INIS as an example of an automated international information system

INIS is a world-wide computer-processed information system. Input is prepared in a decentralized manner by the individual national centres according to set rules. The rules are briefly characterized. The INIS Subject Categories and the INIS Thesaurus are used for subject analysis. INIS output products, i.e., the abstract journal INIS Atomindex, magnetic tapes and full texts of nonconventional literature on microfiche are used by the Nuclear Information Centre as a Czechoslovak national centre for meeting the information needs of the Czechoslovak nuclear programme. In 1977 IAEA started building a data network allowing the member countries direct access to the INIS and AGRIS data bases stored in the IAEA computer in Vienna. NIC has been utilizing this possibility since 1978 for processing retrospective searches and formulating SDI queries. For work at a terminal, co-operation has been well proven of an information specialist and the end user. (author)