3.2.3 RESORS (Remote Sensing Online Retrieval System), Ottawa - Canada, is a
database concentrating on remote sensing and touching surveying & mapping only
as related to remote sensing. No summaries are included. The database contains
60.000 entries with 5.000 added each year. Languages of literature considered
for the database are primarily English and French. Cracknell et al 1987 pub-
lished some 6.000 documents of the period July 1985 - June 1986 with addresses
of authors. Search requests can be mailed to RESORS, 1547 Merivale Road, ^th
Floor, Ottawa K1A OY7, at no costs. The only host available for online retrie-
val is the computer at RESORS itself with an individual retrieval language. No
assistance is rendered to acquire the full text of retrieved documents.
3.2.4 The NASA - USA and PASCAL - France databases include some documents on
photogrammetry and remote sensing. The AGRIS database from FAO -Italy is on
agriculture and has also references on remote sensing with abstracts for some
entries.
2.0.5 The USA National Technical Information Service NTIS database was estab-
lished and is maintained by the US government to make publicly available reports
on research projects (Clark 1987). Each year some 60.000 reports are added from
200 US Federal agencies, along with 15.000 reports from agencies from other
countries. À journal is published twice a month to identify new reports entered
into the database. Online access is available at the hosts DIALOG Information
Service, ORBIT Search Service, and BRS Bibliographic Retrieval Service. The
full text of 1,7 mio different technical publications is for sale at the NTIS.
3.3 Summary of the present state
2.2.1 Comparing printed information and online information retrieval, a book
with an alphabetical register is the less expensive source for successful search
if the user knows exactly what he is looking for. In contrast, when searching
for a subject which can not be defined easily, then computerized online retrie-
val in a database is more successful as it permits to search for various words
and, above all, allows to combine several keywords. Online retrieval is the
more expensive system but allows more demanding queries.
5.5.2 Valuable literature documents for online retrieval in our fields are
scattered over many databases. That presents some disadvantages : (a) The user
has to access different hosts. Further, he has to be familiar with the indivi-
dual retrieval languages of the hosts. (b) Assuming within a database on
geography nothing but 5% is of concern to our fields. Nevertheless, we have to
pay for all the content of the database when doing online retrieval.
3.5.5 The reliability of most databases for our discipline is not known. A
test of reliability of NASA, PASCAL and GEO Abstracts databases has been con-
ducted by ten Haken 1982. We quote his conclusion : " The results achieved indi-
cate that the investigated databases do not constitute a fully reliable retrieval
system for scientists working in the field of photogrammetry and remote sensing".
3.3.4 Some databases do not offer summaries which are normally considered to
be an essential feature when retrieving literature. The capabilities of these
databses should be assessed.
3.3.5 Access to databases via online retrieval requires hard currency and is,
hence, available only for a priviledged group of users, merely excluding poor
countries.
3.3.6 Although most photogrammetrists and remote sensing specialists are well
familiar with computers, they are hesitative towards online retrieval of litera-
ture. Continuous marketing is necessary, particularly at universities. As it stands
now, present days students are the non - users of online retrieval of tomorrow.
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