Foreign reaearch and technical development communicated in report literature

Abstract

Report literature (reports published in English on foreign research and technical advancements, an idea originated in the USA) takes an important place in the retrieval of information sources and literature and constitutes a comprehensive part of most libraries. In Hungary, however, foreign report literature is not yet readily accessible to the readers of libraries. The lack of being sufficiently acquainted with the sources of information and the avenues of securing these materials are all reasons for the aforementioned situation. Thus, it becomes increasingly necessary to evaluate this question in the light of International practice. The fact that report literature was born in the United States, furthermore, its rapid development, whose flourishing was closely related to the R&D research programs introduced after the Second World War, the structural reshaping of the sciences and technology and the new requirements of Communications is plain the advanced state of report literature in that country. The author also enumerates the characteristic traits of scientific research and technical reports in general and discusses the differences in opinions regarding the increase in branching of individual fields represented by the corresponding class of literature and the value of relevant information offered by them. Relying on foreign sources the author attempts to circumscribe the scope of the subject content and, – drawing solely upon USA and British sources – the specific subject contents. Among the determining factors that play a role in compiling bibliography are the role of institutions that undertake research, release and disseminate the results of research programs, the writers who can make significant contribution to bibliographical literature, the rules that govern copyright, and finally secrecy and restrictions imposed upon projects. Libraries and the general public face newly arising problems which were introduced by the modern information carries (microcopy forms and primarily microfilm cards). One has to be aware of the fact that the desire to make the most recent information available the releasing of the materials very often involve carelessness on the part of the releaser which results in discord on part of the information carriers. To eliminate conflicts leading information centres of the world, their international representatives and standardizing agencies make serious efforts to establish effective standards of operation. Thus, for better service the possibility of uniformity in designating ready-to-use titles and the adoption of information patterns seems highly recommendable.