The National Autonomous University of Mexico (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico UNAM) is the most important institution of higher education. It encourages the intellectual creation and has an academic community who consume most information, as well as producing science and technology.

In 1990, according to the Public Education Bureau, 67% of the national research was generated in the institutes and research centers of the UNAM (Fernandez de Zamora, 1990, p.20).

The UNAM teaches 266,235 students from high school to technical levels, including, masters and PHD (UNAM, 1992 a). The University has 31,305 scholars, 2,736 of which are researchers, and 925 of which are in Humanities (UNAM, 1992 b).

The professional formation, the suppuration, and actualization programs of academics re-quire a great deal of actualized and specialized information in order to be up to date with science, technology, and social changes.

In 1991, the "Group of Databases Interest" was created in order to help the scientist, and with the interest of exchanging experiences, to learn the different databases which are been developing about Humanities and Social Sciences at UNAM, to interchange the products and services, and to increase relationships among the experts in the management, design, and production of databases.

The first members were only from UNAM, but overthe past year professionals of other aca-demic institutions of Mexico have been joining. This Group is formed of 32 people, 27 of which are from UNAM.

One of the most important products of the "Group" is the edition of two CD ROM. One of them is the IRESIE (Index to Journals on Higher Education and Educational Research), and the the other is " Social Sciences and Humanities," including information from the 13 databases.

In the future these databases will be possible to access on-line for the UNAM academic com-puter network and INTERNET.

In this work, I will describe the characteristics of the databases on Latin American and Caribbean coverage, because it is very important that people know about it. I also include a directory of UNAM databases with addresses, telephone numbers, and fax numbers.

2. BIBLAT (LATIN AMERICAN BIBLIOGRAPHY)

This database is produced by the Scientific and Humanistic Information Center (Centro de Informacion Cientifica y Humanistica. CICH). It includes 63,000 references corresponding to international literature published by Latin American authors in journals edited out of Latin Ameri-ca. It also includes papers written about Latin America and published in journals outside Latin American region.

This database is multidisciplinary, covering all areas of knowledge, and provideing a global view of Latin American information. It includes the following disciplines: Politics, Economics, Education, Demography, Anthropology, History, Literature, Management, Psychology, Sociology, Technology, Biology, Engineering, Medicine etc.

BIBLAT is the result of the selection and analysis of articles from 6,000 international jour-nals published since 1977 in English, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

The search of information is made by specific and general concepts, main authors, geogra-phic places, institutions, journal titles, etc.

This database is accessed on-line, by CD ROM: BIBLAT*, and also by searching in the "Bibliographic Latin American Index" journal, which is published two times per year.

* BIBLAT(CD ROM), includes a group of six databases: BIBLAT, CLASE, PERIODICA, MEXINV, DESA and INFOBILA.

3. CLASE (LATIN AMERICAN CITATION IN SOCIAL SCIENCES AND HUMANITIES)

CLASE has been produced in the Scientific and Humanistic Information Center since 1975, and compiles with the documents generated by Latin American researchers, as well as with those contributions of foreign authors, published in Latin American and Caribbean journals.

This database includes 83,000 references about Humanities and Social Sciences. The infor-mation is selected from 770 journals edited in Latin American and Caribbean.

CLASE has a multilingual coverage, spanning Spanish, English, French, and Portuguese. It contains articles, projects, technical reports, monographies, conferences proceeding, essays, reviews, editorials (sometimes), interviews , etc..

All records have the following information: access number, title of the article, author, coun-try, journal name, year of publication, type of document, geographic code, keywords, number of references. This database does not have abstracts.

Its subject is related to Economics, Education, Sociology, Law, Political Science, Linguis-tics, Communication Science, Management, Demography, Information Sciences, Anthropology, History, Philosophy, Literature and the Arts.

This database can be consulted on-line, via CD ROM: BIBLAT*, and also by the 72 issues of CLASE journals, that are distributed through out the world.

4. IRESIE (INDEX TO JOURNALS ON HIGHER EDUCATION AND EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH)

The IRESIE is a Mexican information system designed and developed in 1979 by the Latin-American Center for the Educational Technology (CLATES). Since 1989 it has been operated by the Educational Research and Service Center (Centro de Investigaciones y Servicios Educativos. CISE).

The IRESIE database compiles the educational literature, published from 1978 until today. It is related to all aspects of higher and secondary education, that is : curriculum, new technolo-gies, educational research, educational planning, teacher evaluation, student achievement, program evaluation, psychology education, etc.

This database provides access to articles published in 560 journals. From those, 140 titles are from Mexico, 90 journals of other Latin American countries, 120 from Europe, 210 titles come from United States and Canada. It contains 42,000 bibliographic references, 60% are in English, 37% in Spanish, and the remaining 3% in Portuguese and French.

Until 1987, the IRESIE was a multilingual database. It analyzed journals in Spanish, English and Portuguese, but since 1988 it has indexed and abstracted journals in Spanish only.

The database access can be made on-line, also via CD ROM: IRESIE (versions 1991, and 1993) and through the 71 issues of IRESIE journals.

RESIE offers these different search keys: by subject or descriptors, article title, journal name, author, year of publication, library, access number or by the combinations of different fields or concepts.

CD ROM: IRESIE 1993 includes also the full-text of 10 issues "Perfiles Educativos" journal. This journal is devoted to Mexican Education and it is edited by CISE.

5. ALFA and BETA (Hemerographic Information about Economics American and Caribbean.)

These two databases are produced by the Institute for Economics Research. ALFA (Instituto de Investigaciones Econamicas) contains around 8,000 hemerographic references in Spanish and Portuguese, selected from Latin American journals. BETA includes 2,000 hemerographic references and abstracts in Spanish and English, which are selected from journals published in non-Latin American countries.

ALFA and BETA contain information published since 1988. The subjects covered are Economics, Monetary Policy, Finances, Business, International Development, Global Economic Trends, Privatization, etc.

The users can consult the information by specific and general concepts, authors, geographic areas, countries, institutions, year of publication, journal names, languages, or by the combination of any of these fields.

These databases can be accessed on-line and through the CD-ROMs: "Social Science and Humanities" (Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades) edited by UNAM and "Latin American Data-bases" (Bancos Bibliograficos Latinoamericanos) edited by University of Colima.

6. HERMES

HERMES was created in January 1990 by the Hemerography, Statistics, Informatic Depart-ment of the Institute of Economics Research. It includes around of 14,500 hemerographic re-ferences on statistical data, and economic subjects about Mexico and Latin American. This database provides specifically the following topics: Mexican Economy, the Group of the Seven, Latin American and Caribbean, and indexing the main Mexican newspapers such as: "Excelsior", "Financiero" and "El Dia". Every record contains hemerographic reference and abstracts.

This database is available on-line, also via CD-ROMs: "Latin American Databases," "Social Sciences and Humanities," and through the monthly publications "Hemerographic Dissemination Notebooks" (Cuadernos de Divulgacion Hemerografica).

7. SIPAL (PSYCHOLOGY INFORMATION SYSTEM TO LATIN AMERICA)

This database contains 3,200 records. It is produced by the Documentation Center of Psy-chology Faculty.(Centro de Documentation de la Facultad de Psicologia). The year 1988 marks the beginning of SIPAL and its register, analyze, and disseminate. The literature that about Psy-chology and other disciplines related to this subject are published in Latin American and Spain, since 1950 untill today.

Its sources are journals, conference proceedings, dissertations, technical reports, and mono-graphs produced in Latin American and Spain. Every record offers the complete bibliographic reference and a few abstracts.

DIRLAT is other database produced by Psychology Faculty. It complements SIPAL, and it contains 388 full addresses of Psychological Institutions of Latin American, Caribbean ,and Spain, who make Psychological Research.

The searchers can consult these databases on-line, as well as through CD-ROMs "Social Science and Humanities" and "Latin American Databases."

8. INFOBILA

The University Center of Library Science Research began this bibliographic information database in 1985, and actually it has approximately 5,700 records. Included are different types of documents, such as: thesis, journals, conference proceedings, technical reports, monographies.

This database contains documents about library and information sciences, published in Latin American countries, or other papers that analyze Latin America region. There is also included information in Spanish, Portuguese, and English.

Every bibliographic reference also offers a descriptive abstract. The subject are: library administration, databases, information systems, users studies, new technologies, library catalogs, automatization, etc.

INFOBILA can be consulted on-line and through CD-ROMs: "BIBLAT" and "Social Scien-ce and Humanities."

9. CONCLUSION

All databases collect, select, organize, and disseminate information about Mexico and Latin American region. They also offer copies of original documents at low cost.

The UNAM researchers and teachers are the main users of these databases. They obtain actualized and specialized information about their field of interest, while other users also receive the profits of these activities.

The teachers obtain actualized information about their specific area or discipline, discover new classroom techniques and materials and new and significant models for personal and profes-sional development.

The graduate and undergraduate students consult the latest interdisciplinary information for preparing their papers and dissertations in a short time.

The databases are an important resource of support and tool for knowledgment production. UNAM databases should be available through network computer academic University and Inter-Net.
 
 

REFERENCES

Fernandez de Zamora, R.M., "La investigacion en la UNAM: su uso y difusion," Investigacion Bibliotecologica, 4 (6):19-22 (1990)

UNAM.a. Estadisticas del Personal Academico de la UNAM 1992. Mexico: UNAM, Secretaria General, Direccion de Asuntos del Personal Academico, 1992

UNAM.b. Agenda Estadistica 1992. Mexico: UNAM, , Direccion General de Planeacion y Proyectos Academicos, 1992.
 
 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Grupo de Interes de Bancos de Datos. Directorio de Bancos de Informacion en Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades. Mexico: UNAM, Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas y Centro de Investigaciones y Servicios Educativos, 1992

DIRECTORIO DE BANCOS DE DATOS EN CIENCIAS SOCIALES Y HUMANIDADES
 

ALFA (6.500) y BETA (2.000).- Bancos de informacion hemerografica sobre aspectos economicos de America Latina y el Caribe

Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas (IIec)

Departamento de Servicios Bibliotecarios e Informacion

Lic. Mercedes Gaitan Riveros

Torre II de Humanidades, 1er. piso

Ciudad Universitaria,

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 623 00 79 Fax (5) 548 1848
 
 

AIRES.- Acervo de Recursos de Instituciones de Educacion Superior

Direccion General de Intercambio Academico

Edificio de Postgrado, piso 2

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 548 4375 Fax: (5) 548 9970
 
 

BEXART (8.200).- Banco de Exposiciones de Arte

Instituto de Investigaciones Esteticas

Biblioteca Justino Fernandez

Mtra Carmen Block Hernandez

Circuito Mario de la Cueva

Ap. 70 393

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 75 44 Fax (5) 665 4740
 
 

BIBLAT (63.000).- Bibliografi Latinoamericana

CLASE (83.000) .- Citas Latinoamericanas en Ciencias Sociales

HEMEROTECA LATINOAMERICANA.- Catalogo de Revistas

Centro de Informacion Cientifica y Humanistica

Departamento de Bibliografia Latinoamericana

Ciudad Universitaria

Apartado postal 70 392

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 3958 Fax (5) 548 0858
 
 

CISEUAR (Informacion sobre Estados Unidos, Canada y Me¿xico)

Centro de Investigaciones sobre Estados Unidos de America

Mercedes Cortes Arriaga

Torre II de Humanidades, piso 11,

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Me¿xico D.F.

Tel. 623 0308 Fax (5) 550 0379
 
 
 
 

DIACRI (750) Dianoia y Critica

FILOS (3.000) Filosofia Mexicana

Instituto de Investigaciones Filosificas.

Biblioteca

Lic. Elsa Gomez Camacho

Circuito Mario de la Cueva

Ciudad Universitaria,

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 7245 Fax (5) 550 7014
 
 

DIBALC. (1.000) Directorio de bases de datos de America Latina y el Caribe y

FyLTES (5.200).- Filosofia y Letras: Tesis

KRYTICON .- Poesia y Narrativa Mexicana

Facultad de Filosofia y Letras

Coordinacion de Bibliotecas

Dra. Elsa Barberena

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 1853 Fax (5) 548 9666
 
 

ENTI (5.500) Entidades Federativas de Mexico

INDICES (6.500) Revistas de Ciencias Sociales

Centro de Investigaciones Interdisciplinarias en Humanidades

Departamento de Informacion y Documentacion

Lic. Elke Koppen

Planta baja del edificio anexo a Torre II de Humanidades

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 623 0425 Fax (5) 548 1529

HERMES (14.000) Banco de informacion hemerografica sobre aspectos economicos de Mexico, America Latina y el mundo)

Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas

Departamento de Informatica, Estadistica y Hemerografia

Lic. Ricardo Reyes Hernandez

Torre II de Humanidades, 3er. piso

Ciudad Universitaria,

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 623 0085 Fax (5) 548 1348
 
 

IRESIE (41.000) Indice de Revistas de Educacion Superior e investigacion Educativa

BACMEX (1.500) Bachillerato Mexicanoƒ

Centro de Investigaciones y Servicios Educativos

Biblioteca

Lic. Ma.Angela Torres Verdugo

Circuito Exterior de Ciudad Universitaria

Edificio CISE

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 8709 Fax (5) 550 1801
 

INFOBILA (5.600) Informacion Bibliotecoliogica Latinoamericana)

Centro Universitario de Investigaciones Bibliotecologicas

Concepcion Barquet

Ciudad Universitaria

Torre II de Humanidades, piso 13.

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 623 0335 Fax (5) 550 7461
 
 

MECS (12.500) Mexico: Ciencias Sociales

Facultad de Ciencias Politicas y Sociales

Hemeroteca del Centro de Investigaciones Documentales

David Arriaga

Circuito Mario de la Cueva

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 6451 BITNET COORD. ARRIAGA UNAMVM1
 
 

SIPAL (3.200) Sistema de Informacion Psicologica para America Latina)

SIDA (800) Sida y Psicologia) y

DIRLAT (400) Directorio Latinoamericano de Psicologia

Facultad de Psicologia. Centro de Documentacion

Mtra. Maria Montero Lopez Lena

Edificio "B", planta baja.

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 2234 Fax (5) 550 2560
 
 

SINF (70.000)Banco de informacion de la prensa nacional sobre Ciencias Sociales)

Instituto de Investigaciones Bibliograficas

Direccion General de Informacion. Subdireccion Tecnica

Roberto Sanchez Rivera

Edificio de Relaciones Laborales, 1er. piso, costado norte

Torre II de Humanidades

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 6808 Fax (5) 6226816
 
 

UNAM-CLIO (2.200) Gaceta UNAM)

Centro de Estudios sobre la Universidad

Armando Torres Romero

Edificio de Unidad Bibliografica, 4to. piso, lado norte.

Centro Cultural Universitario,

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 622 6978 Fax (5) 665 0123

UNAM-JURE (196.000) Informacion sobre Legislacion Nacional)

SIVA I. (4.500) Jurisprudencia Suprema Corte

Instituto de Investigaciones Juridicas.

Centro de Informacion de Legislacion y Jurisprudencia

Circuito Mario de la Cueva

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 665 2342 Fax (5) 665 2193
 
 

LIBRUNAM (400.000).- Acervos de libros de 165 Bib.de la UNAM

SERIUNAM (15.153 tit.).- Acervos de rev. de 165 Bib. de UNAM

TESIUNAM (182.000)

Direccion General de Bibliotecas

Adolfo Rodriguez Gallardo

Ciudad Universitaria

04510 Mexico D.F.

Tel. 548 9780