1

ETEC MeetingDecember 7, 2007

Dr. Walter L. WarnickDirector

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information

OSTI—Advancing Science Accelerating

Discovery

OSTI—Advancing Science Accelerating

Discovery

2

ETEC – United by geography ETEC – United by geography

OSTIOSTI

United by a vision to“grow science and technology”

ORO

3

ETEC – United by mission ETEC – United by mission

OSTI manages a program within the Department of Energy

Oak Ridge SC Offices

ORO OSTI

4

OSTI – Born as the DOE Central File

OSTI – Born as the DOE Central File

The scientific and technical legacy of the Department of Energy and its predecessor agencies is captured within the OSTI building – whether in paper,

microfiche, or bits. … And the overwhelming majority of it is entirely open.

—Dr. Jeffrey Salmon, Associate Under Secretary of Science

5

• 4 million + electronic DOE-produced R&D records dating to 1940s

Stewardship of:

•1 million + hard-copy documents representing DOE’s 60-year legacy

• 100s of millions of pages of electronic, global science information access

1 Science.gov Way1 Science.gov Way

6

OSTI’s MissionOSTI’s Mission

To advance science and sustain technological creativity by making

R&D findings available and useful to DOE

researchers and the American people

1947—2007

7

R&D flows through OSTI

to public

R&D flows through OSTI

to public

Scientific&Technical Information

Technical reports (~150,000 full text)

E-prints (~1.1 million and growing!)

Science conference proceedings

Project summaries (DOE and Federal)

Citations to journal literature

Patent records (~20,000 from 1940s to current)

Accomplishments

8

The results of hundreds of billions of dollars worth of United States’ research and development activities flow through OSTI to the public for reuse and further discovery

OSTI’s Mission: Who Benefits?

OSTI’s Mission: Who Benefits?

9

Science Progresses as Knowledge Is Shared

Science Progresses as Knowledge Is Shared

OSTI Corollary:

If the sharing of knowledge is accelerated,

then discovery is accelerated

10

We can accelerate the sharing of knowledge …

We can accelerate the sharing of knowledge …

But first we must dispel the misperception

that popular search engines are already doing the job

11

Much of Science Is Non-Googleable

Much of Science Is Non-Googleable

We in the information business recognize this gap between availability and need, and seize the

opportunity to …

Provide science information consumers with better tools

In fact, the vast majority of science information is in databases within the deep Web – or the non-Googleable Web – where popular search engines cannot go

12

OSTI has recognized this need; our emerging solution is “federated” search

Innovation in science demands innovation in sharing science knowledge

Federated SearchFederated Search

13

Deep Web Databases

Surface Web

Federated search drills down to the deep Web where scientific databases reside

We need systems, such as federated search, that probe the deep Web

Federated Search: Emerging Technology Pioneered by OSTI

Federated Search: Emerging Technology Pioneered by OSTI

Federated search places no burden on database owners

14

USA.gov’s portal for scienceResources represent 97 percent

of the federal R&D budget!

Interface similar to Google Under the hood, NOT like Google

Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, the Interior, Environmental Protection Agency, Library of Congress, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Science Foundation, United States Government Printing Office, and the National Archives and Records Administration

15

WorldWideScience.org makes the best science information from 17 countries act as if they were an integrated tool, all searchable via a single query.

The U.S. contribution to WorldWideScience.org is Science.gov

Enables access to prominent as well as smaller, less well-knownsources of highly valuable science

16

Federated SearchFederated Search

In January 2007, Dr. Raymond Orbach, Under Secretary for Science, and Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library signed a Statement of Intent to partner in the development of a searchable global science gateway.

International partnership kicks off global science gateway allowing users to search multiple sources via a single query

The gateway to “hidden” science resources from every inhabited continent!

18

Who has benefited? The DOE community, the interagency community, the international community, the education and business communities, researchers everywhere – and the

science-attentive public at large.

OSTI’s Mission: Who Benefits?

OSTI’s Mission: Who Benefits?

19

A Key Piece of Science Discovery

A Key Piece of Science Discovery

Discovery

Research

Facilities

High Performance Computing Scientists

Information

Information feeds discovery

20

What if the “information connection” between

scientists and discovery were missing?

Discovery

Research

Facilities

High Performance

ComputingScientists

?

OSTI disseminates DOE’s R&D information at the lowest cost of all federal science agencies – making it a “best buy.”

The NIH, a benchmark agency in research and the production of scientific literature, spends roughly 30 times more than DOE on getting its R&D message out.

21

2007 Milestones2007 Milestones          illuminating information                        increasing access                                       advancing science

Feb. – Science.gov 4.0

Sept. – DOepatentsApril – DOE Science Accelerator

June – WorldWideScience.org

We’ve made non-Googleable information from every inhabited continent searchable,

a feat Dr. Raymond Orbach called “magic”

22

Search key DOE databases

Search 50 million pages of science from 13 federal science agencies

Search 200 million pages of science from databases of every inhabited continent

These Gateways Search Non-Googleable ScienceThese Gateways Search Non-Googleable Science

Federated Search Gateways

Agency level

Interagency level

International level

23

Advancing discovery touches every life on earth, and has produced improvement in the human condition, heretofore unimaginable. Each of our organizations plays our own roles in the mission to advance science and technology. 

In short: OSTI Empowers Cyber-enabled

Discovery & Innovation

In short: OSTI Empowers Cyber-enabled

Discovery & Innovation

Which accelerates the advancement of discovery

We accelerate retrieval of deep Web science info

24

But there is more to be done: Web is only a teenager

But there is more to be done: Web is only a teenager

Ford’s beginnings Model A – 1903 13 years later –

1916

To draw an analogy, let’s look at another transformational technology

…

This was amazing progress for Henry Ford, but from our perspective …

25

Information fuels discovery

1975 Luxury T-Bird

1928 Model AThere were still decades upon decades of progress to come

There were still decades upon decades of progress to come

1994 New “global family mid-size”

1950 convertible

1960 Sun Star

1937 Coupe

26

Innovation must continue

Today’s Ford TaurusToday’s Ford Taurus

27

However we may seek advantage for our own individual organizations,

we must work together for progress and the benefits to humanity. 

One day, our grandchildren, when they look back on us, should truly say that we not only

continued the pace of progress, but we accelerated it

and cast its benefits further than those who came before us.  

It is up to us hereIt is up to us here