Science, Government, and Information: The Responsibilities of the Technical Community and the Government in the Transfer of Information.

The first two parts of the report describe some attributes of the information process and of various information handling systems. Recommendations to the technical community include: (1) The technical community must recognize that handling of technical information is a worthy and integral part of science; (2) The individual author must accept more responsibility for subsequent retrieval of what is published; (3) Techniques of handling information must be widely taught; (4) New modes for information processing and retrieval must be explored and (5) Uniformity and compatibility of information systems are desirable. Recommendations to Government agencies include: (1) Each Federal agency concerned with science and technology must accept its responsibility for information activities in fields relevant to its mission; (2) Each agency should establish a focal point of responsibility for information activities; (3) The Federal Council for Science and Technology should keep all Government information systems under surveillance; (4) The various systems should be articulated by information clearinghouses; (5) Each agency must maintain its own system and (6) The President's Science Advisory Committee should give information problems continued attention. (This is considered to be one of the basic papers of government interest in the field of information science.) (Author/NH)