Role of S&T Information in Socioeconomic Development

and PASTIC Services

Muhammad Aqil Khan

PASTIC

Seminar on Empowering the R&D, Industrial & SME Sector with S&T Information, Karachi

May 22, 2007

CONTENTS

• Importance of S&T Information

• S&T Information and Socioeconomic Development

• Forms of Information & Information Resources

• S&T Information Services of PASTIC

Importance of S&T Information

Much is said about the information age, the

information economy, the information society and

particularly about information technology, but little

about information itself. If these are important so is

the information. Information is a meaningful message

transmitted from source to users. Information especially the

scientific and technical information is an important resource

for social & economic development.

Importance Cont: • Information is a significant factor for economic well being

of countries.

• It is major indicator of success or failure of the economies of developing countries.

• It’s power is like life blood for innovation and continuous learning.

• Thus it plays a pivotal role in scientific, technological, agricultural and socio-economic development of a country.

Few decades ago S&T information was used for scientific research. Currently it is also used for:

• Market research • Business development • Strategic planning• Policy making • Decision making

This maximizes its usefulness

Competitive Advantages of Information

• Adds value to research and development work.

• Enhances skills and knowledge of users.

• Facilitates decision making for the policy makers.

• Improves knowledge sharing.

S&T Information and Socioeconomic Development

• S&T Information is key element for R&D process and socioeconomic development is based on research and development activities.

• Information is always needed for scientific research

• Advancement in research can not be made without having access to scientific data and already generated S&T information.

Provision of Appropriate Information Leads:

• To proceed to the next step in research project.

• To proceed further in other such tasks.

• To facilitation in better and well informed decision making.

• To improved relations with clients.

• To exploitation of new business opportunities.

Right information at the right time can benefit an organization or a country and saves a lot of time and money. A good policy maker utilizes information depending on its accuracy for:

• Decision making• Policy making• Devising regulations• Advising public

Information Plays Important Role in Policy Making

• Policies pertaining to different socio-development activities such as policies on health, education, agriculture, energy, biotechnology, information technology, water supply, sanitation, environment etc. are shaped by right kind of information.

• Many other areas such as disaster relief, medical education, engineering education, control of epidemics, business management, etc. needs information for devising better policies in these areas.

Role of Information Technology• Information is of value if it is accurate and delivered at

right time

• Advent of Information technology i.e. development of internet, worldwide web, electronic databases has enabled users to access and retrieve the accurate and reliable information timely

• Scientists and researchers can get immediate on line access to data and scientific resources

• Information Technology has opened new ways to store knowledge and deliver information and it is a tool of choice for all kinds of scientific, technical and environmental information

Forms of Information• Books• Monographs• Journals• Patents• Standards• Technical reports• Proceedings• Internet• Electronic journals• Electronic databases

Information Resources

• Libraries

• Information centres

• Internet/worldwide web

• CD-ROM databases

S&T Information Servicesof

PASTIC

The information Provider

Mission

• PASTIC serves as a gateway for S&T information for research and development by catering to information needs of researchers, entrepreneurs, industry, educationists, policy makers etc. through responsive and anticipatory information services.

History

• PASTIC evolved from the erstwhile Pakistan National Scientific & Technological Documentation Centre (PANSDOC), which was established under PCSIR in 1957 at Karachi by UNESCO.

• In 1974 PANSDOC was transferred to the Pakistan Science Foundation (PSF) and was renamed as the Pakistan Scientific & Technological Information Centre (PASTIC). After transfer to PSF its scope and facilities were expanded.

PASTIC is one of the few public sector organizations to be ISO 9001-2000 Certified. PASTIC evolved a Quality Policy and initiated work on acquiring ISO Certification.

Quality PolicyImplementation of Quality in Services and Activities and continuous commitment towards Client satisfaction

ISO Certification

Main Objectives• To acquire, process, organize and disseminate S&T information

to researchers, scientists, industrialists & entrepreneurs in the form of research papers, patents, abstracts, bibliographies, publications, etc.

• To develop/strengthen the National Science Reference Library.

• To develop inter-library cooperation & resource sharing.• To organize trainings in contemporary techniques and methods

of information handling.

• To establish linkages and interact with regional and international information agencies/networks.

• Compilation of information tools such as PSAs, Union Catalogue, Directories, Databases etc.

• Printing & Publishing of S&T literature and provision of Reprographic services.

• Development of I.T. Support Systems/Services.

CHAIRMAN PSF

DIRECTOR GENERAL

Sr. Bibliographic OfficerBIBLIOGRAPHIC SERVICE

Chief EditorPUBLICATION

Manager Reprographic UnitREPROGRAPHY

INTERNATIONAL LIAISON

TECHNOLOGY INFORMATION

PROMOTION SYSTEM

Sr. System AnalystIT. SUPPORT

REGIONAL SUB-CENTERS

DIRECTOR

Sr. Addl.Dir (F&A)FINANCE

Addl. Dir. (Admn)ADMINISTARTION

Sr. LibrarianLIBRARY

DOCUMENT SUPPLY SERVICE

QUALITY SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

Liaison Officer

KARACHI

Chief Liaison Officer

LAHORE

SIO/Officer Incharge

PESHAWAR

SIO/Officer Incharge

QUETTA

CHAIRMAN PSF

SIO/Officer Incharge

FAISALABAD

Bib. Officer/ Officer Incharge

MUZAFFARABAD

Organizational Structure of PASTIC

Facilities

• Building

• National Science Reference Library

• I.T. Support and Management Information System

• Reprography Unit

Major activities• S&T Documents Delivery Service• Bibliographic Information Service (Literature

surveys/off-line & on-line database searches)• Technological Information Service (TIPS)• Patent Information Service • Reference and Referral Services• Human Resource Development• Reprographic Service• International Liaison• Reference Information Tools/Publications• In House Databases

S&T Document Supply Service• Copies of research articles/reports conference

papers, patents and other scientific documents published abroad or in the country are provided to scientists, researchers and other users at subsidized rates

Bibliographic Information Service• Bibliographies on specific topics are prepared and

supplied. • Literature searches are carried out through off-

line/on-line electronic databases.• Off-line and On-line international bibliographic

databases are acquired regularly.

Bibliographic Databases on CD-ROM

• Medline: Premier source for biomedical literature including clinical and health care services.

• POLTOX: Global information on all aspects of environmental pollution, hazardous materials, toxicology and related environmental issues.

• Life Sciences: Interdisciplinary coverage of biological sciences for life science professionals.

• PROQUEST: Abstracts from world prestigious journals of physics and related fields.

Databases (Cont.)• Applied Science and Technology Index: Database

on abstracts of applied science and technology.• Socio-file: Database on abstracts of social planning/

policy and developmental matters.• Science Citation Index: Reference source of articles

cited by researchers in their published materials.• INSPEC: Abstracts of scientific and technical papers in

physics, electrical engineering, electronics, communication, control engineering, computing and information technology.

• Derwent Biotechnology Abstracts: Abstract on tissue culture, stem cells and biomedical etc.

Technological Information Service

• Technological information, business information and Industrial information is provided through this service under TIPS.

Patent Information Service • This service is provided through document supply

service.

Reference and Referral Service• Reference and referral service, reader service

and internet search service is provided through National Science Reference Library.

Human Resource Development• Workshops and trainings are conducted for

human resource development in different areas such as Information Handling Techniques, Library Automation, Knowledge Management, ICTs for Libraries, Intellectual Property Rights, Science in Mass Media, Data Warehousing & Data Mining etc.

Reprographic Service• Reprography facilities are meant for PASTIC/

PSF/PMNH publications. This facility is also provided to other S&T and R&D organizations.

International Liaison

• PASTIC interact with regional and international information agencies/networks for information exchange. PASTIC is focal point of following regional/ international information networks:

• UNEP/INFOTERRA• WHO/CEHANET• SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC)• UNDP/TIPS

Reference Information Tools/ Publications

Pakistan Science Abstracts: • Agricultural Sciences• Animal Sciences• Plant Sciences• Chemical & Pharmaceutical Sciences• Earth & Environmental Sciences• Biotechnology & Biochemistry• Information Communication and Engineering

Sciences• Mathematics and Statistics • Physics• Medical Sciences

Cont.

Union Catalogue• Serial holding data of 200 libraries• Available on website: pastic.gov.pk • In print form • On CD-ROM

Directory of Scientific Periodicals of Pakistan

• Contains reference information of 300 Pakistani Scientific Periodicals.

In House Databases• Serial Holdings: Gives information about S&T

periodicals available in main libraries of Pakistan.

• Research Published in Pakistan: Bibliographic Database of the abstracts of research articles published in S&T journals of Pakistan.

• Environmental Health Documents Database:

Contains information about articles, reports and conference papers published in Pakistan on environmental health.

• Database on Pakistani Expatriate Scientists:

Cover details of expatriate Pakistani scientists and engineers.

• Database on Libraries in Pakistan: (On going)

Ongoing Development Project• Science Awareness through TV ChannelObjectives:• Acquisition, translation and dubbing of S&T films

and documentaries on important aspects of science and technology.

• Production of S&T films and documentaries on important local S&T issues.

• Interviews and Panel discussion on TV involving scientists and eminent scholars for clarification of scientific concepts and technological issues.

• Training of young scientists for awareness of science through mass media.

Information Services In Different Sectors by other Organizations

• NARC: Agriculture• PCSIR: Industry• PITAC: Industry• Aga Khan University: Medicines• NIH : Medicines• Medical Colleges Libraries: Medicines• PINSTECH: Physical Sciences & Engineering• PCRWR: Water Resources• CEWR: Water Resources

PASTIC SUB CENTRES• PASTIC Sub Centre, Karachi

• PASTIC Sub Centre, Lahore

• PASTIC Sub Centre, Faisalabad

• PASTIC Sub Centre, Peshawar

• PASTIC Sub Centre, Quetta

• PASTIC Sub Centre, Muzaffarabad

Website: pastic.gov.pk E.mail : director@pastic.gov.pk Tel No. : 9201340, 9201341, 9207116

THANK YOU