1. INTRODUCTION - BACKGROUND

The Scientech Information and Publications (STIP) is an autonomous organization under the Ministry of Machinery and Electronics Industries of China. It is responsible for providing technical and business information services to the country's engineering and industrial sector. It collects and disseminates information on trends, products, market surveys and so on. STIP has two main branches: the Scientech Information Centre (STIC) and the China Machine Press.

The STIP is also responsible for the management of information centres and industry-oriented information networks. Hence, it is linked with all 30 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions.

Two print factories are managed by the STIP. Their modern equipment, along with STIC's extensive user of Chinese character word processing, give them an excellent capacity to print all kinds of publications.

In order to meet the increasing information demands, STIP has been working very hard in the development of information service systems by information network organizing, computer technology application, adoption of machine-readable and CD-ROM information resources, as well as modern telecommunication facilities.

2. BRIEF HISTORY OF THE INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SERVICE DEVELOPMENT

STIP is one of the pioneers in China. It is engaged in research and development on computer-based information retrieval systems. Computer-based Information Retrieval Section was founded in early 1974. In 1976, the experiments of data entering, storing and retrieving were undertaken with a domestically made computer called DJS-C4. One year later, the experiment of online retrieval was completed. Simultaneously, the experiment for retrieving Engineering Index magnetic tapes was started with the domestically made computer called TQ-16. In 1977, STIC became the first organization in the country that subscribed four types of machine-readable resources: magnetic tapes for INSPEC, ISMEC, METADEX, and COMPENDEX. During the following two years, STIC started its first experience of computer-based information services through SDI services with these four types of resources by renting computers owned by other organizations. The annual total of SDI profiles was about 400. In 1981, STIC began to make use of an international online terminal located in Hong Kong to access DIALOG & ORBIT systems for the domestic clients. There were about 500 requests searched during the following two years. In 1982, STIC had its own first computer -- HP 3000/III, which was granted by UNDP, and an information retrieval software package -- MINISIS was installed at the same time. Soon after, an online database of ISMEC was established, which was the first one of foreign document database set up in STIC. Between 1984 and 1988, STIC respectively subscribed another two databases, JIS and EMA, and another computer, HP 3000/68, was purchased by its own funding. In 1990, COMPENDEX PLUS CD-ROM was ordered. It enabled the searches from more than 220 information retrieval requests.

3. INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION NETWORK SYSTEM FOR CHINA MACHINERY INDUSTRY

The information network system for the machinery industry in the country was founded in 1984. At the beginning, the network members were only those who were directly affiliated to the Ministry of Machinery Industry, such as research institutions, information divisions of design organizations, university information centres, and local mechanical engineering information centre and large enterprises. Right now there are more than 2,500 organization members in the network system, which includes 40 local mechanical engineering information centres and 120 specific industry-oriented information sub-networks. Each year, the network system issues about 8,000 to 10,000 items of research result information, which is maintained in a database, established by STIC. This was one of the most important computer database development projects designated by the State Council of Science & Technology. By the end of 1991, the database had contained more than 50,000 factual records. It was included in the mechanical engineering information retrieval system (MEIRS) and has already been accessible to the public.

With the popularization of microcomputers and the progress made in computer storage capability, member organizations of the networks system made tremendous progress in computer applications, especially in database establishment, during the period from 1985-1990. According to STIC's statistics for 1987 and 1991, the number of information units which engaged in database building increased from 24 to 60, about 15% increasing ration. The number of databases including both the established and establishing ones, increased from 48 to 92, about 90% increasing ration. The quantity of records has increased from several hundreds up to a total of 160,000. The type of database varies from bibliographic, numerical, and factual to others. Among them, 30% of the databases are factual, which contain product information, parameters and research results. Moreover, databases containing business, trade, market and commerce information are increasing.

4. ACHIEVEMENTS IN DATABASE ESTABLISHMENT IN THE NETWORK SYSTEM

Since the 1980's, with the improvement of computer technology in Chinese character process-ing, the development of Chinese language databases in the information network system has been effectively promoted.

For example, in 1985, the STIC staff, together with MINISIS developer -- staff from International Development Research Center, Canada -- upgraded MINISIS functions in Chinese character processing. This brought the machinery industry with the technical guarantee in development of large-scaled Chinese character databases. In the same year, the STIC library used the MINISIS to set up a large Chinese documentation database, "DB Chinese Mechanical Engineering Abstracts." Each year the database will be updated with about 10,000 records. At present, there are more than 70,000 records in the database. This database is now available for both online search via terminals or data transmission for microcomputer customers with floppy disks in the machine-readable format of IS02709.

Based on the success of "DB Chinese Mechanical Engineering Abstracts," STIC has set up some other Chinese databases since 1985, such as: "DB Scientific and Technical Research Results of Machinery Industry (50,000 records)," "DB of China Machinery and Electronics Enterprises (50,000 records)," and "DB Product 8 Commercial Information for China Machinery and Electronics Industries (100,000 records)."

While STIC implemented its in-house database establishment, other information units in the industry, also have achieved success in online retrieval database development. For instance, "Database for Instrumentation Products" has been set up on a HP 3000/37 computer, by the Technical and Economic Research Institution of the Instrumentation of MMEI, which includes more than 20,000 records, and "Documentation Database for Internal Combustion Engines (20,000 records), was founded by Shanghai Internal Combustion Engine Institution of MMEI.

Headed by STIC, an online information retrieval network system has primarily formed for the machinery industry. There are 114 remote computer terminals connected with STIC's computer system. With its two computers and modern telecommunication facilities, STIC has become one of the most powerful organizations in the country which provides various kinds of computer-based information services and carries out researches in the field. STIC is now able to access to seven large foreign in-house terminals; and offers SDI and RS services with several databases both loaded on STIC's HP 3000 series computers and microcomputers. Furthermore, in 1990 the STIC's database system was first networked with another two main computer-based information systems in the country: the Institution of Scientific and Technical Information of China, and the Information Centre of China Chemical Industry. Not long ago, STIC's computer system has connected with the national public data network (CNPAC). Therefore, now information clients in machinery industry can not only use the computer-based information resources inside its industry's network system, but also can access to the resources throughout the country and all over the world.

5. FACING PROBLEMS

From the 1980's to now, information organizations in machinery industry, together with the others in the country, have made great progress in computer technology applications, which include CD-ROM application. But frankly, the utilization of these systems are not ideal. In 1991, STIC made a census on all the organizations in the country which provide online information services. The statistics show that from 1985 to 1990, the annual total of the requests from all over the country were about 18,000 on the average. Among the requests, about 16,000 were for online retrievals via both international and domestic systems; about 2,000 requests were for CD0ROM resources. STIC only received about 500 requests from the total during that period. It is obvious that the rate of database utilization is fairly poor in the entire country, even in the machinery industry. The problem of low utilization causes the problems of sustainability of the existing systems and further utilization of new technology, which most of the information organizations are facing at present.

Looking at the brief history of the information systems development, we can see that most of these achievements were made under the planned economy. Most of the database systems were established by technical-driven instead of need-driven; and no cost-benefit evaluations were asked. This can probably be considered as one of the main reasons for the result in low utilization. Furthermore, the high cost for computer-based information services and the poor propaganda for the existing system may also be reasons for the low utilization of databases.

With the current situation of the involvement of the market economy, people in the information services have to re-evaluate the past achievements and use new concepts to find out ways for their further development. The significance of existence of each database should be re-evaluated with the concept of market. Contents of databases should be re-organized to meet the information demands. Only when the information is needed by the market, most of the information systems and services can find out ways to sustain. It is believed that the market economy should bring about more opportunities for information services as well as for the new development of information technology. Therefore, we should try our best to complete the transit from the planned economy to the market economy, by making good use of the infrastructure we have set up instead of taking backward ways or damaging the existing systems.
 
 

REFERENCES

Qin, Qixiu. (1991). "Statues and policies for the development of optical disk technology in China," Information Theory and Practice, (6): 40-44.

Liang, Hui. (1992). "Development and prospects of computer-based databases established by scientific and technical information systems for the machinery industry,"Journal of Information Science, (1): 19-23.