiled. Inaddition the summary data were used as a basis for the developmentof a broad model of the information transfer process whichaccommodated the role in information transfer at a soc:.etal levelplayed by the information enterprises studied.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to acknowledge the assistance of the many information serviceproviders with whom I was in contact during this study of the Australianinformation industry. Their willingness to supply information and answer myquestions made my contact with them both pleasant and rewarding.

Also, I wish to thank Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education which fundedthe study and my colleagues in the School of Library and Information Studiesand the Department of Information Studies who made it possible for me totake leave to complete the project.

Assistance during the survey came from Helen Gilkes and Julie Lovett.Crystal Condous of John Fairfax Ltd., and Hal Colebatch of Kuring-gaiCollege of Advanced Education helped, if not to resolve, then at least toidentify and clarify some of the more intractable problems in developing aconceptual framework for analysing information organisations in Australia.

Mairead Browne, Principal Lecturer inLibrary and Information ScienceKuring-gai College of Advanced

Education

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1: INTRODUCTION

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1.1 Aims of the Study

In both the general media and specialist literature, there is an acceptancethat Australia, in common with other developed countries, has an informationindustry, and that that industry is growing apace. The concept of what thatinformation industry is or encompasses however seems to vary according tothe observer's background and experience, as there has been no systematicstudy of the area as a whole in Australia. This study aimed to fill thegap in regard to some segments of the information industry, and to provide abase-line for further study.

The study emphasized that part of the information industry which is locatedin what is colloquially called the private sector, since what are termed thepublic and voluntary sectors are relatively well-documented. Within theprivate sector it dealt primarily with those organisations which areaccessible to the general public and are concerned with the provision ofresponses to specific questions generated by individual enquirers orprovision of information on a regular basis in relation to generalinformation needs nominated by an individual.

The specific aims of the study were:

1. To provide a base-line for further detailed study of the informationindustry in Australia.

2. To identify the variety of information organisations in the privatesector.

3. To develop, on the basis of an analysis of a range of individualinformation organisations, a broad categorization of informationorganisations in the private sector.

4. To summarize characteristics of the various categories of informationorganisations identified with an emphasis on services provided.

5. To develop a model of the information transfer process to accommodatethe roles played in the transfer process at a broad societal level bythe information organisations studied.

1.2 Limitations of the Stud/

(1) The study aimed to cover the Australian situation as a whole,but for practical reasons there was concentration on NewSouth Wales. Information on enterprises in that State wasmore readily available to the researcher, and at the sametime follow-up was easier and less expensive than with otherstates. There is no reason however to believe that thesituation in New South Wales as a whole is different to otherstates to the extent that concentration on it might haveskewed the conclusions drawn.

(ii) There was at no stage an intention of compiling a directoryof information enterprises. Readers should be aware that the

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individual profiles )f information enterprises included inthe report were derived from interpretation of generalprinted material and information conveyed by phone to theresearcher. The profiles are therefore selective in theircoverage of the many facets of individual enterprises andrelate to the purpose of the study. They do not claim togive a comprehensive coverage of all aspects of theindividual enterprises studied.

(iii) The study was not based on a random sample of organisations.Therefore generalisations to situations other than thatdescribed should be made with caution.

1.3 Brief Review of the Literature: The Information Industry

While no evidence of a study along the lines of the present study wastraced, a significant literature relevant to the area exists. Thehighlights of this literature are indicated below.

A number of works have examined the role of information in society in thebroadest sense, arguing that there is a shift taking place from anindustrial to a predominantly service or information industry. Machlup'sseminal work (1962) and that of Porat (1977) dealt with the U.S. scene, andthe themes of these works was taken up by Jones (1982), Lane (1983), writingabout the Australian situation. Anderson (1983) in an al'icle on privatesector information services in Australia summarized developments inprovision of on-line services and information brokerages up to that timebased in the main A general published material.

Another series of writings deals with the people who work in the informationindustry. A landmark study is that of Debons et al (1981) which examinedthe national situation in the ".S. with regard to types and numbers ofinformation professionals employed. More narrowly-based surveys examiningsub-groupings of information professionals such as librarians, informationscientists, include studies by Slater (1984); Moore and Kempson (1985); Kinget al (1980); Sewell (1978); Levitan (1982).

In Australia there is a substantial literature on librarians (e.g. Willard,1983; McMahon, 1967) and in recent ears some beginnings at least in thetask of identifying the broader rar,e of information worker. McKinnon(1983) drew together information on educational courses available inAustralia or what they considered information-related courses of study.Schauder (1984) with an intereat in the Victorian situation, analysed jobadvertisements using the categories of information worker identified byDebons (1981) and described the nature of the work carried out by someinformation professionals. Bourne et al analysed the labour supply anddemand in Australian libraries and information services (1982). Thesestudies provide a basis for the identification of the range of informationprofessionals in Australia.

The problems of identifying the full range of information professionals inAustralia in any systematic way were highlighted in a paper by Lansley andCree (1984). They concluded that identification of what are described

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colloquially as 'information scientists' would be extremely difficult owingto a lack of agreed definition, and the variety of job titles andoccupations which makes such workers difficult to locate.

A third category of writing of interest in the present context is thatdealing with information services as such. In the field of librarianship inAustralia many surveys of services exist (e.g. Browne and Juchau, 1978,Bryan and Horacek, 1983). Emerging subfields of information service arealso being documented. For example Broadbent and Kelson, 1984 examined theinformation brokerage field in Victoria. Several works have covered theinformation and referral field overseas e.g. National Consumer Council(1983); Borrie (1982); Kahn (1966). For Australia, the situation has beendescribed in several sources, including Bunch (1982) and Begg et al (1985)which focus on voluntary and public sector community information services.

Also in the category of document dealing directly with information servicesare various directories. Several Australian directories list sources ofinformation and services e.g. Byrne's Directory of Online Search Services(1984) and the annual list of community aid and information servicespublished by the Local Community Services Association. However, the scopeof these directories is relatively narrow and they do not by their natureprovide any generalisations about the information industry in Australia.

With regard to conceptual frameworks for the analysis of informationservices, there are several types of writing which provide a basis for sucha framework and in some cases actual frameworks. The most useful for thepresent study are those which describe the functions and services ofparticular types of information agency. For example, Kahn's analysis ofcommunity information and referral activities (1960, Borrie's analysis ofadvice bureaux in the U.K. (1982) and King's work (1981) proposing a modelof information transfer processes. Also of some value are the frameworksembedded in textbooks for practitioners and students, e.g. Sinclair (1980);Saracevic and Wood (1981); Browne (1984); Anthony (1982); Weisman (1972) andAtherton (1977). However, all of these frameworks tend to be narrow intheir focus, and/or have not been derived from a systematic observation ofinformation service. The present study aims, using these frameworks as abasis, to examine the practices in information services, and develop aframework which has validity for a more broadlybased Australian situation.

In conclusion it may be said that while there is a substantial literature oninformation services and relatc,1 areas the literature on the informationindustry does not provide a systematic overview of the range of informationorganisations in the 'private' sector in Australia. Nor has a framework forthe analysis of services provided by individual information organisationswhich has been developed with reference to the 'private' sector, and whichwould have application to the Australian situation.

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1.4 Some Terms

A. Information User = any person, organisation or group which usesinformation

B. Information Organisation = an organisation (or organisationalarrangement) which has the primary aim of providinginformation directly or through other organisations toinformation users. Examples of information organisationsare libraries, information enterprises, bibliographicnetworks.

C. Information Enterprise = an organisation (or organisationalarrangement) which is more responsive to market forcesthan political constraints, and which has a primary aim ofproviding information directly or through otherorganisations to information users.

D. Information Resources = a physical recording, arrangement andpresentation of information in any format e.g. computerdata base, slide, film, book research report.

E. Information Packages = a rearrangement of information contained ininformation resources and which is tailored to therequirements of a specific information user or user groupe.g. state-of-the-art reviews, displays, compilation ofpress clippings.

F. Information Collection = a collection of information resourcesand/or information packages in any format or mixture offormats.

G. Information Service = those outputs of information enterprisesdesigned to fill the information needs of users andpotential users.

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2: METHODS USED IN THE STUDY

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2.1 Developing the Framework of the Study

The research method chosen for the study was the survey, but as the presentstudy focused on an area not previously examined in detail in Australia, itwas necessary to carry out, during the study itself, a process ofexploration and testing of tentative conceptual frameworks. The process ofdevelopment of the concepts and the operational definitions for the study,is described below, interspersed with detail of data collection and analysistechniques used. This material is included for the benefit of futureresearchers in the area, but also to clarify for the general reader theconcepts and approaches on which the study was based.

2.1.1 Private Sector, Public Sector, Voluntary Sector

The focus of the study was to be the private sector as colloquiallydescribed and in planning for the study, it was not anticipated that therewould be any difficulty in distinguishing private and non-private sectororganisations as such. However, when the task of developing criteria whichwould allow identification of information services as public, private, orvoluntary was begun a world of complexity was revealed. Reference to theliterature confirmed that "the sharp public/private dichotomy often found inthe rhetoric is considerably more fuzzy in reality" (Greycar, 1982).Australian and overseas research shows for example that the extent ofgovernment funding in large non-government welfare organisations is as highas 84Z, a trend also noted overseas (Greycar, 1982, p. 18). While Greycarwas writing about the welfare field awbrief examination in the early phaseof the study of some of the organisations identified as potentialparticipants for the study suggested that similar problems of categorisationof organisations as public, private or voluntary existed in the informationarea also, owing particularly to the complexity of the funding base ofvarious information organisations.

Reference to the Selected Studies, (Dec. 1980) of the Jamison Commission ofEnquiry into the Efficiency and Administration of Hospitals, threw up somepossible solutions to the problem of distinguished voluntary public andprivate sectors and establishing a basis for the selection of informationorganisations for study. An article by McHarg used dictionary definitionsand defined 'private' as belonging to or the property of an individual; theterm 'public' was defined as referring to activities undertaken on behalf ofthe community, shared by all members of the community or directed to thepromotion of general welfare. However, McHarg pointed up the limitations ofthese definitions for the health field, limitations which were obvious alsofor the information industry when a brief overview of the field wasundertaken to test the usefulness of the concept for the study in hand.

McHarg's second approach based on the idea that the health field shoulddistinguish between an 'agency' and an 'enterprise' was then examined. InMcHarg's view an agency such as a recognised hospital, is paid for by thecommunity whether or not there is a demand for services provided and theytend not to go out of business. On the other hand an enterprise such as aprivate hospital tends to be more responsive to market forces than topolitical constraints and if there is no demand for a particular service, itis unlikely to be supplied. The result is that community and private

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hospitals can, unlike the recognised hospital, go out of business (McHarg,

1980, p. 7). McHarg's distinction between agency and enterprise was founduseful for the context of the study and was adopted. The study thereforewas focused on organisations or organisational arrangements which could becategorised as enterprises and the focus on the private sector per seabandoned. (See Appendix 1 for further detail of McHarg's argument).Criteria used to distinguish enterprises in the information field aredetailed elsewhere in this report.

In retrospect, the researcher is of the view, that the initial focus of thestudy on the popular notion of the private sector, may have slightly skewedthe overall picture of the information organisations and services whichemerged. Some services based in the so-called public and voluntary sectorswere added to the list of organisations being examined in the course of thestudy, where they were found to meet the criteria for description asenterprises. There might have been a different result had the concept of'enterprise' been developed and applied at the onset. However, the amountof skewing is considered to be not very significant and to relate more tonumbers of organisations in categories than to the categories of enterprisesestablished in the course of the study.

2.1.2 Information Service, Information Centres, Information Enterprises

Just as 'information' has eluded satisfactory definition in the literature,so too have the terms 'information service' and 'information services'. Forthe present study it was necessary to develop a term and definition whichwould refer at a macro level to organisations providing information, i.e. aterm and definition which would account for the organisation as a whole asthe term 'information centre' or 'library' does. The term 'informationenterprise' was therefore adopted for description at the macro level sinceit incorporated within it both the concept of enterprise and at the sametime indicated that the organisation was engaged in information provision.

While this notion of the 'information enterprise' was satisfactory at aconceptual level, it was of course necessary to develop a method ofapplication of the ideas inherent in the term to allow identification ofactual examples of information enterprises in Australia. In addition therewas a need to narrow the focus from information enterprises in general to arange of enterprises which would be manageable within the context of thelimited scale of the study being undertaken.

The decision was taken therefore to limit the focus of the study in thefirst instance to those organisations which provide responses to enquiriesgenerated by the general public either directly or through other informationorganisations. This decision was later amended to include enterprisesprimarily concerned with supplying information on a regular basis inrelation to a general information need nominated by a person ororganisation.

A range of indicators of enterprise was then developed to allowidentification of specific information enterprises which might be includedin the study. The indicators were:

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1. commitrwnt to promotion of information services at identifiablecost to the organisation e.g. advertising in the Yellow Pages,production of glossy brochures.

2. evidence that the existence of the organisation depended on levelof use i.e. funding was not assured in the short or medium-term.

3. evidence that the organistion or organisational arrangement wasoperating on a for-profit basis.

OR

evidence that the organisation was run by or involved significantnumbers of volunteers.

4. evidence in the case of information organisations basedunambiguously in the public sector (e.g. government department,tertiary education institution) of initiative in the provision ofinformation beyond statutory requirements.

None of the indicators on its own was found to be satisfactory orsufficiently discriminating so that finally, an amalgam of theindicators and in some cases a dash of judgement based on personalknowledge of the organisations and the orientation and approach ofinformation supplied had to be used in deciding whether or not anindividual organisation qualified as an information enterprise.

2.1.3 Information Service, Information Outputs, Information Transfer

The aims of the study required that a model of the information transferprocess be developed which would accommodate and describe the role ininformation transfer played at a broad societal level by the informationorganisations studied. As a basis for this model, it was decided to seek inthe literature a model which could be used during the analysis of responsesfrom individual organisations, and which at the same time would provide aframework and parameters for the description of services provided.

As indicated in the literature review above (Section 1.3) there was a numberof frameworks and models for the analysis of individual services available.The Kahn model was assessed as useful although limited to the communityinformation and referral field (1966). Some ideas were gained fromtextbooks such as Atherton's and work by Saracevic and Wood (1981), Debonset al (1981), and Lunin (1982), were also helpful in this context. The mostuseful framework however was that of King (Appendix 2).

Using the King model and the literature referred to, a draft model wasdeveloped (Appendix 3) for use as a framework for the analysis of the dataabout services provided by the individual enterprises selected for inclusionin the study. The process of the analysis and subsequent revision of themodel to accommodate the role in information transfer played by theenterprises studied is described below (Section 2.4).

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2.2 Identification of Individual Enterprises for Inclusion in theStudy

Developing a list of potential participants in the survey involved extensivedetective work, as there was no comprehensive list of informationorganisations in Australia available.

The researcher sought to develop a list which would be:

comprehensive in terms of information enterprises in the 'private'sector based on the assumption that many if not most informationenterprises would be located in this sector, regardless of theproblems of precise definition of 'private'.

selective in terms of the information enterprises in the publicand voluntary sector, given the extensive, documentation ofservices in those areas (see the literature review in Section1.3).

In checking the range of sources of information expected to give names ofinformation enterprises, application of criteria to sift out enterprisesfrom non-enterprises was not possible, since the only information availablein most cases was simply the name and address of an organisation. Hence thelist developed for the study included many organisations which weresubsequently eliminated from consideration when full data about them wereobtained.

The sources checked are indicated below with an indication of theirusefulness as sources for the purposes of the study:

Yellow Pages current at November 1984 and covering the capital cities:

SydneyMelbourneAdelaideHobartPerthBrisbaneDarwin

The Heading 'Information Services' was checked.

The Yellow pages was the most useful source checked. Theorganisations listed under Information Services had chosen to beso described and many ultimately met the criteria forcategorization as information enterprises.

Initially organisations known to be based unambiguously in thepublic sector e.g. the information sections of various statelibraries, were omitted. At a later stage in the study, theselists were rechecked and the criteria for identification ofenterprises applied.

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Key informants in the capital cities i.e. persons known to be familiarwith the information services area in general, or with some segments ofit.

Those key informants who were familiar with a narrow segment ofthe information industry were more useful sources it was foundthan those who had a general interest. On the whole, the keyinformants' most useful contribution was as a cross-check that noobvious omissions had been made in the lists compiled.

Newspapers, and the information science and librarianship literatureduring the period July 1984 - March 1985 for advertisements, featurearticles indicating existence of information services and so on.

Newspapers and the general literature of the area indicated asmall number of services not located elsewhere. Difficulty wasexperienced in several cases in locating services referred tobriefly in feature articles.

File of job advertisements compiled over the period 1982 - October 1984by the Coordinator of Practice Studies, School of Library andInformation Studies, Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education.

The clippings were made on the basis of a daily scanning of theSydney Morning Herald (Monday - Saturday); Saturday's editionAustralian; Incite, 7iational Times, and Wednesday edition NorthShore Times (Sydney).

The job advertisement clippings file was compiled as a by-productof a job-placement service to students graduating or studyingprofessional courses in library and information studies. Theclippings were selected on the basis of the perceived suitabilityof particular jobs for Kuring-gai College of Advanced Educationstudents and graduates. The completeness of the file, even inthose terms could not however, be guaranteed, as students wereknown to have removed particular clippings from the file from timeto time or from the notice-board in the College where they wereinitially displayed.

Directory of on-line search services; edited by A. Byrne, 1984.

A number of services was traced through this directory, which werenot traced elsewhere.

Information Consultants, Freelancers and Brokers Directory,_ 1984;edited by J. Goddard, E. Hsieh, M., Wenklyn.

All references to New South Wales based enterprises were selected,and every second one listed for other states in Australia.

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Guide to Australian Agricultural Information Sources and Systems:revised 1983; by H.M. Russell.

All entries were scanned, but on the basis of the informationavailable none met the criteria for inclusion in the list..

Soule Self Help, and Community Organisations, 1984.

This list compiled in Sydney by the Association of Self HelpOrganisations and Groups was used to trace a number of support or'umbrella' organisations in the voluntary sector which met thecriteria as information enterprises.

Marketing Information Services Workshop participants list; compiledfor distribution at a Unesco Workshop, Canberra, December 1983.

This list covered a wide range of organisations, including severalwhich met the criteria for inclusion in the survey.

Directory of Australian Associations, 3rd edition, 1984.

The only immediately obvious heading was 'Information Systems' andthis was checked with little success. Enquiries regarding thepossibility of a keyword search on the titles of the associationsindicated that the data in the directory were not at that time oncomputer.

Community Aid and Information Centres, published in Sydney by the LocalCommunity Services Association.

This list was checked for information on the voluntary sector anda small selection of centres listed included in the study.

How and Where Directory, 5th edition, 1982.

The directory was scanned in its entirety and severalorganisations listed from it. Several organisations not listed inother sources were traced.

Directory of Australian Databases.

This directory published by the Australian Database DevelopmentAssociation provided names of several organisations not tracedelsewhere.

File on Information Brokers held at the State Library of New SouthWales Refererce Department.

The file consisted mainly of brochures and newspaper clippings.Several organisations were traced through this source.

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Community Information Sharing Service.

This voluntary ,:oordinating organisation when contacted placed anotice in circulated meeting note inviting individual centres tocontact the researcher with regard to their centres services. Twoadditional agencies were included in the study, as a result.

Record File for Informatics Agencies Laboratory, Department ofInformation Studies, Kuring-gai College of Advanced Education.

This file arranged by the names of organisations providinginformation services, provided a system of keeping track ofdescriptive materials donated to a collection for use by studentsstudying information agencies in all sectors (libraries,government departments, information brokers, etc.). The list waschecked for names of organisations, and several additional namestraced.

NoteWhere organisations were listed as having offices in more than one centre,the Sydney office only was included in the list.

2.3 Contacting the Information Enterprises

In November 1984, 185 letters were mailed to organisations identified aspotentially meeting criteria for information enterprises. A copy of theletter is contained in Appendix 4.

Telephone follow-up was begun after 3 weeks but abandoned after some 10calls when it was discovered that a series of mail disruptions in Sydney hadbadly affected mail both to and from the organisations.

In late January, after the holiday period, the follow-up procedure was begunanew. Phone-calls were attempted for all of New South Wales organisationswhich had not sent a reply. If the call was unsuccessful after 3 attempts,a duplicate letter and covering note was mailed out. Non-respondingorganisations outside New South Wales were sent a duplicate letter withcovering note.

In addition, letters were sent for the first time in late January to tenorganisations which had been identified as potential enterprises since thefirst November mailing.

In total 96 responses were received, out of the 1'5 organisations contacted.Nine letters were returned by the Post Office as 'Unknown at this Address'.

No claim is being made with regard to the 'sample' of organisation w chactually replied, No attempt was made to draw a random sample, the beingno suitable sampling frame in any case. It is the judgement of theresearcher however, that the net response to the study was such that theenterprises described reflects with reasonable accuracy the variety of arange of information enterprises in Australia. Where there may bedeficiencies is in the balance or numbers of each type of enterprise, i.e.

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the relative number of each type of enterprise should not be relied on as areflection of the balance Australia-wide.

2.4 Analysis of Responses

Responses came, as requested, in a variety of formats. The most frequenttype of materials received were publicity brochures and annual reports.Individual letters were also received.

Each response was broadly analysed under the following headings:

1. Type of organisation, as described by the organisation itself.

2. Access i.e. who could use the services provided.

3. Area of interest/subject coverage.

4. Stated aims of the information organisation (or informationdivision if the response came from an organisation with more thaninformation provision as a primary aim).

5. Main information services provided, analysed in relatioa to thedraft information transfer model.

6. Main information collections such as files, collections ofmaterials and so on, on which the service was based.

Several problems arose in the analysis, process. These are described belowalong with the steps taken to resolve them.

a. There were frequent gaps in the information provided. The gaps inthe information were filled by making phone calls to individualenterprises, but owing to the wide variety in the level andexpertise of persons dealing with the enquiry, interpretation wasoften necessary. The researcher found it difficult not to suggestresponses in several cases, as the respondent lacked even a basicconceptualisation of the information services being supplied bythe organisation in question, even though the organisationdescribed itself as one primarily involved in information. Itseemed to be a matter of the different perceptions by informationworkers, influenced perhaps by their work background andexperience.

The aims of the information service or division were not alwaysarticulated, particularly where the information service was partof a for-profit organisation. Where information on aims was notavailable from material supplied, a gap was left in the profile ofthe organisation concerned.

Information on the information resources available was eitherabsent, sketdhy or ambiguously stated from the researcher's pointof view in several cases. This aspect was followed up by phone orletter but not always with success.

23

27.

In addition the amount of detail and language used in theinformation supplied varied substantially, so that interpretationwas necessary from time to time to reduce (or expand) theinformation provided to a reasonably uniform level of detail. Thelanguage chosen is as far as possible the style of language usedin the materials and information supplied.

b. When responses from individual organisations were examined, asexpected a number had to be eliminated from the study as they didnot meet criteria for description as information enterprises orinsufficient evidence was available to apply the criteria.

Further groupings of information organisations had to beeliminated from the study as numerically they were too few toallow generalisations to be made about them. They included:

information organisations based on the professional expertiseof individuals including some trade associations ormanufactrring and marketing organisations which providespecialist services for clients or potential client. Theseservices while often described as information servicesappeared to be more related to advice services or theservices provided by an individual professional (e.g. alawyer) than to information service as defined in the presentstudy.

information organisations concerned with maintenance ofprivate data bases on computer. This type of enterpriseprovides facilities for e.g. individual firms to process andmaintain data generated in-house.

information organisations based on publication anddistribution of information resources, where there is noopportunity for potential information users to specify aninformation need and receive a response tailored to thatneed. Examples in this category are publishers of hard-copyindexes, or general up-dating material targeted at broadlydefined groups such as 'professionals'.

information organisations not open to the general public on afree or fee basis. This category includes services providedby associations and business organisations, available only tomembers, affiliated organisations or employees.

information organisations existing primarily to disseminateinformation to a mass audience. These included publicrelations organisations, and marketing divisions ofcommercial organisations.

, 24

28.

The net result of the processes of elimination of organisationsfrom the study was that 80 enterprises in two broad categories ofinformation enterprise remained. These were:

1. enterprises with the primary aim of providing responses, inany format, to individual enquiries generated by informationusers who come from outside the organisation itself. Theresponse to the enquiry in all such cases is based onretrieval of information from a systematically arrangedcollection of information (in any format). The enterprisemay also provide access to information collections on a self-serve basis. These enterprises were labelled 'InformationService Enterprises'.

2. enterprises with the primary aim of providing informationmanagement advice, consultancy and support to InformationService Enterprises. The enterprises were labelled'Information Management Enterprises'.

C. One of the stated aims of the study was the development of a modelwhich would demonstrate the information transfer role played at abroad societal level by the information organisations included inthe study. It had been anticipated that use of the draft modeldescribed in Section 2.1.3 above would allow completion of theanalysis of the data, before final revision of the model commencedHowever, the draft model was found to be too broad-brush toprovide a satisfactory focus and framework for the analysis ofservices and hence before the analysis could be completed themodel had to be substantially revised. The revision proceduresinvolved:

development of a list of services provided by individualenterprises

categorization of the services provided

revision of the information transfer model to accommodate thecategories of service

re-application of the model to all data describing servicesprovided by the enterprises studied, to verify thereliability of the analysis process and test the descriptivecapacity of the revised model.

The ,outcomes of these processes are contained in Sections 4.3 and 5.

Colament on the Research Methods

In general, the methods chosen were satisfactory given the exploratorynature of the study. Many decisions and revisions of procedures werenecessary as the study was in progress but this could be expected in work ofthis nature.

25

29.

3: PROFILES OF THE INDIVIDUAL INFORMATT" ENTERPRISES

31.

3.1 Introductory Notes

A profile of each information enterprise (IE) included in the study follows.It should be noted that fictitious names have been attached to each profile.The assigning of fictitious names was done for three reasons.

1. A number of information enterprises requested that information suppliedbe not identifiable to source.

2. The profiles are selective i.e. they relate only to those aspects ofthe individual enterprise directly related to the study. They do nottherefore give a complete picture of the individual enterprise as awhole.

3. The information in the profiles is based on extracts of a range ofgeneral printed materials, interpreted and 'standardised' into a formatuseful for the analysis of an enterprise for the purposes of the study.The researcher is concerned that this factor might be overlooked andthat in the event of the profiles being treated as authoritativedirectory information, the reader would be mislead.

The profiles are arranged alphabetically by the name (fictitious) of theenterprise.

3.2 Note on Information Provided in the Profiles

For each IE the following information is supplied:

fictitious name of IE. Where feasible the 'flavour' of the realname of the IE was retained. For example, if a communitybased IEincluded a reference to a particular locality in its name, afictitious locality was incorporated in the assigned name.

general type of organisation, or parent organisation e.g. privatecompany, professional association. The terminology of theorganisation concerned was used as far as possible, drawing onprinted material supplied to the researcher.

audience to whom the IE is oriented, with an indication where thisdiffers from the group which has access to the services on requestonly.

area of interest of the IE. This ranges from social issues tocomplex technical areas.

specific aims of the IE. In the case of IEs which are part oflarger organisations, it might be assumed that the aims of the IEare those of the parent organisation, however, only aims given forthe information enterprise itself are indicated.

services provided by the IE. These are the outputs of the IE, the'things' the IE provide for information users.

32.

. information resources and collections on which the services are

based. By definition Information Service Enterprises have, orhave access to a systematically arranged collection in some format

or another. Several Information Management Enterprises also holdcollections of information.

Note that the headings (1, 2, 3, etc) used below in the individual profilesare abbrev'ated versions of the above categories of information. (For

further explanatory notes on interpretation of profiles see Section 2.4).

28

33.

3.3 The Information Enterprises: Profiles

A.B. NICHOLLS

1. Type of Organisation: information brokerage.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons on a fee-for-servicebasis.

3. Area of Interest: energy resources, coal technology, water pollutionand water treatment.

4. Aims of Information Services: -

5. Information Services Provided:provide responses to queriesliterature searching

information packaging including preparation of abstracts,evaluation of documents, literature reviews.

6. Information Collections: not indicated.

ACCOMMODATION INFORMATION CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: regional resource development unit.

2. Access Policy: open.

3. Area of interest: housing

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide support, information andadvice to individuals and groups involved in housing, those providingdirect service and those involved in housing action and campaigns,students and interested others.

5. Information Services Provided:

publications, including newsheet, directories, research reports.referral to relevant government and voluntary organisations,resident action and tenant groups.compilation of research reports.support and advice of housing lobby groups.

6. Information Collections:

collection of materials on housing arranged by subje-t.

29

34.

AGENISINFO

1. Type of Organisation: service operated by a computer servicesorganisation on behalf of a group of stock and station agents.

2. Access Policy: intended primarily for stock and station agents on afee for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: at present limited to advertisements related to thebuying and selling of livestock, property and merchandise.

4. Aims of Information Service: to provide a videotex service forindependent stock and station agents.

5. Information Services Provided:distribution of information among agents via the system.electronic mail and bulletin board.other services include:

computerised cattle auctioning, weather reports, futuresreports, and a market commentarycomputer lata processing, such as accounting systemsaccess to software appropriate for rural industry.

6. Information Collections:data provided by users, held on computer.

AGRI-INFO

1. Type of Organisation: independent, for-profit company.

2. Access Policy: open to all persons and organisations, on fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: provides factual information relevant toagriculture; general news; agriculture; weather; prices; products;futures; finance; background information such as rail-freight costs,application rate for weed killer.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide an information andcommunication system for those involved in agriculture.

5. Information Services Provided:access to factual informationelectronic mail servicemanuals and indexes to facilitate use of servicenewsletterusers support service.

6. Information Collections:on-line data base from Australian and overseas sources.

30

35.

ALLIED INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SERVICE

1. Type-of Organisations: information brokerage.

2. Access Policy: open, on fee-for-Service basis.

3. Area of Interest: as required by client.

4. Aims of Information Services:


information management consultancy including traininginformation retrieval service using local and overseas databasesand manual sources.

6. Information Collections:access to local and overseas data-basesaccess to library network.

ALPHA LIBRARY CONSULTANTS

1. Type of Organisation: private sector, consultancy service.

2, Access Policy: orientati.nn towards school librarianship.

3. Area of Interest: related to school librarianship.



compilation, editing, indexing of publications in the field ofsmall or school library automation.

provision of educational activities to up-date librariansadvice on school library audiovisual or computing projects.


31

36.

AMERICAN INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: organisation responsible for U.S. governmentinformation disseminated overseas, in addition to administeringeducational exchange and cultural programmes.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons, at four Australianlocations.

3. Area of Interest: matters relating to the United States with emphasison politics, government, economics, defense and internationalrelations.


5. Information Services Provided:access to reference library collectionresponse to individual queries, from government departments,tertiary education, media, librariescurrent awareness bulletin, with document back-uploan of videotapes for educational institutions

6. Information Collections:library collectionaccess to overseas on-line data bases.

ANGELA PAGE CONSULTANCY


2. Access Policy: open, on fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: as specified by clients.


5. Information Services Provided:information management consultancyliterature searchingeditorial services for magazines

6. Information Collections:service based on access to library and information centres ofother organisations.

32

37.

ARCHIVES FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH

1. Type of Organisation: section of a research department at auniversity.

2. Access Policy: open on a feeforservice basis (free to universitystudents and staff).

3. Area of Interest: social, political and economic affairs.

4. Aims of Information Services: to collect and preserve computerreadable data ... and to make that data available for further analysis.


publish newsletters, directories, catalogues.referral to other sources of social science data.responses to queries about datasets and their availability.provision of datasets on magnetic tape with backgroundinformation on the dataset.provide a repository for datasets generated by social andpolitical science researchers.

6. Information Collections:.

online data bases, developed inhouseaccess to databases held overseas.

ASIAN INFORMATION CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: division of the consular services provided by anoverseas government in an Australian state.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons.

3. Area of Interest: information related to an Asian country.

4. Aims of Information Services: to disseminate information about anAsian country; to promote a wide variety of cultural activities.


provide displays, exhibitions, filmshowings.access to a reference and audiovisual library.consultation and enquiry service.referral on trade and tourist matters.publication and distribution of reports, newsletters, kits,pictures.lectures and educational courses on cultural topics and language.promotional activities e.g. essay competitions, school lectures,exchange schemes.


library collection including films, books, periodicals.collection of promotional literature.

33

38.

AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

1. Type of Organisation: national federation of organisations andindividuals. Funded from government and membership sources.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons and organisations.

3. Area of Interest: disability and rehabilitation.

4. Aims of Information Services: the aim of the Film and InformationService is to provide a resource for staff and members of theorganisation, and all other interested persons on disability matters.

5. Information Services Provided:access to collection of materials on disability andrehabilitation.mail, phone-in answer service in addition to "in-person" service.publications which include a Contents List Service; Extracts fromHansard Service; newsletter, film exchange.compile bibliographies.

6. Information Collections:collection of films, books, pamphlets, journals, reports, posters.

AUSTRALIAN COMPUTER GRCUP

1. Type of Organisation: for-profit organisation with four main operatingdivisions.

2. Access Policy: all persons on a fee-for-service basis. Orientationtowards other organisations rather than individuals.

3. Area of Interest: no limitation. As required by client.


5. Information Services Provided:maintain privately-owned computer data bases on behalf of client.provide access to public data bases e.g. census data.advisory service to enable customer to analyse data held oncomputer data bases.

6. Information Collections:range of data bases.

34

39.

AUSTRALIAN GEOSCIENCES FOUNDATION

1. Type of Organisation: independent national institution established bymining and petroleum industries operating in Australia, not-for-profitorganisation funded by income from courses and subscriptions frommining and petroleum.

2. Access Policy: available to foundation members, companies andconsultants.

3. Area of Interest: Geosciences.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide to members a range ofinformation services based on a specialist earth sciences library.


publish course manuals, books, computer-generated lists ofreferences, thesauri, tape-slide productions.training related to geoscience information.distribute annotated current awareness service based on accessionsto resource centre, with document back-up.provide responses to queries.book review scheme.

compile monthly publication on basis of scanning data base toselect new material relevant to field.coordinate an earth sciences information systempublish hard-copy quarterly which records new additions to theinformation system and microfiche cumulations.on-line searches of the earth science information system and otherAustralian and overseas data-bases.

provide bookshop specialising in publications from technical andlearned societies and foundation conference materials.


resource centre covering the geoscience disciplines.local and overseas data-bases.

35

40.

AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE FOR STANDARDISATION

1. Type of Organisation: independent body incorporated by Royal Charteroperating on nonprofit basis.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons and organisations.

3. Area of Interest: all areas covered by standards.

4. Aims of Information Services: to publish and promote the adoption ofstandards.

5. Information Services Provided:answer queries regarding standards.give access to reference copies of local and overseas standards.publication of standards.

6. Information Collections:collection of Australian and overseas standards.

AUSTRALIAN METALS ORGANISATION

1. Type of Organisation: association funded by mining industry.

2. Access Policy: available to industry and general public, includingschools.

3. Area of Interest: lead and zinc and their use.

4. Aims of Information Services: to develop the market for lead and zinc.

5. Information Services Provided:compile and publish education kits.publish quarterly magazines aimed at a specialist audience.loan service for films and video materialpublish regular newsletteranswer individual queries.


library collection, including films, videos, statisticalinformation.

36

41.

AUSTRALIAN NEWS AGENCY

1. Type of Organisation: news agency, operating on for-profit basis.

2. Access Policy: open on fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: current information on general, financial andsporting topics.



news and information bulletins transmitted to regular client'spremises by television.distribution of press releases.

responses to queries on sires on on-off or regular basis.

Information Collections:in-house data bases.

AUSTRALIAN VIDEOTEX

1. Type of Organisation: division of Australian Telecom.

2. Access Policy: available to all persons on fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: covers information related to industry, business,domestic ,...c,ncerns.


5. Information Services Provided:provide access to data bases held on coLputerprovide communication facility between users, or users and database providers.

6. Information Collections:range of data bases.

37

42.

CENTRE FOR INFORMATION ACCESS1. Type of Organisation: information brokerage.

2. Access Policy: open to all persons on fee-for-service basis.



5. Information Services Provided:information management consultancyresponses to queriescommunications facilities provisiondocument supplyoffice services such as typing, photocopying.

6. Information Collections: not indicated

CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

1. Type of Organisation: cooperative venture of a number of non-government development agencies.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons. Some services based onsubscription.

3. Area of Interest: information on the Third World, Australianaborigines and development issues.

4. Aims of Information Services: to research and disseminate informationconcerning the Third World, Australian aborigines, and developmentissues.

5. Information Services Provided:current awareness serviceaccess to library collectionprovision of copying facilitiesresponses to queries by phone, letter or in personbookshop service

6. Information Collections:library collections, including periodicals, pamphlets, monographs,audio-visual materials.

38

43.

CENTRE FOR METALS INFORMATION

1. Type of Organisation: association to promote use of copper.

2. Access Policy: available to all interested persons.

3. Area of Interest: related to copper and its use.



provide responses to queries on copper and its usepublish promotional materials based on scanning of other printedmaterials, e.g. journals, abstracts.

6. Information Collectionsaccess to data base held at a U.S. copper data centeraccess to current literature on copperstaff with expertise in area.

CENTRE FOR TECHNICAL AID TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

1. Type of Organisation: organisation funded by contributions Trimindividuals, business or service clubs and government. Operates onnon-profit basis.

2. Access Policy: open to people with disabilities or persons involved inrehabilitation engineering, caring for people with disabilities.

3. Area of Interest: related to technology for people with disabilities.

4. Aims of Information Services: provide information on technical aidsnot commercially available.

5. Information Services Provided:respond to individual queriespublish information sheets, journalsreferral to centres which provide information on commerciallyavailable aidsorganise seminars, workshops


library collection including books, journals, pamphlets.

39

44.

CITY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

1. Type of Organisation: Chamber of Commerce.

2. Access Policy: open to members. Some services available to public ona limited basis only.

3. Area of Interest: related to trade and commerce.

4. Aims of Information Services: to collect and circulate statistics andother information relating to ... trade, commerce, shippingmanufacturers ...

5. Information Services Provided:publication of reports, directories, bulletinseducational activities to promote use of servicesresponses to queries in area such as conditions of employment,potential markets, economics, taxationprovision of meeting facilitiesaccess to collection of trade and local publicationsprovision of translation servicesorganisation of briefing seminars by consular representatives.

6. Information Collections:library collectioncomputerised data bases

40

45.

CITY CONFERENCE AND VISITORS CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: non-profit organisation, with funding fromprivate and government sources.

2. Access Policy: persons interested in organising a conference orattending a confereL..:e in a particular capital city.

3. Area of Interest: information related to the capital city in which theCentre is located and relevant for conference organisers and attenders.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide advice and assistance toconference and meeting organisations, information and assistance to thegeneral' tourist.


answer queries of conference organisers and attendeespreparation of submissions for state or national bodies tohost a national, regional or international conference in thecapital city.compile and publish guides to venues, attractions, accommodationetc. in the capital city.

provide materials for promotion of particular conferences in thecapital city.

6. Information Collections:collection of materials arranged by venue, areadirectories of facilities.

CITY FUTURES EXCHANGE

1. Type of Organisation: financial institution trading in futures.

2. Access Policy: members and all interested persons on fee-for-servicebasis.

3. Area of Interest: related to futures trading.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide information and education formembers and the general public.

5. Information Services Provided:provide regular reports ano statistical summariescorrespondence courses, lecturespublications about the exchange, including lecture notes.hire of films and other audiovisual materialsrecorded message service

6. Information Collections:computer data bases

collection of audiovisual and print material.

41

46.

COALITION OF SELF HELP ORGANISATIONS

1. Type of Organisation: community-based organisation providing supportto self-help organisations and groups.

2. Access Policy: orientation towards groups, but provide some servicesalso to individuals.

3. Area of Interest: related to self-help.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide a register of self-helporganisations and an information service ...

5. Information Services Provided:provide access to a register of self-help organisations and groupsprovide responses to self-help and general organisations,disabilityprovide referral to other agenciessupport to self-help groups in development stagecommunity research and 'corporate advocacy'organisation of lectures by coalition membei-s

6. Information Collections:directoriesreference collection

COMMUNITY SERVICE SUPPORT GROUP

I. Type of Organisation: resources and advocacy organisation to supportdevelopment of community services.

2. Access Policy: community based agencies working in development and/orinformation areas; individuals or organisations requiring informationabout the group's area of interest.

3. Area of Interest: related to community development, information andaid.

4. Aims of Information Services: to support the development of communityinformation services provided by member organisations.

5. Information Services Provided:provide advice and consultancy on development of serviceprepare submissions for government, respond to request for viewson area of interestaccess to a reference collection of materials related to thegroup's interestscompile publications e.g. directories, manuals nn informationsystems fez use by member organisations.

6. Information Collections:reference collection.

42

47.

CONS UMERS PUBLIC INTEREST ORGANISATION

1. Type of Organisation: non-profit organisation to help consumers.

2. Access Policy: open to general public on membership basis.

3. Area of Interest: all matters related to consumer affairs.



publication of consumer magazines and reportsresponses to queries and consumer complaints submitted by membersaccess to library collections (by appointment for public)compilation of submissions to government and other authorities incontact with manufacturers and importersprovides speakers to a variety of venues

compile background research documents to support organisation'sactivitiescurrent awareness service

6. Information Collections:library collection includingreports, news clippingsaccess to local and overseascomputer data-base developedcorrespondence.

reference materials, journals, annual

on-line data basesin-house for documents and

COORDINATION CENTRE FOR COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

1. Type of Organisation: link-up organisation for a network of autonomouscommunity-based groups.

2. Access Policy: membership open to individuals and groups.

3. Area of Interest: related to development and promotion of _ommunityactivities centres.

4. Aims of Information Services: ... to act as an information resourceand exchange centre ...

5. Information Services Provided:provides advice on programming, funding, etc.access to a resource centre with a variety of communityinformation

provides educational activities, such as training workshops,information exchanges.

publishes newsletter, manuals for centre operators, directoriesprovide access to loan collection of craft and outdoor equipment.


collection containing reports, directories, newsletters,monographs.

43

48.

CRAFTWORKERS INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: nongovernment, company limited by guarantee.

2. Access Policy: open to interested persons. Some services based onfeeforservice.

3. Area of Interest: crafts in Australia and overseas.

4. Aims of Information Services:To act as a focal point for the dissemination of information onthe crafts in Australia and overseas.To publish books periodicals and leaflets and produce films andslide kits.To promote, crafts, arts and 6esign in Australia and encouragehigh standards of workmanship to be established and maintained.

5. Information Services Provided:publication programme includes a newsheet, a national journal, andcraft resource materials, posters, directories, brochures, filmssupplying information on e.g. craftspeopleadvise on establishment of statelevel information services byState Councilsprovide access to craft journals library and other materials suchas slides.

6. Information Collections:register of Australian craftspeople of all levels.slide library.journals library.

DAILY PRESS INFORMATION CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: division of a media organisation.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons, some services on feeforservice basis. Some services oriented to schools.

3. Area of Interest: as required by client. Emphasis on communityinformation.


5. Information Services Provided:answers to queries including bibliographic queriessupply of documentspress clipping service on nominated topicspublication of e.g. resource booklets for schoolseducational activities including lectures, workshops on use ofservice

6. Information Collections:newspapers published by parent organisationcommunity information files.

44

49.

DAS INFORMATION SERVICE






access to an overseas on-line interactive information retrievalsystem

educational activities on use of the system.

6. Information Collections:on-line data base.

DELTA INFORMATION MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS

1. Type of Organisation: private sector organisation.

2. Access Policy: open to all persons on a fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: -


5. Information Services Provided:information management consultancymarketing of computer software.


45

50.

DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: communitybased organisation, with somegovernment funding.

2. Access Policy: community information policy and activities.

3. Area of Interest: orientation towards agencies providing communityinformation sa.a community information service.

4. Aims of Information Services:to provide a link between government and centres providingcommunity information originating in the government sector, withemphasis on state government level.tc., draw together ideas from a wide spectrum to assist indevelopment of community information policy.to encourage involvement of communities themselves in communityinformation activities.


provide a reference collection of materials about communityinformation provisionpublish information packages, newsletterorganise and support promotional activities for communityinformation centresstimulate cooperative activities and interchange in the communityinformation area by circulation of material, encouragement ofregional and subregional networks of community informationnetworks.

6. Information Collections:reference collection of materials relevant to provision ofcommunity information.

46

51.

EARTH CONSERVATION GROUP

1. Type of Organisation: non-profit, community-based organisation.

2. Access Policy: all interested persons.

3. Area of Interest: conservation related e.g. rain-forests, nuclearissues, energy conservation.

4. Aims of Information Services: to promote conservation awareness andconcern among members, general public.

5. Information Services Provided:respond to individual queriesreferral to other agencies

compile newsletter, information sheet, information kitsprovide speakers on conservationinformation activities with other organisationsprovide access to library collection.


library collection, includes pamphlets, books, newsletters,periodicals.

47

52.

ENERGY 'RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: based on membership drawn from companies :Ingagedin exploration, development mining and processing uranium ores inAustralia.


3. Area of Interest: uranium and nuclear energy.

4. Aims of Information Services:to provide information about the development of the Australianuranium industry, the contribution it can make to world energysupplies and the benefits it will bring to Australia.to promote a flow of factual information on all aspects of themining and processing of uranium, the role of nuclear energy insupplying part of the world's electricity needs and the associatednuclear fuel cycle.

5. Information Services Provided:produce and distribute publications, including a regularnewsletter and the provision of material to the news mediaanswers queries received in writing and by telephoneprovides speakersconducts seminars

6. Information Collections:library of filmsreference librarycontact with similar organisations overseas.

ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION REFERRAL SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: operated by an international agency.

2. Access Policy: available to interested individuals and organisations.

3. Area of Interest: wide range of topics related to the environment.

4. Aims of Information Services: to assist organisations and individualsin locating worldwide sources of technical, scientific andenvironmental information.

5. Information Services Provided:referral to services of environmental information around the worldpromotion of service in Australia.

6. Information Collections:manual and computerbased directories.

48

53.

ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: information centre which forms part of alobbying group's activities on conservation matters.

2. Access Policy: all persons and organisations interested inconservation.

3. Area of Interest. conservation-related topics.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide a public information andresource base for individuals and organisations interested inconservation.

5. Information Services Provided:arrange displays in a variety of venuesprovide speakers on environmental topicsoffice facilities, meeting rooms

book-shop service for books, posters, and other publicationsprovide answers to query. s.


library collection including environmental impact statements.

FACTE1

1. Type of Organisation: based on an affiliation of organisations toprovide a videotex system for the travel industry.

2. Access Policy: main users will be travel agents but any organisationor individual in the tourism industry who requires the information w411have access. Fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: related to trav,:l industry and including informationprovided by airlines, tour operators, accommodation chains, car-rentaland insurance companies.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide an information andreservations facility for travel agents.


access to information on range of services and their availability.communication facility between agents, provides and industryprincipals with electronic mail and bulletin board.


data-bases provided by various information providers.

49

54.

FASTFWCTS

1. Type of Organisation: information research division of large mediaorganisation.

2. Access Policy: open, on fee-for-service or membership basis.

3. Area of Interest: as required by client, but oriented to business.


5. Information Services Provided:responses to queries

copying service of press clippings on nominated topics on one-offor regular up-dating basistelephone research, presented in report formatcomprehensive studies on particular companies and productsindepth industry profiles and market analysismarket research based on field worksupply of documents

6. Information Collections:in-house data-base which includes full text of some businesspublicationsaccess to overseas data-bases and information organisationsmedia library.

FORESTGLER LOCATOR SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: organisation supported and controlled by achsmbev of commerce.


3. Area of Interest: Information on where a particular item may bepurchased a type of servlce obtained in theiadustrial/retail/commercial suburb of Forestglen.

4. Aims of Information Services: to promote the industrial/retail/commercial aspects of Forestglen.

5. Information Services Provided:response to enquiries.


local directories, including 'Yellow Pages'.

L,

aseil

50

55.

GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY

1. Type of Organisation: special interest organisation.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons. Membership available.

3. Area of Interest: Genealogy.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide research facilities forfamily historians.

5. Information Services Provided:access to library collection

publication of materials for family historians including researchguides and a journal

provision of course of study to accredit genealogical researchers.


library collections including monographs, microforms, journals,reference materials.

HISTORY ASSOCIATION

1. Type of Organisation: special interest, community organisation.

2. Access Policy: services available free to members, and to generalpublic on a fee for service basis.

3. Area of Interest: Australian history, with emphasis on one Australianstate


5. Information Services Provided:provide access to library collection

publications, including journals, newsletter, occasional booksenquiry service by phone and letter.


library including manuscripts, archives, slides, microforms.

51

INFORMATION ASSOCIATES


2. Access Policy: open to all persons on a fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: as required by clients.


5. Information Services Provided:information management consultancyconducts 'surveys' in any field requestedpreparation of state-of-the-art reportssearching local and overseas data bases for specific queries.

6. Information Collections:access to local and overseas data bases.

INFORMATION CENTRE FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

1. Type of Organisation: division of an international governmentalagency.


3. Area of Interest: areas related to interests of the organisation'sgeneral assembly e.g. trade statistics, apartheid.

4. Aims of Information Services: to disseminate information to thegeneral public about the organisation's activities and interests.

5. Information Services Provided:responses to individual queriesaccess to collection of materialspublication of monthly newsletterprovide speakers to promote the organisation as a whole.

6. Information Collections:library collectionaccess to film and photographic collectionsaccess to collections held by the organisation in other citiese.g. Geneva, New York, Bangkok.

52

5G.

57.

INFORMATION CENTRE FOR MIGRANTS

1. Type of Organisation: division of a financial institution.

2. Access Policy: all persons resideat in Australia for less than 12months.

3. Area of Interest: matters related to banking and settlement inAustralia.


5. Information Services Provided:advice on banking

information and entitlements, legal requirements and so onrelevant to living in Australiareferral to service agencies, government departments etc.translation service

6. Information Collections:directories

materials distributed by government and other agencies.

INFORMATION AND HEALTH CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: community-based organisation, with funding fromgovernment and non-government sources.

2. Access Policy: all interested persons.

3. Area of Interest: community information including health, welfare,education, recreation, transport, life-styles, clubs, associations,etc.


5. Information Services Provided:responses to enquiriesreferral to other agencies or professional organisationsmaintain community noticeboardsprovide space for meetings by groupsdisplays

arrange educational activities to promote the service e.g.lectures.

6, Information Collections:pamphlet collectioninformation file on cards.,

53

IiIMIIMia

58.

INFORMATION SERVICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

1. Type of Organisation: nongovernment organisation to promote fullparticipation and equality of people with disabilities.

2. Access Policy: available to groups and people with physical,intellectual, sensory and psychiatric disabilities.

3. Area of Interest: services available, gaps in service provision,rights, and issues relevant to people with disabilities.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide a clearing house forinformation relevant to people with disabilities.

5. Information Services Provided:responses to queriesreferrals to other resource centre e.g. for equipment, interstateservicepublication of a newsletteraccess to a library collectionaccess to office equipment and space for groups.

6. Information Collections:information files and kitslibrary collection

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59.

INFORMATIONFINDERS

1. Type of Organisation: division of a larger communicationsorganisation. Operates on a for-profit basis.

2. Access Policy: open to all comers, on a fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: scientific, technicLi, economic, administrativearea. Orientation to business community.

4. Aims of Information Services: to complement existing informationresources already accessible to users or to provide a completeinformation service.

5. Information Services Provided:. provide factual answers

on-line searching of local and overseas data-basesresearch and analysis service which provides synthesis on areas inthe form of state-of-the-art reports, literature summaries,analytical reports, industry profilesreferral to subject expertsdocument delivery

publication and distribution of information products e.g.directories.

6. Information Collections:internally held resources such as published directories, referencebooks, almanacs, trade directories.local and overseas databases.

access to Australian and overseas information centres.network of experts in various fields.

INFOSEARCH RETRIEVAL SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: international company, operating on for-profitbasis.

2. Access Policy: open, based on fee-for-service.

3. Area of Interest: "virtually every subject in the world".


5. Information Services Provided:provide lists of referenceslists of annotated referencesfacts based on e.g. statistics, directory listings, full-textarticles and newswires, financial datatraining in use of on-line systemcurrent awareness service


computer-based, on-line data bases.

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60.

INFOTECH INFORMATION SERVICES


2. Access Policy: open to all persons, on a feeforservice basis.

3. Area of Interest: emphasis on technical information, relevant tomining industry in one Australian state, business information.


5. Information Services Provided:online computer searches, local and overseas databases,current awareness servicedocument deliveryinformation management consultancy

6. Information Collections:access to computerised data basesaccess to resources of information services in geographical area.

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATION

1. Type cf Organisation: international agency, financed by membershipsubscriptions, donations and local fundraising efforts.

2. Access Policy: membership open to all persons.

3e Area of Interest: related to human rights.


5. Information Services Provided:access to collection of materials generated at London headquartersand locallypublish newsletterprovide lectures, educational activities to promote organisationrespond to individual enquirydisseminate information to media and other organisations.

6. Information Collections:collection of materials, systematically arrangedaccess to research and documentation centres based at Londonheadquarters.

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61.

IRS COMPUTER SERVICES

1. Type of Organisation: private sector, operating on for-profit basis.


3. Area of Interest: as required by client, with emphasis on Australianmaterial.



maintenance of private data-base service for on-line storage andretrieval of numeric and textual information.provide access to Australian on-line computerised data baseseducational activities to promote use of serviceelectronic mail service

6. Information Collections:Australian data bases.

J.L. ALLEN GROUP

1. Type of Crganisation: private company offering computer services andproducts.


3. Area of Interest: numeric data related to business and industry.


5. Information Services Provided:provide access to public online numeric data basesprovide range of data retrieval and business graphics software foruse e.g. with public numeric data bases and to combine data fromthe organisation's public data bases and other data bases.provide communications facility.

6. Information Collections:local and overseas on-line computer-based systems.

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62.

JONES - INFORMATION SPECIALIST

1. Type of Organisation: information brokerage operating on for profitbasis.


3. Area of Interest: no limitation. As required by client.


5. Information Services Provided:bookshop services local and overseas materialson-line information retrieval servicedocument deliveryselective dissemination of information servicegeneral research service based on manual retrieval systemsinformation consultancypatent searchprofiles of patent holders active in particular areas of businessaccess to Japanese information servicestelefacsimile and electronic document tLansmission.

6. Information Collections:on-line computer data basesaccess via 1-Iter-lending system to the library network.

KING INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: private sector.

2. Access open on fee-for-service basis. Orientated tobusinesses and libraries.

3. Area of Interest: related to information management, automation.


5. Information Serdces Provided:provides information management consultancycompile publications related to business and professionalinterestsorganise educational activities on information area.


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63.

LEGAL INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: private sector. Company working under agreementwith two state governments.

2. Access Policy: all interested persons on fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: legal information including state governmentreports, acts, statutory instruments, "secondary" material includingdigests, directories.



access.to on-line data-bases including full-text data-basescommunications facility for users, including electronic mail,bulletin board.

educational courses promoting use of the information system.

6. Information Collections:on-line data base.

LIR MANAGEMENT SERVICES

1. Type of Organisation: private sector, for-profit.

2. Access policy: all persons, on fee-for-service basis.



5. Information Services Providedinformation management consultancyundertake literature searches

compile information packages and bibliographies.


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64.

MEDIA INFORMATION dERVICE

I. Type of Organisation: private company operating on a for-profit basis.

2. Access Policy: open, on a fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: any area covered by major Australian dailies;country papers in one state; trade and business magazines; Asian papersand journals; parliamentary and business releases.


5. Information Services Provided:clippings from serials and parliamentary and business releases onbasis of individual or organisational needmonitoring of specialised Asian or other international pressanalysis of press to determine e.g. business potential, gaps inexposure.

6. Information Collections:local, state, national and international serials.

MIDDLE EAST INFORMATION OFFICE

I. Type of Organisation: information and public relations division of apolitical organisation.


3. Area of Interest: related to a middle eastern political issue.


5. Information Services Provided:publish newspaper, newsletter, booklets, posters.respond to individual enquiriesdistribute information on regular basis to 'opinion leaders'.

6. Information Collections:collection of directories, cuttings, journals, etc..

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MOBILE INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: community-basednot-for-profit basis.

2. Access Policy: open to all interestedareas in a number of locations.

65.

organisation, operating on a

persons, operates in inner-city

3. Area of Interest: non-commercial everyday information as requested.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide an on-the-street informationand referral service for inner city residents and workers; to reachthose who might not otherwise receive information by more conventionalmethods.

5. Information Services Provided:responses to queries

referral and support in using other services

6. Information Collections:information filespamphlet collection

MORETON COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: community-based organisation, with somegovernment funding.

2. Access Policy: open to all persons.

3. Area of Interest: information relevant to the locality, i.e. communityinformation.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide a range of programmes,resources and services to the local community.


information about the localityreferral to appropriate sources

publish information products including directoriesmaintain community noticeboardsprovide an information column for a local newspaperprovide facilities for social workers and government departmentrepresentatives to see community membersspecialist counselling e.g financial.


66.

NANDA COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: support organisation for community basedinformation service.

2. Access Policy: open to individuals or community groups. Membershipavailable.

3. Area of Interest: information relevant to community organisation anddevelopment.

4. Aims of Information Services:to ensure adequate useable Information reaches community groups,interested individuals and local government authorities in theregion through

collecting, collating, interpreting and distributinginformation about government policies, and resourceallocation decisionsidentifying issues of concern to the region and researchingsuch issuescollecting, collating and interpreting available and newresearch done on the regionresearching the forms in which information is most acceptableto them.

to establish support and develop organisations and structures tofacilitate the flow of information in the region.

5. Information Services Provided:disseminate information on government structures and policiesdecisionscollect and analyse demographic data on the areaanalyse and synthesise information on particular issuesprovide annotated bibliographies for use by p3anning grouppublish newsletters and information brochuresprovide advice on information management.

6. Information Collections:selective catalogued library of information resources.

62

and

67.

NEWSPAPER IN THE CLASSROOM PROJECT

1. Type of Organisation: division of a large media organisation.

2. Access Policy: available to schools on fee basis. Materials forteachers distributed free.

3. Area of Interest: no limitation - as required by clients.


5. Information Services Provided:publication of resource booklets, curriculum materialspromotion activities e.g. competitionssupply of press clippings on nominated topicsadvice service on use of newspapers in the classroom.

6. Information Collections:files of newspapers published by parent organisation.

PA17,IIIA HART CONSULTANCY SERVICES

1. Type of Organisation: information broker.


3. Area of Interest: cartographic and geographic related subjects.


5. Information Services Provided:advisory - referral services, e.g. valuation, conservation,exhibition planning

researching primary and secondary resourcesbibliographic services, e.g. cataloguing, advising on preparationof cartographic materialadvice and training for institutions holding cartographiccollections

6. Information Collections: not indicated

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68.

POLITICAL MONITORING AND INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: information brokerage operating on a for-profitbasis.

2. Access Policy: all interested, on fee basis, but oriented to businessand industry.

3. Area of Interest: political and legislative information based on thepublic record of government activities at federal and (one) statelevel.

4. Aims of Information Service: to provide information which will improvean organisation's effecti.,..mess in government relations management.

5. Information Services Provided:monitoring of the public record of government and politicalactivitiesconsultancy on information access procedures on basis of freedomof information legislationdelivery of material related to client's need profile, on aregular basis or as requestedprovision of access to a data-base with information on statementson policy issues by government, departments, agencies and specialinterest groupsprovision of speakers on government relations issuescompile analytical research papers on political and policy issuesmaintenance of a political and governmental directory

6. Information Collections:computerised data basesdirectories

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69.

RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR AUSTRALIAN WINE

1. Type of Organisation: company limited by guarantee.

2. Access Policy: wine industry and persons and organisations associatedwith the wine industry e.g. research institute staff, students,companies providing services to the wine industry.

3. Area of Interest: oenology and viticulture.

4. Aims of Information Services: collection, collation and disseminationof information on oenological and viticultural research to the benefitof the wine industry.

5. Information Services Provided:publish bimonthly journalaccess to documents in library collectionanswer technical enquiries


library collection of monographs and journalswine data-base (at development stage)overseas on-line data bases.

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70.

RESOURCE CENTRE FOR BUILDING INFORMATION

1. Type of Organisation: private company which exhibits building productsin a non-selling environment.

2. Access Policy: open to all persons. Some aervices provided on a fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: information relevant to building, includingproducts, manufacturers, suppliers, trade names, standards andregulations.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide an information and advisoryservice tailored to meet the needs of architects, builders, home ownersand renovators.

5. Information Services Provided:trade literature of exhibitors supplied free on requestdisplays of building productsbookshop service selling materials and plans, compiled in-houseand these published elsewhereanswers to enquiries by phone, letter or in personcompilation of special reports, kits and guidespublication of magazine3 promoting building materials andfittings.

6. Information Collections:technical library with wide range of materialstrade literature collectioncollection of plans, with associated computer selection facilitymaterials such as kits and guides compiled in-house.

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71.

RESOURCE CENTRE FOR ENERGY CONSERVATION

1. Type of Organisation: organisational arrangement between five stateenergy authorities. Includes a mobile information centre whichoperates in a range of locations.

2. Access Policy: open to all, but with particular orientation onschools.

3. Area of Interest: energy conservation.

4. Aims of Information Services: to give consistent and comprehensiveinformation on all aspects of energy conservation.


referral to appropriate energy agencies for answers to specificquestions

educational activities, such as lectures and custom-designedprogrammes

production of computer-based teaching kits, films, booklets andpdstersprovides displaysresponses to individual enquiries

6. Information Collections:staff expertise

resource materials collection including magazines, brochures,reference books.

RESOURCES FOR SUPPORT FOR CANCER PATIENTS

1. Type of Organisation: educational, non-profit organisation.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons, with orientation tocancer patients.

3. Area of Interest: areas related to cancer with emphasis on therapiesincluding food preparation and nutritional approaches.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide information to interestedpeople on developments in cancer research and therapies with emphasison "wholistic approaches ... not yet in general use in conventionalpractice ..."


access to materials, including articles, tapes, bookspublish regular newsletteradvice on preparation of foodworkshopsresponse to queries

6. Information Collections:library collection.

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72.

SMITH AND HARVEY

1. Type of Organisation: division of a multi-national corporation.

2. Access Policy: oriented to business community, but open to all on fee-for-service, including memberships basis.

3. Area of Interest: business including consumer services, marketing,recoverable control.


5. Information Services Provided:answers to queries in business areapublication of reference materials, newsletterscompilation of special reports including reports commissioner byclientsupdating on nominated topics e.g. credit rating of particularcompanies.


on-line data bases produced in-house e.g. potential customersoverseas data basesreference materials.

STOCK EXCHANGE INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: financial institution incorporated in a publiccompany limited by guarantee.

2. Access Policy: all interested persons.a fee-for-services basis.

3. Area of Interest: related to the stock


Most services are provided on

exchange and its operations.

5. Information Services Prov'de:provide lectures and edacational activitiesanswers to queriespublications e.g. special reports, reviews, handbooks.

6. Information Collections:library collectionson-line data bases developed in-house

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73.

SUNFIELD NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: community-based neighbourhood centre, voluntarysector with some government funding.


3. Area of I.terest: services available in area of centre and othercommunity neighbourhood development related information.

4. Aims of information Services: to provide information, activities andsupport for the local commnity ... and a local resource-base wherebyaction or discussion of issues of local importance can be initiated orlobby groups assisted.

5. Information Services Provided:. provide information on local services

referral to other servicespublish newsletter

carry out research on local community and its needs


'structured information system' with government departmentp )lications, reports, census data, pamphlets, magazines andnewsletter.

centre-based research material generated bysurvey of local community identifying needs and change overtime

record of referrals and enquiriesinformation network established through contact with otherneighbourhood centres, umbrella organisations and interest groups.

69

0

74.

THE AMERICAN COMPANY

1. Type of Organisation: high technology research organisation, providinganalysis of products and markets.


3. Area of Interest: high technology including computing, communications,all aspects of office accommodation, 'he "home of the future" andfactory systems.


5. Information Services Provided:conduct user and potential user surveyscompile state-of-the-art reportsconduct seminarsresponses to enquiries on technologyprovide access to on-line data bases, compiled in-housepublish newsletterscurrent awareness bulletins on product trends, changes ingovernmental regulatory policies and so on.

6. Information Collections:on-line data bases.

THE INFORMATION CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: for profit organisation.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested, on fee-for-service basis.

3. Area of Interest: date-specific event and service information in theareas of leisure; educational, sport, health, communication, -omputersand service information in the welfare area.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide information to the radio andprint media, to publish consumer guides.

5. Information Services Provided:information compilations to client specificationspublications for consumers related to e.g. choice of school.

6. Information Collections:in-house file arranged by event and service.

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THE MANAGEMENT INSTUME

1. Type of Organisation: national management organisation, privatesector.

2. Access Policy: open to personal members or employees of memberorganisatf.)ns. Collection open to general public on reference basisonly.

3. Area of Interest: management.



publish newsletter and specialist surveysresponses to queriesreferral to appropriate sourcesbookshop service for local and overseas publicationson-line and manually compi4.ed bibliographiesdocument delivery

regular surveys of personnel practices, particularly salary rates,based on collection analysis and synthesis of information fromprimary sources.


library collection of monographs, journals, vertical files,reference materialson-line data base, local and overseas.

76.

THE MUSIC CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: national music organisation which is a companylimited by guarantee.

2. Access Policy: open to all persons interested in contemporary music.Membership also available.

3. Area of Interest: areas related tc contemporary Australian music.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide an information service onAustralian composition and composers; to publi:11 material such asscores and records, provide access to materials from music centresoverseas.

5. Information Services Provided:access to library collections, including tapes, scoresresponses to queries particularly those related to Australiancomposition and composerspublication and distribution of materials e.g. on new music,scores, recordingsprovision of listening facilities for recordingsorganising seminars, workshops for persons interested in new musicpromotion of Australian music through participation in nationaland international exhibits, conferences and so on.

6. Information Collections:library collection including scores, tapes, periodicalsdata base of Australian compositions developed in-housedirectories, catalogues and other lists related to e.g. brassband, choral music, music organisations, bibliographies ofcomposers.

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77.

THE NEW SOUTH WALES TRUST

1. Type of Organisation: non-profit community organisation.

2. Access Policy: open to all interested persons. Membership available.

3. Area of Interest: matters related to the conservation of Australia'snational and man-made environment.



prepares submissions on eavirormental issuescompiles reports on the environmentmaintains a register of items considered part of the State'senvironmental heritage

provides information to all levels of governmentpublishes books, and other materialsmounts displays, exhibitions

arranges lectures and other educational activitiesresponds to individual enquiries.


register of items considered part of heritagephotographic collectioncollection of materials on environmental issueslibrary collection books, periodicals, etc.

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78.

TRADE UNION' INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: trade union.

2. Access Policy: elected officials, appointed officers, ship stewards,members of the union. Students admitted by agreement.

3. Area of Interest: industrial relations, trade unions, politics,selected industries, occupational health and safety, social issues,law, economics, computers and technology.

4. Aim of Information Services:

5. Information Services Provided:responses to queriespreparation of information packages including packages based oninterpretation, restating information in a less complex formcurrent awareness service based on journal circulation andphotocopies of articles from print media, and from electronicmediapublish bulletin with information on major industri: commissioncases and research of interest to memberspromotion of service through educational activit6ies

6. Information Collections:library collections of the Information Service and otherdepartments of the unionaccess to special and university librariesnetwork of personal contactsmanual and computer-based data-bases, developed in-house on topicssuch as awardscollections of special materials, such as Arbitration Commissionhearing transcripts, minutes of meetings

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79.

WEST CITY INFORMATION SERVICE

1. Type of Organisation: voluntary organisation.

2. Access Policy: all interested persons, but service is aimed at councilalderman and staff, libraries, community workers, researchers, membersof parliament, government departments, community groups, the media,business and schools.

3. Area of Interest: information on the western region of a capital citywhich is relevant to users and providers of services.

4. Aims of Information Services: to improve the quality and range ofservices provided in existing information services in 4-1-e region; toestablish new information services and outlets in the region; to builda regional -.!ata and information bank; to provide informationconsultancy to local government; to carry out and encourage researchon matters affecting the opportunities and circumstances of residents;to facilitate the flow of data and information to key decision-makersand residents; to identify needs and resources; to improve governmentresponse to needs in the region.


facilitate information exchange between groups throughorganisation of meetings

publication of compilation of statistical information on theregion; newsletteraccess to reports, and data on the region

access to specialised data-bases developed in-house in e.g. labourmarket

advice on information services and systemsaccess to library collection

compilation of directories, listings, bibliographiesresponse to queries

advice and stimulation of researchaccess to some office equipment on fee basis.


computer-based data bases, developed in-houselibrary collection

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80.

WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTRE

1. Type of Organisation: part of a state government department, but usessome volunteer workers and funding from a variety of sources.

2. Access Policy: open to all women.

3. Area of Interest: major categories are health, welfare, housing,finance, child care, family law, pensions and social security;specialist professionals for women; women in nontradition,' areas,e.g. female tradeworkers; women's organisations; current womensissues; referral information to services at state and federal level.

4. Aims of Information Services: to provide a specialised information andreferral for the women

5. Information Services Provided:provide answers to queries in person or by telephonereferral to appropriate sourcesprepare submissionsprepare publicationsprovide speakers on specialist topicsaccess to information resources


pamphlets and handouts from a range of organisationskits on specific topics.

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81.

4: THE INFORMATION ENTERPRISES: CATEGORIES AND

GENERAL SUMMARIES OF CHARACTERISTICS

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4.1 Introduction

As indicated in Section 2 on methods used for the study, two major types ofinformation enterprise were concentrated on. These we..e:

1. Information Management Enterprises (IME)

2. Information Service Enterprises (ISE)

Little difficulty was experienced in identifying the basis of this divisionof the enterprises under study. However, when it came to further developingsub-groups or categories of these two broad types of enterprise, as requiredby the aims of the study the identification of a framework provedproblematic. Sub-groupings were attempted on several bases, such asfunding sources, major services provided, stated aim, place in, andrelationship to, wider organisations and so on. None of these proved eitherfruitful or conceptually unambiguous. Finally an approach was developedwhich focused on the motivation or purpose for provision of service. Thisin the event was found relatively unambiguous and appeared at the same timea useful basis for the categorization of information enterprises.

No strong claim is being made that the categorization is `cast -iron` inapplication. The researcher in determining purpose and motivation forinformation service provision had to rely on an extremely diverse range ofmaterials and information. Had deeper exploration and discussion withservice providers been undertaken it might have been discovered that thematerials were perhaps out-of-date, that they had been incorrectlyinterpreted, or that the orientation of the enterprise had changed. Thejudgements however, had to be made for practical reasons on the availableinformation, given the exploratory nature of the study, and the researcherhas some confidence in their validity.

In brief the categories of information enterprise identified were:

A. Information Management Enterprises1. Community Based Information Management Enterprises2. For-profit Information Management Enterprises

B. Information Service Enterprises1. Community Welfare Information Service Enterprises2. Special Interest Information Services Enterprises3. Information Services Enterprises Designed Promute the

Interests of an Organisation or Group4. Information Services Based on Information Brokerages

a. Resource Providers

(i) Computer-based Resource Providers(ii) PriLlt-based Resource Providers

b. Factfinders

The fictitious names of information enterpr' signed to the variouscategories and on which the summaries beim" Jed are indicated inAppendix 5. Summariec of the lharacteristics of the categories ofinformation enterprise studied, follows.

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4.2 Characteristics of Categories of Information Enterprises

a. Information Management Enterprises

The primary role of the Information Management Enterprises (IME) studied isto provide consultancy, advice, and other general support to enterprises(and information organisations in general) which provide direct service toindividuals and groups of information users.

There were two broad types of IME identified:

1. those with a community base operating on altruistic principles andin the general area of community information (1)

2. organisations operating on a for-profit basis, many with anorientation towards organisations serving the business community.

1. Community Based Information Management Enterprises

While they have a community base all of these organisations receive asubstantial part cf their funding from state and local governments. Theyhave common concerns, yet each has a specialist interest in the communityinformation field. These range from government information and self-help tothe development and promotion of the totality of information services in agiven geographical area.

In several cases these enterprises maintain substantial informationcollections, and make them available to other organisations. In a few casesthey also deal with enquiries from individuals, supplying facts or referralas appropriate.

A distinguishing feature of the community based IMEs is their politicalbasis. They act as lobbying groups to improve, for example, governmentservices in particular areas such as housing, but also work to improve theoverall status and funding of information services by .overnment.

The motivations and aims of the enterprises are based on altrusticprinciples and although these stem from a range of political ideologies,there is a common underlying belief, namely that people have a right to

(1) Community Information has been described by McIntyre et al (1980) as"information that people believe they have a right to know, anobligation to know, and a need to know for meeting everyday livingrequirement, for improving their lives and well-being, for influencingthe nature of their communities, and for advancing communitier ifinterest."

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85.

information, particularly that information from and about government whichaffects the everyday life of the individual. (1) There is also anassumption that sharing of information and other co-operation results inbetter quality of service provided by individual organisations.

The major consultancy and support activities provided by these enterprisesinclude:

publication or manuals, guides, systems for use by informationworkers in a range of information organisations.

stimdlation of information interchange between all informationorganisations, but particularly among those based in the voluntarysector.

compilation of information packages on various topics or issues tobe used by a range of other enterprises.

advice on information systems suitable for community-basedagencies.

The collection of materials and information on which these enterprises basetheir activities are most frequently based on card indexing systems andcollections of ephemeral materials such as those distributed by governmentdepartments and other community service providers. One of the servicesreported however that it has access to computer-based collections ofstatistical data. This latter would be the exception rather than the ruleamong comr,unity-based organisations such as these.

2. Information Management Enterprises For-Profit

The primary role of the IMEs seeking to make a profit on their activities isto provide consultancy to other information organisations. They arefrequently oriented towards providing this advice in the area of automation.

These IMEs vary in scale, but numerically what might be described as 'one-man-bands' were in the majority in this study. The enterprises operating onthis basis are often based on an individual's home and judging from thematerials supplied would appear to operate on a personal recommendation a.idreferral system rather than by wide or sophisticated advertisement of theirservices. The general orientation appears to be towards the businesscommunity, but there is nonetheless variety in this as one IME specialisedin matters relating to cartography and geography, particularly within largerinstitutions such as libraries, yet another IME was aimed at schoollibraries.

(1) For further discussion of information ideologies see Lovelace (1979).

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Some of these IMEs provide services of the type provided by InformationService Enterprises (see below) but differ from the ISEs in that the ISEsare from their own description more oriented towards provision of answersand responses to other organisations or to individuals, and do not provideinformation management consultancy.

The main services provided by IMEs operating on a for-profit base arefocused on:

consultancy on information management problems

compilation of publications, e.g. reviews in client's area ofinterest

provision of editorial services

While some for profit IMEs report that they have access to library and thercollections of information, these tend to be the resources of otherenterprises i.e. the IMEs operating on a for-profit basis, appear not tomaintain anything other than minimal reference resources.

B. Information Service Enterprises

Information Service Enterprises (ISE) are based on the gathering andsystematic arrangement of information in any format, the provisica ofresponses to enquiries based on that collection of information. Some ISEsare also involved in the provision of information packages tailored to aninformation user's specification.

Several sub-groups were found within the general category of ISE:

1. enterprises concerned with promoting general community welfare andbased on altruistic motives

2. enterprises provided to allow pursuit of specialinterests,generally on a non-commercial basis

3. enterprises designed to promote the general interests of aparticular organisation, industry or group. The interests arerelated to financial gain and/or political influence.

4. enterprises established for the primary purpose of providing aninformation service to individual enquirers on a for-profit orbreak-even basis e.g. information brokerages.

The main characteristics of these categories of information enterprise aredescribed bcdow.

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1. Community Welfare Information Service Enterprises (1)

This group of ISEs is concerned with the promotion of the welfare of thecommunity at large. Its sphere of interest includes not only welfare andnarrowly defined aid services for individuals, but broader issues ofcommunity development and the environment. These ISEs direct themselves insome cases to special groups, e.g. people with disabilities, cancerpatients. In other cases they are directed to dealing with issues such ashuman rights, consumer affairs. (2) Like the community-based InformationManagement Enterprises which .sim to provide consultancy and support to thisgroup of enterprises, the funding comes substantially in most cases fromgovernment sources.

In addition to providing responses to questions, this type of ISE is heavilyinvolved in creating community awareness on issues and problems. Severalplay a strong political role in lobbying industry, government and are deeplyinvolved in political process from local to international levels, compilingsubmissions and providing speakers to the media and interested groups.There is one notable exception to this generalisation and that is a referralservice based in Canberra which aims simply to put enquirers in touch withappropriate sources of information on the environment, and has no overtpolitical orientation.

Most of the ISEs in this group publish a newsletter of some sort, andseveral are involved in disseminating sele-ted ingarmation on a regularbasis, to the media. Many of the ISEs also, provide facilities for like-minded groups or organisations to hold meetings, use office equipment and soon.

In oummary the mainstream information services provided oy these ISEs are

responses to enquiries

publication of newsletters and other information packagespreparation of special reports, submissions and displays in anarea of interestdissemination of information on a regular basisprovision of facilities for groups with common interests

The collections of information on which this type of ISE is based vary froma sophisticated large library-based collection with access to local andoverseas data-bases to a collection of ephemeral materials arranged in arudimentary fashion by broad subject in cardboard boxes.

(1) The term 'welfare' is used here in the sense of the general 'good' ofthe community, rather than to infer a welfare service or welfare workconnection.

(2) See Begg et al (1985) for a general overview of the area.

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2. S ecial Interest Information Service Enterprises

This type of ISE is basci, on special subject interests of community groupsand individuals. They allow pursuit of hobbies and interests at arecreational level, but several have developed their base to a level ofsophistication whereby the collections and services are used also byprofessionals in the field.

The philosophy underlying some of these services and the philosophy of someof the ISEs based on concern for community welfare (previously described)have much in common, however it may be argued that while the communitywelfare ISE is concerned with social and humanitarian issues, the specialinterest ISE is more focussed on pursuit of intellectual rather thanpractical matters.

One of the enterprises listed in this category does not provide a service ofresponding to individual enquiries, however, from the litesture of theorganisation this appears to be a matter of expediency c.".g to staffingshortages rather than a philosophical stance.

This type of ISE depends to a great e::tent on funds from members to supplyfinances to keep the organisation afloat, and volunteers are usedextensively.

One of the ISEs provides courses to train genealogists, and publishesmanuals of technique on use of its information collections.

The main services of this category of ISE are

provision of access to specialised library collectionsprovision of responses to queriesput :cation of regular newsletters, journals.

The information collections on which these ISEs are based are substantial inextent, and include manuscript materials and microforms.

3. Information Service Enterprises Designed tc Promote the Interests of anOrganisation or Group.

The main purposes of these enterprises is, by provision of -information toenquirers and the community at large, to promote the financial and/orpolitical interests of an organisation or group. The type of informationdealt cetil therefore relates to a product or general service or to ffnc longrange ambition of the parent organisation as a whole. (1)

(1) One exception to this might be a bank which provides a communityinformation service to migrants. However, this is provided only in abanking context and aims to serve potential and actual bank customersonly.

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While these enterprises frequently provide information services tospecialists in their area of interest, e.g. industries which utilize aparticular metal, they all provide an information service which isaccessible to some degree by members of the public at large. The .evel,i.e. subject-complexity of the information provided, varies form highlvspecialised to a level appropriate for non-specialists.

Within this group of ISE3, a wide range of type of organisation isrepresented. Some of the enterprises stem from the public sector ascolloquially described e.g. an enterprise based on a co-operative activityof five state government departments. Other examples are based on a stockexchange, a trade union, an association of business people, and a co-operative of companies working in the mining industry. There is also agroup of enterprises which is operated by political entities (governments,organisations) from outside Australia. Some enterprises are heavilyinvolved in promoting internatio-al trade, one at least is concerned at themore basic political level i.e. co influence the thinking of opinion leaderson a middle east politic?1 issue.

The financial basis of these enterprises is as varied as the range oforganisations. All offer a free service to enquirers, althcugh a few chargefor other specific services.

While a primary purpose is to provide responses to individual enquiries,equally as important would seem to be the dissemination of information tothe public at large. In this case there is a distribution of information asa result of a decision by the enterprise or its parent organisation thatcertain information should be brought to people's attention. Thesedissemination exercises are often aimed at the general public through mediacampaigns or by direct marketing to selected individuals and organisations.Most enterprises in this category also produce a newsletter, and supplydisplays, speakers and materials for activities which promote eithe- the useof the information enterprise or a product or service of the organisation asa whole. Several enter,rises prepare specialist reports and other in-depthmaterials.

Frequently occurring services in this category of enterprises include:

provision of access to specialised collection of materials, and insome cases collections held overseas by affiliated organisations

responses to questions

dissemination'of information packages such as newsletters, kits,prothotional brochures, current awareness bulletins, indexes

provision of displays, lectures about the enterprise itself andthe parent organisation

provision of materials such as films on loan to institutions orgroups

provision of a bookshop service.

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All of the enterprises studied in this category had access to their ownsystematically arranged information collection. Some were highlysophisticated on-line systems developed by the enterprises themselves, butmore typical was the situation of a small collection, with access in somecases to overseas collections. (These were either public on-line databases, or information collections housed e.g. in libraries at the parentorganisation's headquarters).

4. Information Service Enterprises Based on Tlformation Brokerages

This type of ISE is based on the provision of information as the primarybusiness of the enterprise. In many cases these businesses or informationbrokerages are stand-alone businesses, in some cases they are divisions oflarger organisations, in the communications business in general. Theydiffer from those IME's which also operate on a for-profit basis in thatthey are aimed at provision of information service directly to end-usersrather than advising other information organisations on how best to provideinformation service.

These ISEs are of two main types:

ae ISEs concerned with compilation and maintenance of informationcollections which are then used largely on a self-serve basis bye:::-users or other information organisations on a self-servebasis. These may have been termed 'Resource Providers'.

b. ISEs which access their own or other information organisationscollections of information in order to provide an answer to anend-user in another information organisation. These may have beentermed 'Factfinder::,'.

a. Resource P; vidersThe primary activity of these ISEs is the compilation and maintenance ofcollections of information, which are made accessible to end users ofinformation or to other organisations. They differ from, say, traditionallibraries in that in addition to providing access to information, theinformation is available packaged to the end-users specifications orenquiry. They also differ from libraries in that they do not provide thephysical environment wit. Al which the information user uses the informationprovided.

With respect to the general publishing industry, the line dividing theseISEs from publishers is even finer than that dividing libraries and resourceproviders. The important difference seems to be that in the case of theResource Providers, the user has more opportunity to specify an informationneed, and the output of the service is therefore more tailored to individualneed than the output or product of a general publisher with recentdevelopments in the publishing area, this distinction could well disappear.

Two types of Resource Provider were identified in the course of the study,Ile based on provision of computer data-bases, another on provision of printmaterials.

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(i) Computer-Based Resource Providers

These enterprises are primarily concerned with the maintenance andprovision of access to computer data-bases which are designed forpublic use or are for use by a group wit}, a specialist interest.They cover such areas as law, the tourist. industry, statistics,agriculture and provide information in textual, numeric orbibliographic form. A major distinguishing feature of this typeof Resource Provider is th3 capacity to produce an informationpackage tailored to individual needs on a one-off or continuingbasis.

The Resource Provider gives access to the information collectionon a self-serve basis e.g. the enZ.:_-rprise itself expects end-users(or information workers operating on behalf of end-users) todirectly interface with the information collection. Although thistype of enterprise does not in effect provide a mediation service(one Resource Provider only does this), it does provide trainingin the effective use of the information collection.

In some cases the Resource Providers examined were responsible forthe compilation of the information contained in the data-bases.In others the data-bases %fere provided from a variety of outsidesLurces, with only maintenance of the data on computer undertalrA.by the Resource Provider. Many of these Resource Providersprovide an electronic mail system also, as a byproduct of thesystem.

Several Resource Providers offer the additional facility ofmaintaining private data bases with access to software whichallows information retrieved to be reformatted e.g. numeric datamay be converted to graph or table form.

All of the computer-based Resource Providers operated on a for-profit basis, with the major motivation presumably being to makemoney on the service.

(ii) Print-Based Resource Providers

These print-based enterprises differ very little conceptually fromthe computer-based enterprises. The different technological basedoes however mean there are some differences in output.

The print-based Resource Providers are primarily involved incompiling and distributing print-based information packages. Thecoverage of the packages ranges from specialist matters e.g.business and technology to generalist areas such as currentafflirs and politics. The information packages are supplied on aregular basis and to the general specifications as determined byan information need profile. -

All of these Resource Providers operate in the private sector. Themajor difference between these Resource Providers and thecomputer-based Resource Providers appears to be that the computer

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based Resource Providers have the potential to supply specificanswers to specific questions on a one-off or continuing basiswhile the print-based Resource Providers aim to provide generalinformation or background on a topic and on a continuing basis.In other words the current awareness function of the print-basedResource Provider is uppermost.

The main services provided by Resource Providers as a whole are:

provision of access to collections of information

compilation of information packages e.g. evaluations ofproducts, state-of-the-art reviews, current awarenessbulletins related to a needs profile specified by aninformation user

publication of newsletters, directories and other materialabout the service

wairtenance of private data bases

conduct of seminars and provide speakers on specific interestareas

provision of communisation facility between users of acomputer-based information system

provision of referral to other source: of information

access to soft-ware for re-formatting information.

acquisition of documents as required b; client.

h. Factfinders

These enterprises are primarily concernA with finding, on behalf of end-users, answers to specific questions. Some of the IMEs described earlier,also provide this to some degree, but not with the emphasis and to the levelof the Factfinders enterprises.

While most of these enterprises respond to any request for information,regardless of topic, they tend to have some level of specialisation incoverage or audience to which they are oriented. For example one enterprisefocuses on coal and related areas, another on 2roviding buildinginformation, and several are oriented to the needs of the businesscommunity.'

A perusal of the literature provided by the Factfinders in the studysuggested a general operational philosophy based on flexibility and speed.Factfinders as a whole give assurances that information required will bedelivered speedily and in any form required.

Most of the Factfinders provide adjunct services. These range fromtranslations, preparation of abstracts, location and delivery to the user of

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documents requested. Several of these enterprises are notable also for thefact that they have access to personnel with in-depth knowledge ofparticular subject areas, and are in a position to produce original researchdocuments, state-of-the-art reviews and other authoritative materials. Insome cases it is clear that the information workers have this subjectknowledge, in others that the enterprise has access to a network ofspecialists. Several of the Factfinders enterprises also provideinformation management consultancy. In summary, the Factfinders enterprisessupply the following services:

responses to queries in textual, numeric or bibliographic form(written or spoken word)

synthesis of information based on analysis evaluation of subjectmaterial e.g. state-of-the-art reports, literature reviews

provision of current awareness service on nominated topics

delivery of specified documents to an end-user including bookshopservice

information management consultancy

compilation an-i publication of information packages, e.g.directories, newsletters, reference materials

Some Factfinders have substantial resources within their own organisations.The norm nowever seems to be that these enterprises are based on a minimalin-house reference collection of materials, plus access to a range of localand overseas data-bases (such as those provided by the Resource Providers,described stove). Documents, when required, are located direct at the placeof origin or in library collections where they are borrowed or copied asappropriate for the end-user.

4.3 Summary of Services Provided by Information Enterprises

Table 1 which follows presents a summary and categorization of the servicesprovided by the information enterprises studied. The summary is based ondata contained in the individual information enterprise profiles under theheading 'Information Services Provided' and indicates the number ofenterprises which provide tech service. Snme 4-5 services were not includedin the Table as they were considered to outside the focus of thepresent study, and the parameters of the information flow process asconceptualised in the draft model. An example of such a service is'Fieldwork for Market-Research'.

The categorization of the services into six broad types was derived bygrouping services with a common focus which could,in turn be related to thedraft information transfer model.

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Table Summary of Services Provided by Information Management Enterprises(IME) and Information Service Enterprises (ISE) with Frequency of Occurrence

1. Provision of Answers to Queries

provide access to collections of informationon a self-serve basis

provide responses (factual, bibliographic,numeric, etc.) to individual queries generatedby information users

provide access to loan collections of materialsand equipment

provide referral to other sources of informationin response to individual enquiries (1)

provide up-dating information on a regular basison topics nominated by end-user

2. Information Packaging

compile information packages based oninformation worker specialist skills e.g.bibliographies, newsletters, directories

compile information packages based on "subject"expertise based on analysis, evaluation andsynthesis of information related toenterprise's area of interest e.g. state-of-the-art reviews, displays, research reports

publish information resources on subjectsrelated to the enterprises area of interest e.g.kits, textbooks

organise and participate in activities relatedto the area of interest of the enterprise e.g.lectures, workshops

3. Communication

disseminate information to a mass audience,other than members of the enterprise

IME ISE

5 32

2 44

'3

2 14

0 17

12 29

6 25

1 15

0 17

2 7

(1) This service seems to have been subsumed by many agencies as part ofthe general service of providing responses.

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IME ISE

provide cu,zunication facility via a computernetwork to allow users of the enterprise tocommunicate with each other

provide translation service

4. Promotion of Services

organise and participate activities to promoteuse of the services provided by the enterprise

provide training in the use of specificfacilities provided by the enterprise e.g.on-line data bases, library collections

5. Document Supply

supply personal copies of specific documentsgenerated outside the enterprise on request

6. Information Management Consultanc

provide advice and consultancy on informationsystems and services

provide information organisation services e.g.cataloguing and classification

compile materials on provision of informationservice e.g. manuals for information workers

undertake editorial work on behalf of otherenterprises

arrange co-operative activities betweeninformation: enterprises

educate information workers e.g. skillsup-dating

provide access to informati 1 managementfacilities on computer

provide software for lnformatior anagement oncomputer

provide access to office and meeting facilities

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merigor:

1

0

1

2

1

15

1

2

1

3

2

1

1

7

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5: INFORMATION ENTERPRISES AND THE TNFORMATION

TRANSFER PROCESS

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In addition to providing summaries of the general characteristics ofinformation enterprises and the gene.:al descriptive framework for theanalysis of information services, the study sought to relate the enterprisesand their activities to the wider information transfer process and todevelop a model which would demonstrate this.

In the final stages of the study, the draft model used in analysis of cnedata provided on services was revised in light of the findings of the study.The revised model follows and essentially seeks to describe a continuous andregenerative process of information transfer from generation to point of useand assimilation.

Notes on the Model

Reference to the model will show that at the point of the process when'interpretation' (14) is complete the loop branches in two. This branchingis to accommodate the fact that in some cases only in the informationtransfer process does evaluation and synthesis at level II (i.e. based ondeep subject-knowledge) occur.

The generation of information: (1) is the role of authors, scientists,environmentalists, or whoever generates ideas or information. As a resultof the generation of information, manuscripts (newsletters, books, reports,photos, data-bases etc.) are composed, (2). The composition function refersto the formal recording, editing, reviewing and so on of the manuscript.When a manuscript is in a form in which it can be communicated it isrecorded (3). These last two functions are primarily those of authors,publishers, editors and reviewers, but some information enterprises areinvolved in those processes also.

Traditionally the reproduction (4) and distribution (5) functions areth-. role of the publisher, but again many enterprises are involved in thesefunctions. The authors and their colleagues also play an important role inreproduction and distribution. Screening (6) is a process to discoverinformation by scanntng newspapers contents pages, lists of new materials,data banks and so on. The selection (7) of information requires theapplication of criteria relating to the potential of the information to meetpresent or anticipated need.

Although many individuals acquire information resources, and may store them,the task of collection and storage (8) is primarily the role of informationcentres, libraries and other types of information systems.

Information systems and services also havc. an important role in organisationand contro: (9) functions. In addition to collecting information andpublications, libraries and other information systems provide access (10) tothese materials through listing, cataloguing, classifying, indexing andother related procedures. Also the physical facilities may be providedwhereby the end user may use a particular collectton, or a reading room orborrow a portable terminal. Alternatively, the library or informationservice might deliver a copy of an item to the person requesting it.

Searching (11) for information is based on a knowledge of sourr.:s ofinformation in all formats, and the development of a systematic search plan

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and is carried out either by the end-user or an intermediary such as aninformation officer, actilg on behalf of the end -user.

The retrieval (12) of information by means of processes such as on-linesearching of information-retrieval systems or use of catalogues isaccomplished either by the user directly or by an intermediary such as anon-line searcher, or a research assistan- for example.

The analysis (13) of information involves the breaking down of aninformation resource into its constituent parts, so that the salient pointsmay be identified. Interpretation (14) involves the translating of themeaning of the information for the potential user. For example, a communityinformation worker will interpret the meaning of a local governmentregulation for an enquirer, unfamiliar with.the law or a reference librarianwill interpret the meaning of an _acyclopaedia article for a childcompleting an assignment. At a more technical level a subject specialistwill interpret the meaning of new information for a fellow research worker.

Evaluation at level 1 (15 (i) a) involves the application of criteriarelated to the package and format of the information e.g. publisher'sreputation, currency of information in the database. Synthesis at level 1(15 (i) b) involves putting information from a number of sources to createnew text e.g. bibliography, newsletter, database.

Evaluation at level II (15 (ii) a) usually requires deep subject knowledgein regard to the information being evaluated. It involves application ofcriteria related to substance of the information, examining aspects such asthe logic behind the reasoning, or the research methods used in an empiricalstudy. Synthesis at level II (15 (ii) b) involves again an extensiveinteraction with the substance of the various pieces of information as it isreformed into a unique structure or pattern such as a state-of-the-artreview. Packaging (16) an information product involves putting theinformation into a form which is usable, e.g. a package of readings, acomputer print-out or a display. It may also require that information ischanged from one format to another, e.g. a press release is written on thebasis of a report, a tape-slide presentation is used to convey materialpreviously in written form.

Dissemination (17) covers the distribution processes, including marketing ofinformation products, and distribution to mass audiences.

Assimilation (18) by the user is the least tangible, and is the stage atwhich the user's knowledge is altered, and in many cases starts theinformation spiral again through creative work or research and generation ofinforalation ( 9).

The process is presented as a loop because it is continuous andregenerative.

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Role of Information Enterprises in the Information Transfer Process

...

ION.......................... .......f....4..:1..s...::...§.:§§491

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105.

The validity of the general belief that there is a substantial informationindustry in Australia is strengthened by the results of the exploratorystudy on which this report is based. The area studied however, represents,it is believed, only the tip of the iceberg, as it concentrated on thoseinformation organisations which were:

highly visible, by virtue of their mandate to provide service tothe general public. This approach eliminated organisationsproviding essentially private information services, and thoseembedded within larger organisational structures.

operating on a relatively limited concept of information servicei.e. on provision of information on the basis of need specified byclients themselves and access to systematically arrangedinformation collections This approach eliminated, for example,information provided on the basis of personal subject knowledge orexpertise, by the media, and by public relations and publicityorganisations.

Future research in the area should be aimed at expanding the knowledge ofthe variety of information organisations in Australia.

While he study set out to develop generalisations about some categories ofinformation services, i.e. information enterprises, this was not, in theresearchers view, achieved entirely to satisfaction. To begin with therewere ambiguities in the data used as a basis for categorization. Researchmethods based on personal visits and a more structured approach to datacollection based on results of this study, would, it is believed, yield lessambiguity in data collected in the future. Also it proved difficult withthe relatively small number of enterprises involved, to develop a conceptualframework which was unambiguous in application. Further work needs to becarried out on this area and it is believed that ...he approach tocategorization used, namely on the basis of the purpose of the enterprise isboth useful and discriminating.

In general the researcher found that the participating organisations wereilelpful in providing information particularly when personal phone calls weremade. However, the helpfulness was often, it seemed, based on an inadequateconcept of what information service:, do as a whole. Even more striking wasthe lack of understanding of what an information enterprise could do. Thiswas, most likely, a reflection of the background and training of theinformation workers involved and their level of education in the area, butthel_ was little evidence: of linkages between information services orworkers at a %mai or informal level to discuss and explore areas of mutualinterest (or it. some cases, conflict). It is believed that professionalassociations in the information area, and post-secondary colleges anduniversities educating for information work could play a useful role inproviding linkages and a r' "tral forum for information enterprises, Theassociations and educe*" ,i institutions will, however, need to take theinitiative in persuadiaq, the information enterprises that they havesomething valuable to offer.

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