THE ROLE OF SCIENTIFIC AND ENGINEERING SOCIETIES IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79-00798A000400040003-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 29
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 13, 2012
• Sequence Number: 3
• Content Type: REPORT

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THE '~ is .y (l ti T
SHE RULE 0131 S(3 -E.NTI.fIC P, a, GINLll'a~s.73`U~~ s i~C:i: I
IN THI LP i UVEMB14T 0 SCIENTIFIC Al.N O ''2LEr;1N:sC.:111
INFOR TON
by G . S. P0PEL0V
Corresoonding Member of the US$R1 Academy of science s,
1 oscow
The daily work of a so:i_enta st or e 15 i.'lecx. .von -rc.s
rcep (7.1, processing and i,t: o of .`.iC} .:int L -11
i o and t ec~
so, bulk-, nowadays s:r'..i..
research and the practical a ?:} ,cat? );i 0 .' t tr+ to
results are assuming an. unprecedented sco$Jee. Immense h w)a' n,
material and .?inanoia1 r sou ces axe be.irl drown into he
calm of scientific and t.ec,hnoIo r.:.c:+:~, CL g :re
cand
7..nsti.Gu-tions, Vi x, is In the numoers of r esec: rchl I-)rson 1eI. '?..?1AJ,.`.;i
prow Js! i ~ n-necy teed Wit z"! the _d.msent ,611,. s W
of the ccie a _~LI. r/ and technical La e~~l X3_9 }~'.f.on, Is at-'4'-'ended
huge growth in the Q',lc;k l .L of :ac k 13 1,...,l.C: and technical J.1.lfc
mation?~ The reason is clear. Science is ncr .?,.s 7~ y1;.': Uecoin.j.n
a direct force. Ic ss d r1 .Y2> C"2 '. }.1'taitl.' in ""h
"scien ;Ie' '^ ~' Crl"~',.C l ogy qr odEac"c i r~ s~ l t
in C?it nce .3 ove vi our times as of is en a as that in the
expansion of o L d.~aa. t'I Fi. It is not ,s; .'?.rpri.si,ni he ? err e
j,,, .{ ~n 3..~ r/' e { ~y ~ q y e 0.J1.~ C, U~,.. i.A a y^ c y~ "~ v l9. ArJ
ba. }, v} ryStoS -~JA~t A1 urJ..t.C 2lY,.~".~1~F.yf.A lrL ..~..-t'i,z..i,{.y~L/ ~^+iJ},.(S_f~
33 ry 1. miv
fea t t+~.L a c~ L ~~vy worl d ~.od s6S hus, 4o s, tw t e
T n
ss c j e n c e in 1 ~"'s to,', R h;` . r` i o `? r -rn
in i't it i"" 20 > e L"::) i.TC} r of ret cn.--h -,vor! ers In '
county:";'. .: ."' t1~tin rie;_:
ILLEGIB
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period, and amounts to over one million now, or nearly one-
quarter of the world's scientists (2). Scientific institutions
are growing as fast. In 1940 there were 2359 of them (includ.--
ing academic institutions) in this country, in 1960 there were
4196, and in 1972 as many as 5367. The numerical growth of
research institutions was 786 - 1728 - 2697, respectively.
But the extensive pattern of scientific progress gives
rise even now to factors which cause conflicting feelings.
The conflict stems, on the one hand, from the tempestuous
growth of human knowledge, ,an& on the other hand, from the
fact that people are not prepared to fully assimilate and
utilise this knowledge just because of its enormous quantity
and diversity. An expressive definition of this conflict
is found in such frequently heard phrases as "infor;'ration ex-
plosion" and "information hunger's". The rerid growth of the
amount of information has led to the researcher being unable
to keep abreast of all the major developments in his field.
The actual losses for this reason 'borne by mankind, ire
spending enormous sums on duplicating research and, devel6pme~.t
and on information retrieval, are great indeed. By American
estimates, they make up 10 par cent of all the respective
national allocations. Scientists 6pend 30 to 80 per cent of
their working time on unjustified duplicaltion (3), 72 to 76
per cent of applications for an ihvention duplicate those
already known in. the world practice. Moreover,, the proportion
of cont?nuations grows every year. Thus, in 1946, 40 per c:nt
of applications for the development and improvement of coal,
combines that were filed in the USSR proved to be continu t~_o?z:,
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3.
and in 1961) 85 per cent (4). Attempts of scientists and
engineers to avoid duplication in research and development
are paid for by increased spending on more detailed reviewing
of scientific and technical information. Time losses incurred
in information retrieval also add up to an impressive figure -
more than 30 per cent of the scientist's working time, and
this quantity tends to increase. On the other hand, by the
estimate of a Czech scientist, L.Ofig, a.oomplebe utilisation
of scientific and technical information would cut research .
costs by.60 per cent-(5).
Indeed, losses are high even now and in the future they
may assume a dangerous proportion. Thus, it has been estimated
(4) that the volume of unutilised potentially useful informa-
Lion grows as the square of the number of scientists, which
is doubled every 10 to 15 years.
In this light it becomes clear that new patterns should
be sought in the management of science that would foster its
intensive rather than extensive development. Specifically,
solution for the problems of scientific and technical informa-
tion arising from its quantitative growth, the problems of
information crisis should be sought in the alaboration of
essentially, conceptually new approaches. It would seem ad-
visable to single out two such approaches which are being
implemented in this country.
One is concerned with the establishment of large-scale
organisational mechanisms that could serve as bases for
building knowledge -Drocessing systems. It envisages speciali-
sed information systems (centres) or formations which will
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be more powerful than today's ones. One specific application
of the philosonhyy, behind this approach is the Unified Scien-
tific and Technical Information System (USTIS) which is being
developed in this country. What has been developed so far is
the State Scientific and Technical Information System compri-
sing 11 all-Un.on centres, more than 80 sectoral ones, 15 re-
publican institutes and more than 70 inter-sectoral centres
which are based on nearly 10000 information departments and
units in industry and in offices. This is a powerful apparatus
which is being continuously improved.
Another and no less important approach consists in fin-
ding and applying to information problems those vast resources
of the society which cannot be fully realized. wit-din the
framework of formal state-run mechanisms.
The daily contacts between scientists, lectures and talks,
seminars and symposia, schools and conference:, personal ini-
tiative in the matters of creative evaluation of research
findings, their criticism and Promotion- niech ,ni.sms of this
kind have evolved in society in a natural way, in response to
the demands of life. However, these processes are )being carrier
out on such an extensive scale. even today that their eontribu--
tion to total effort of the' processing and utilisation of hu-
man knowledge is becoming ever more substantial. In this
country, the organisational medium which gives rise to, directs'
and improves, the different kinds of scientific information
interchange is furnished by the Scientific and Engineering So-
cieties (SES).
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2. The evolution, nature and scooe of the USSR's SES
system
The Scientific and Engineering Societies in the USSR are
voluntary mass organisations of engineers, technicians, res._
earchers, agricultural specialists, and innovator workers.
Their history is inseparably linked with the evolution and
development of science and industry in this country.
The first large public scientific and engineering orga-
nisation in Russia was the Russian Engineering Society, which
was established in St.PetersbG.rg in 1899r on. the initiative of
progressive scientists and engineers. By the end of the 19th
century Russia had about a dozen scientific and engineering
associations grouped by subject field. From their very incep-
tion the societies provided a forum for discussing major de-
ike
velopments in/science and technology of their day. Thus, in
March 1869 a meeting of the Russian Physico-Chemical Society
heard the eminent Russian chemist D.I.Mendeleey deliver a report'
on his periodic system of the chemical elements; on the 7th
of March, 1895, A.S.Popov demonstrated the world's first
radio apparatus at a meeting of the Physics Division of the
same Society. Among those who spoke at the conferences of
the Societies were such out'standipg figures of Russian science
as metallurgist D.Ch.Chernov, shipbuilder A..I.Krylov, nhysi--
cist A.F.zoffe, and others.
During the very first years ' of Soviet power the Societies
received, the nationwide recognition and 'complete support of
the Communist Party and Soviet'Government. A Decree of the
Council of People's Commissars, signed by Lenin in August
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1921, envisaged measures to be taken to raise the level of
scientific and engineering knowledge in the country, set up
scientific and engineering societies and bring engineers and
technicians nearer to the working class in their practical
activities. by enlisting the mass of the people to participate
in the SLS activities, essentially new conaitions for their
functioning were brought about. The need arose for coordina-
tion and management of SES activities. In 1954, the SES were
re-organized according to the sectors of the national economy,
and the Ali--Union Central Council of a:raae Unions was charged
with their management.
The membership of the SES system today embraces more
than 7 mililon persons. 'tans of thousands of enterprises and
institutions are its corporate members. TheAli--Union Council
of Scientific ana yngineering Societies joins together 23
sectoral SES, which lean in their activities on 2,U4U republic,
territory, and regionkSES coaras and 40 homes of technology.
rScientific and engineering societi~publ.sh?, ontxleir own or
jointly with ministries and departments, 73 scientific and
technical journals. These include such popular and scientific-
technical journals as Radio Engineering, Electricity, instTu-
went making, machine tsuilaing, siiiMing Journal and others.
Besides, the All--Uniun Council of SES publishes the journal
TechnoloZy and Science.. The structure of the SES system is
given in Fig. 1.
By way of illustration we. shall describe the A.S.Popov
Scientific and Engineering Society for Radio Engineering, Elec-
tronics and Radio Communication which is among the largest
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scientific and engineerinn societies of the Soviet Union. Tts
origin dates back to the Russian Society of Radio Engineers.
The Society has 354,000 personal members and comprises 42
sections, 4 commissions, 136 republic, territory and region.a1
boards, 202 People's Universities of Scientific and Technolo-
gical Progress and Economic Knowledge. Active; amoung the
Society's members are leading Soviet scientists: Academicians
A.I.Berg and. B.A.Kotel.ikov, Corresponding Member of the USSR
Academy of Sciences V.I.Siforov, the Society's President,
and others. The two journalspublished by the Society, Radio
Engineerin& and Electric Communication, enjoy great popularity.
The Society holds biannual competitions for the bestpap-
ers in radio engineering, electronics,?and communication.
The winners are awa wed the A.S.Popov Golden Medal, which
was instituted by the US:)R Academy of Sciences. The Society
maintains close ties with scientific and engineering societies
abtaa, exchanges delegations and work experience. It makes
a massive contribution to the entire SES system in the USSI.
The scope of promotionary and ratiunalisatiun activites
of the SES System is great indeed. During the five-year periud
of 1968-1973, the Societies conducted 750,Ouu training courses,
seminars, advancea practice sonools, which were attended by
a total of 16 million persons. Some 3 mi-li-ion lectures and
reports were delivered which were heard by 84 million persons.
The practical application of the proposals made by the primary
SES units resulted in a saving of.,5,50O million roubles.
The above figures point to the substantial contribution
of the SES towards the popularisation and utilisation of
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scientific and technical knowledge in the national economy.
we should like, however, to uwell on those fundamental aspects
of the Sig activities which determine its role in the perfecti-
on of scientific and technical inrorrnation and cannot be
described by figures alone.
Si1S role in perfecting scientific and technical
information
3.1. SES and scientif.c and technological progress
The pz?incipal aim of imp'oving information work is to
accelerate scientizio and technological progress and to raise
the efficiency of production. Therefore, speaking of the role
of the SES in this context it is necessary to outline the
special features of scientifio and technological progress
as they naturally afiect SES activities.
An important characteristic of scientific and technologi-
cal progress is the rate or renovation and extension of pro-
duction nomenclature, or, as an economist would say, renova-
tion of components of the commodities and services vector.
Renovation of products nomenclature results from the appli-
cation of scientific discoveries and inventions. The transfoi-
nation of scientific resulLo into new products is, in Marx's
felicitous expression, the process of objectivation of
knowl dge. ~uhus, the rate of objectivation of knowledge is
the main characteristic of scientific and technological pro-
The .steady acceleration of the pace of scientific and
technical progress can be illustrated by the reduced time lag
between the appearance of a well substantiated idea of a pos?n-
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sible new development and the implementation of this develop-
ment in the production and consumption spheres of the economy.
To illustrate, the principle of photographic image p which was
discovered in 1725, took 1OU years to be implemented in prac-
tice; commercial electric motors appeared 60 years after a
theory was developed for their operation; the radar was con-
structed 15 years after the eflect of radio wave reflection
was discovered; the nuclear reactor took 10 years to be built;
transistors appeared in the market 5 years after the semicon-
ductor theory was developed..
The objectivation of knowledge consists of several stages:
basic research; applied research; technological proposals;
development projects; preparation for production; output of
new products.
Scientific and tecnnological'progress continuously gives
rise to new types of technical systems and devices. The type
of a technical system ce.g., cars and trucks, diesel loco-
motives, aircraft etc.) is a rather stable-and d unable cate-
gory. once emerged, a technical system type will go on develop-
ing in the form of progressivejy better models which will
replace each other within the given type. This circumstance
suggests the notion of the life cycle of a model, from its
origination to its death - being put out_of service in the eco-
nomy, or out of supply for sale to consumers. ieig. 2. shows a
life cycle diagram which represents the process of implementa-
tion of an idea of a technical system untii.the commissioning
of this system and later discontinuing its manufacture. The
dynamics of life cycle planning is given in Fig. 3. The special
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role of basic research in scientific and technological progress
should be empruasisea. It is basic research which is the pri-
mary source of drastic renovation of components of the co m-
wodities and services vector. One can quote a number of new
technological and industrial fields which owe their origins
to basic research results: atomic engineering and industry,
rocket and space technology, computer wacn_unery, semiconctuc-
tor technique and microelectronics, .Lasers, iu.crobiological
industry, new materials, man-made aiamoiius, and so on, and so
forth. It is oasic oesearcn tlat generates pew-and original
technical concepts which are adopted when new technology and
processes are developed. The role of basic research is thrown
in sharp relief by the following mental experiment. Just
suppose that 20 or 25 years ago aui research on solid state
physics were stopped. Then, clearly, in the 70's we could not
have advanced beyond valve electronics and radio engineering.
he special role of basic research is reflected in the higher
growth rate of allocations for basic reseach among the total
research and development spending throughout the world. Re-
cognising the primal importance of basic research for scien-
tific and technological progress, the 24th CPSU Congress
directions defined the furthering,of basic and applied research
as one of the tasks of the national economy development during
the 9th Five-year Plan period.
All this has a direct bearing on the major task of informa-
tion support to research and development dynamics in which
the SES have an active part to 'play. We are speaking of the
dissemination of basic research results among the sectoral
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applied research institutions and design bureaux. This task
is even more important ti3,an the information service to basic
research proper, even though it generally lags behind the
information service to applied research institutions and
experimental design bureaux. Moreover, the dissemination ox
basic research results among sectoral institutes and aesign
bureaux tends to improve the originality of their technical
solutions. (At present original solutions account for only
5--10 per cent of the total). This kind of information support
would require the use of classification which may proceed in
its design (extension) from the scientific disciplines (,like
the UDC),-or purposes, tasks, or problems. A discipline...
oriented classification is examplified,by a fragment of the
science tree for "Mechanics" which is shown in 'ig.4. This
kind of a classification helps represent graphicaliy the
difrerentiation of science: the lower level shows themes that
may in future become separate research fields.
Integration of science, on the other nand, can only be
represented by a classification proceeding from purpose, task,
or problem. In this case the initial purpose is decomposed
into an hierarchy of special purposes and tasks in which
the adjacent levels are linked by`the "purpose - means" rela-
tion and the lowest level is reprsented try the totality of
basic research projects.
A purpose-oriented classification .shaped as a tree is not
complete in that it does nut recognise the simple fact that
an applied research project presupposes a whole
spectrum of basic research results, or the fact that the find-
ings of one applied research project can be utilised in several.
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aeveloprnent projects. Relations of this kind transform rnis siun--4
or problem-oriented classificatory trees to hierarchical
graphs by which relations between fundamental sciences can be
reprSented as well, i.e. the necessary integration can be
achieved.
An hierarchical graph is illustrated in Fi g.5. The graph
exemplifies the decomposition of a large initial purpose into
an hierarchy of specific purposes and tasks, the purposes and
tasks of any of the lower levels being the means for achieving
the higher level purposes.'Whereiore, the adjacent levels of
the hierarchical graph are linked by "purpose-means" matrices.
11', for example, the level following the general goal is re-
garded as the set of economy tRks P _ i?p1 p2,... ,pn } in a
field c sector) which, wuen fulfilled, lead to the achievement
of the general goal, then the next level will be the level of
the development projects which must be completed to fulfil
the tasks P. The set of development projects in r'ig. 5. is
denoted by Q,Q = q1 , g2, ..* q1l ~f The of y ct produced by
design work q1 on tine solution of the problem p j can be esti-
mated by a quantity which wi1.L be denoted by j. T matrix
of coefficients C = lit i. j Jl , 2-=1 , ... , m, j = 1 , ... , n is a
matrix of association between the purpose P and the means
of achiev.Lng it, Q. In a similar fashion,' the matrix ti =kl! ~ ij J
i=1,..., 1, j=1,..., m will define the association between
the set Q and the applied research set 'R, R = tr1 ,r?,...re
which is tide means for achieving the purposes Q. Since some
applied research projects cannot be initiated until results
have been obtained from basic research projects, the set of
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which is denoted by S, S =fs,s2,...sk 3- , applied research
forms purposes for basic research, and the association between
these sets is given by the matrix A = f ~Q~_ij 9 I + i = 1 , ... k,
~ij
ij
1. The effect or contribution coefficients oL i j,
can be found with sufficient reliability by expert
judgments. Once this has been done and the national economic
tasks have been ranked by order of importance, 1.e, the vector
P = (P1 ,P2 ' ? ? ? pn) has been defined, the vectors of importance
coefficients of design work, applied and basic research are
defined by the formulae ,
Q = C ? P,
R C ? P, and
SA
Thus, we can trace in quantitative terms the importance of
basic and applied problem solutions for national economic task
which is essential for resource planning and allocation in
the research and development field.
It should be emphasised that~the same-systems analysis
philosophy underlies both the integration of sciences and
the program-goal planning and management. An hierarchiual graph
is formed by means of systems analysis of the conditions For
achieving some large-scale pd'pose. This is a comp.L.icated and
laborious task for which a broaa range of highly competent
experte must be enlisted. Forms and procedures for selecting
and functioning of research teams that.would carry out this
expert work systematically have nos become established. so far.
This is noc uue to methodological problems alone. Organisatio-
nal problems are also .iuipurtant. State-run organisations can-
not rely in their activities on such informal, ad lioo groups
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as the expert panels, sec up anew with each problem. The
country's :$ES system seems to oe zne best environment .Or
developing such flexible, problem-oriented groups.
Science has accumulated considerable experience in the
practical application of systems methods to the analysis of
complex interrelations in science. A case in point is the
work on an information system for malignant tumours commissio-
ned by the World Health Organisat.on,1t has been a joint
venture between the USSR Academy of Sciences Institute for
:Management eroblems,the US$R.Academy of Iviedical Science, in-
stitute of Experimental and Clinical Oncology, and the Inter-
national Institute. for Apk)lied Systems Analysis in kien,
Austria (7). During this project experts have formulated a
list of research themes which are being elaborated throughout
the world on the problem area "ivlaiignant Tumours". From this
list a graph of relationships between research themes was
built. This graph is shown schematically in Fig. 6. The ei'_,.ect
of each theme on the others is represented by the link
oetween the none i, (i = 1,2) ..., 124) and the node Ni, whore,
by Ni is meant the totality (list) of themes dependent on
the theme i. Because of the complexity of the graph taus
built it defies direct analysis. An attempt to simplify the
graph by aggregating its nodes on the basis of the conventional.
classification by science! leads to a graph having 13 nodes,
since the above list of 124 themes can.be represented at a
higher level of the classificatory tree by 13 research
problem
1, Tumour cell biology and biochemistry,
2. Virus ca.rcinogenes--is,
3. Chemical carcinogeresis,
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4. Raaiation carcinogenesis,
5. Tumour imrnunulogy,
6. Tumour-body ru:Lationship,
7. Tumour morphology,
8. malignant tumour diagnostics,
9. hxperimental and clinical chemotherapy,
10. Surgical treatment,
11. Radiobiology and radiata.on therapy,
12. Epidemiology and malignant tumour statistics,
0'
13. Cancer fighting.
By way of iliustration, let us explicate the subject scope
of Problem 7.
7.1. Tumour histogenesis, classification and nomenciature;
7.2. Structural-functional characteristic of pro-tumour and
tumour, processes;
7.3. Therapeutic tumour pathomorphosis;
7.4. Refinement of techniques and procedures for morphological
investigation of tumours (histochemical, imin nomorphologi--
cal, electron-microscopic, etc.);
7.5. Organisational aspects of the morphological tumour re-
search (establishing d;ta banks, reference centres, etc.);
1
7.6. The problem of pre--cancer period (diagnostics morphologi-
cal, clinical, and organisational aspects).
A simplified graph is shown in rig. 7. It is still quite corn-
plex for analysis.
The research team headed by 'rofessor A.M.Petrovsky at
the Institute for management Problems, USSR Academy of Scien-
ces, has developed computer algorithms to simplify the initial
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graph by recognizing the real information links between rese-
arch themes. The aggreation of graph nodes achieved by these
procedures differs significantly from the conventional one.
The graph thus built is shown in 1+'ig. 8. Each of the eleven
nodes unites a number of themes (their number is given in
parenthesis) of the initial list which are strongly linked
among themselves but weakly connected with the other themes.
This property of the theme list is represented In .ig. 8.by aau
are which begins and ends at the corresponding node. Some
lists have the property of Weak internal link between the the-
mes, but strong connection with themes in another list; for
example, pairs 5-9 and 6-7. To illustrate, we shall describe
the subject scope of List 1, while preserving the original
numbering of the themes (the first figure stands for problem
number, and the second, fur theme number within the problem):
1.1. structural-functional features of the tumour cell genume
at the inolecu.iar and chromosomic levels.
1.2. rvrolecular--biological mechanisms of the post-transcriptio-
nal realizatiun of genetic information in a tumour cel.;..
1.7. genetic engineering rectification of the defects respon-
sible for cel.i malignisation;
2.5. The mechanism of interactiun'between tumour viruses and
the cell at the molecular level;
2.7. interaction of viruses with other carcinogenic agents;
3.6. blechanisms of interaction between?cnemical carcinogens
and the cell at the molecular level;
4.3. The genetic and epigenomic mechanisms of racLiation car-
cinogenesis;
7.2. The structural-functional characteristic of'pre-tumour
processes;
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9.5. The molecular mechanisms of tumour cell injury during
chemotherapy.
This methodology proves to be highly efrective in"~.identifyi.ng
interconnections between research projects and in designing
information systems, as it reveals the nature and. extent of
informational associations between research projects.
3.2. The logical information analysis of the knowledge
.Level
it is a well bnown fact ttiat scientific-information acti-
vities consist of:
- firstly, a variety of information services, which in-
clude the dissemination of the so-called secondary information,
- secondly, the logical information analysis of the level
of knowledge, or the extraction of data from original documents.
their processing and assessment.
While the former aspect of the information work is most
effectively realized within the State Information System? the
second aspect, namely the classification and analysis of
knowledge. level, seems to emphysise the role of scientific
and engineering societies.
We have spoken of the scope of the SES promotionary activi.
ties, so it remains to be mentioned now that as a matter
of fact the entire lecturing work. of the SES is associated
with the transfer of scientific knowledge to the audience of
engineers and tecnnicians; this transfer involves a logical-
information analysis of .his knowledge.
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The SES play a major role in developing the so-cal.ieu
recommendatory information for institutions and individuals
responsible for administrative and scientific and technical
management at all levels of economy. -Recommendatory information
includes summaries and forecasts, reflects development trends,
indicates alternative solutions, and the predictable consequen-
ces of each alternative. Recommendatory information is compi-
led by most competent members of the sEil - prominent scientists.
highly skilled specialists, talented engineers, -- who can cri-
tically and in full awareness of their reponsibility analyse
the material that has been selected, without missing any
details which nay be very significant indeed. The importance
of this line of SES work cannot be overestimated. It permeates
all the areas of this country's economy. It is noteworthy that
in drawing up long-term national economic development plans
SES's suggestions are considered and taken into account by
the government oodies.
In 1973, a special committee'headed by Academician
A.N.Nesmeyanov which was formed by the State t;omwit-cee of
the USSR Council of Ministers for Science and Technology ha-
ving analysed the SES activities highly appraised the propo-
sals worked out by the SES and came to the conclusion that
the Societies should be requested Lo initiate a periodical to
be titled "Survey of SES Scientific and Technological Propo-
sals and Recommendations" . At the same time the commit free
pointea Lo the need for close collaboration. between tree SES
and the national plansling authorities.
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a.3. The role of the SES in developing a system Jbr inter--
sectoral exchange of scientific and technical infor-
mation
Information analysis is a traultcional line of activity
with the SES. It is worth mentioning that tale SES can and
should encourage information synthesis. d hat we refer to Is
the development and utilisation of essentially new techniques
of knowledge organisation and dissemination.
In the development of novel technologies, experimental
work, process improvement, capital construction, and Tactory
reorganisation, known and tested solutions in different com-
binations are used: as well as new technical solutions. Such
technical solutions and their coinuinati'o7s may be familiar to
one field or department but quite unr;nuwn -co tue adjacent on s.
So there still remains the problem Of disse::,.ination of infor-
mation on technical solutions and of tailo..ing it to develop-
ment plans, reconstruction, capital constr.ucti.on, and process
improvement. This problem can be solved in 'a centralied way
by developing suitably updatable data banks of original and
technical solutions. It can be also solved in a decentralised
way by enlisting the participation of, the SES, and in this
sense it is similar to the sectoral and inter-pectoral problem:;
of advanced know-how sharing. It would bi appropriate to men-
tion here that in both cases this work cannot be completed
without the participation of competent 'and ski]:ied specialists
who are the.. core of SES membership,. The attention that infor-->
citation special.ists pay to raising the effectiveness of inter--
sectoral information exchange is accounted for by inter-sec-
tonal information being a considerable portion in the genera.
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flow of data. According to rough estimates, the proportion of
inter-sectoral information in the total amount processed by
the national scientific and technical information system range:;,
between 75 and 80 per cent (8), and it tends to grow. here is
one more example. In 1972, the ALL-Union institute for In ter,-
sectoral information (vitiI) circulated a newsletter reporting
on cutters which provided for a ten-fold increase in cutting
speed (10). More than 60 enterprises took an interest in the
innovation, but none of tnem under the authority of the de-
partment in whose framework the tools had been-developed. One
could cite numerous other examples of this find.
Because of this high importance of inter-sectoral inQor-
ination exchange, a remified network of inter-sectoral territo-
rial information units has been developed within the State
Scie~ntifie and Technical Information System (10). The VIMI and
the Ali-Union Scientific and Technical information Centre
(v1v'WiTs) play a major part in this sys cem. The data bases
accumulated by these institutions can, in respect of both size
and scope, provide a groundwork for an inter-sectoral data
bank wick would be similar, say, to the VOS1IOD data bank
(11) designed to maintain an active inter-sectoral exchange
of planning and economic information. It should be noted in
this connection that the effectiveness of such data banks.
depends not so much on their size as on the organisation and
quality of the data accumulated in them. Therefore, the parti-
cipation-of the SES both in information supply and in develop-
ment of the guidelines for this work is essential to the
success of this kind of undertaking, because it is precisely
within the SES that the most active and skilled scientific
and engineering personnel can be found, capable of viewing
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their tasks from an all-national rattier than departmental
position. It would be in order to recall. at this point treat,
recognising the importance of t ks in improving scientific
and technical information now lacing the DES, the Praesidium
of of the Ali-Union Council of Scientific and Engineering So-
cieties decided in June 1974 to establish tue Council Commi-
ttee for Scientific and Technical information and defined the
development of inter-sectoral information exchange as one of
its primary tasks.
3.4. The role of the S1S in communication
The urge to communicate, to excnang e views is inherent
in man generaliy, and in the scientist particularly. In the
first place this fact was central to the establishment of the
SAS and tti.eir further progress. :dhiie in administrative,
state-run systems the inter--personnel contacts are usually
predetermined and standardised, the 'E,S system throughout
its history has laid an ernphasis on informal co pimunicatlons.
Therefore, tiie role of the ;S :in the organisation of informa-
tion contacts among scientific workers cannot be overE sti:iatuu .
The importance of conferences, symposia, people's universi-
ties, schools of advanced pr~4ct:Lce s, scientific and technical
journa.-s, homes of scientific and technological popularisa-
tion, and simply lobby interviews is great indeed. Some so-
ciologa.cai studies point with certainty to a primary importance
of informal factors in information exchnge.
re have already quoted some data describing the scope
of the SES promotional activities. domes of scientific and
Technical i'apuiaarisat.i.on and Homes of `Teobnolog;y play a majur
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part in this work. Thus, the F..Dzerzhinsky Home of Scientific
and Technical kopularisatio, in Moscow conducts extensive
work on the orgaaisaGiun of seminars, lectures aelivered at
xactories and oNices, lectures on the topical problems of
today (e.g. "Operating systems of present-day computers" etc.).
The basic unit of tree Home is the section. There are 20 of the,;~
All sections are sector-oriented, except the one for applied
problems of cybernetics. The sections conduct regularly ccn-
sultations for inventors and innovators, exhibitions of Soviet
and foreign equipment (ij'xU packing, r'rench donsole equipment
etc.). Each year more than 10v9000 persons take part in tree
home's activities..
A few words about the periodicals that the SES issues
independently or jointly with sectoral agencies. There are
73 journals associated with the SES. Here are a few examples.
The t,-iininfr Journal.`1'his is one of the oldest journals.
It was ?ouncled in 1825 and today has a circulation of 17,000
copies. The journal devotes its. space to problems of design
methodology, new achievements, advanced practices.
The Electric . The journal was founded in 1880. Its
circulation is around y,000-10,000 copies. The following
organisations take part in its publication: the Central Board
of the Scientific and Engineering Society for tower engineer-
ing and Electric-power Industry, the USSR Academy of Sciences,
the State Commitcee 'of the USSR Council' of Ministers for
Science and..'Technology. The jDurnal.. gives its space to matters
of the theory of electrical engineering, surveys of latest
advances, discussions on topical problems in science and tech-
nology, historical essays, papers by leading Soviet and
foreign scientists.
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The Journal of the Mendeleev All-Union Chemical So cie ty.
The journal was.founded in 1956. It publishes papers on the
Society's work, problem papers, collected articles on a subject
Thus, in January 1975, the journal published a paper on the
orga,Aisation and activities of the American Chemical Society.
Papers by foreign chemical scientists are translated.
Thus, past experience has been brought to bear on the
specific forms in which the ideas of scientific contacts have
been implemented within the Societies. The present-day level
f
of technological development equips humanity with new and
powerful communication media: cinema, radio, teieviLii on. The
computer will probably become the technical basis for the commu?
nication facilities of the future. Even now attempts are made
to develop computer networks serving broad user communities
which operate on a developed aata base and represent a kind
of intermediary between the scientists and the collective
human knowledge. The impiementation of this programme will
raise by an order the effectiveness of scientific and other
intel-Lectual work, and will be a real means for overcoming
the information crisis.
Let us now point Lo some problems which are being dealt
with try the SE S either directly or" through the i.nxluence they
have on personnel at the appropriate departments and insti-
tutions.
1. One such problem refers to the 'previous question of
the information support to the .development process dyL,amics.
The notion of life cycle makes it possible to introduce the
a-called total planning - from the inception or generatiuli of
the idea of an innovative Leohnology, until its series p.ioduc-
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tiun and marketicjg. This poses the problem of information
support to the entire total development plan and of tailoring
information to the individual steps of the plan. It is preci-
sely in the interest of accelerated practical application of
scientific results that science-production associations
are being developed nowadays. It raises one more aspect of
the information support to the research and development dynamic.
2. One useful activity of SES members is participation in
the drawing up of scientific-technological forecasts. The USSR
Academy of Sciences has gained sufficient experiences in sci-
entific and technoLogieal forecasting, both standardisation-
and research-oriented. A brilliant illustration of standardisa-
tion-oriented forecasting is furnished day the man-machine sys-
tem for computer technology forecasting which has been develo-
ped at the Institute of Cybernetics, Academy of Sciences of
the Ukrainian USR. The simpler methods which have been used
by the USSR Academy of Sciences will normally include both
aspects of forecasting, standardisation- and research-oriented,
but forecasting wili begin in all cases from the building of
classificatory trees or graphs which have been mentioned
before. In making a forecast, foreign future-oriented documents
(planning documents laying down the technological pdticy of a
nation, concern, company, economic sector) should be traced
as well as the facts of the future announced in these docu-
ments. The somewhat less important but numerous patent infor-
mation should be also taken into account (e.g. approximately
10,000 patents are issued every year on aircraft alone).
Patents call for a very careful selection, as they may be
"paper", "scarecrows' , "obstructive", "nuisance", "provocative",
"misleading" etc.
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25.
3. One of the major tasks for the forthcoming Five-year
Plan period is the development of a national automated scien-
tific and technical information system and, correspondingly,
the development of the Unified Scientific and Technical Informa-
tion system as part of the national economy management system.
Here the key problems are the choice of the right direction
and the clear functional differentiation between the Unified
System and the other national economy management systems.
Anyway, the technical re-equipment of the scientific and tech-
nical information service through large-scale computerisation
is a necessary and inevitable development. However, the wide
use of computer technology, if both aspects of information
work are considered, faces us with great problems indeed.
Automating the first aspect of information activities presents
no problem, since the computer provides a good back-up for
on-line document retrieval systems, generation of bioliogra-
phies, a variety of secondary information products, and retrie-
val of specific documents on demand. The situation is much
more complicated as regards fact retrieval systems which are
necessary for automating the second aspect of information
worx, where the facts pertaining to a problem must be extracted
from documents and ordered. In this case the computer is requi-
red to handle semantic text.-analysis problems, which are
largely beyond its capabilities as yet. This problem is
being worked out 'within the framework of the line of research
known as artificial intelligence...Speaking about outlooks, an
information retrieval system of this kind is supposed to pruvic
for man-computer dialogue in a language which would be close
to the natural one. The computers are supposed to have randoml,,
a.ructured data bases, the file structures being developed by
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deduction procedures. In this connection, the automation of
the second aspect of information work should proceed primarily
along the line of using information graphs and matrices, which
have been discussed before. Data banks will in this case
be - list-structured since the classification itself will be
in the shape of a list. All this will require, however, con-
siderable preliminary work on the classification and stru ta-
ring of scientific and economic tasks and problems.
In assessing the resulus of the SES activities towards
improving information work And the topicality of the tasks
being handled by the SES it can be stated with confidence
that the USSR's MS system is an effective means for accelo-
rating scientific and technological progresw, or active
application of scientific advances in this country's national
economy.
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27.
. i."4.I'.~IyI11ItoB, 1', I. ,o6por, I3.I ,Tape!! er.ICO. I'eceAu o6 yripa Ji3r