Energy Science and Technology Database

The Energy Science and Technology Database (EDB) is a multidisciplinary file containing worldwide references to basic and applied scientific and technical research literature. The information is collected for use by (United States) government managers, researchers at the national laboratories, and other research efforts sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, and the results of this research are transferred to the public. Abstracts are included for records from 1976 to the present day.

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States government.(Dept. of Commerce)

Nuclear Science Abstracts

The EDB also contains the Nuclear Science Abstracts which is a comprehensive abstract and index collection to the international nuclear science and technology literature for the period 1948 through 1976. Included are scientific and technical reports of the US Atomic Energy Commission, United States Energy Research and Development Administration and its contractors, other agencies, universities, and industrial and research organizations. Approximately 25% of the records in the file contain abstracts. Nuclear Science Abstracts contains over 900,000 bibliographic records. In comparison, the entire Energy Science & Technology Database contains over 3 million bibliographic records.

EDB Scope

Moreover, this database is designed to be a source for any individual who requires access to worldwide energy related information. This database is applicable to the following:

Obtaining results of current energy research efforts.

Access subject specific information on energy sources, use, and conservation; environmental effects; waste processing and disposal; regulatory consideration, as well as basic scientific studies.

Review energy information from a wide variety of sources, including journal literature, conference, patents, books, monographs, theses, and engineering and software materials.

Access historical records of the US Atomic Energy Commission, and US Energy Research and Development Administration.

Review subject specific information on nuclear science from a wide variety of sources, including books, conference proceedings, papers, patents, dissertations, engineering drawings, and journal literature.

Subject coverage

Subject coverage includes:

• Biology
• Biomedicine
• Chemistry
• Coal, Gas, Oil, Hydroelectricity
• Conservation technology
• Energy Conversion
• Energy Policy
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Geosciences, Geothermal Energy

• Hazardous waste management
• Human Genome Project Methodology
• Isotope / Radiation technology
• Materials Handling
• Metals and Ceramics
• Renewable Energy Sources
• Nuclear and Thermonuclear Power
• Physics
• Synthetic fuels

National Technical Information Service

The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) is a seperate U.S. government sponsored database. It is a signifigant central resource for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information available today. For more than 60 years NTIS has assured businesses, universities, and the public timely access to approximately 3 million publications covering over 350 subject areas. The stated aim of the NTIS is to support the Department of Commerce mission to promote the nation's economic growth by providing access to information that stimulates innovation and discovery. (Public Law 102-245, Section 108 American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991).

NTIS Scope

Containing over 2.0 million bibliographic records, the NTIS Database is a signifigant resource for accessing the latest research sponsored by the United States and select foreign governments. The Database represents billions of dollars in research. Contents include research reports, computer products, software, video cassettes, audio cassettes and more. The complete electronic file dates back to 1964. On average, NTIS has added over 60,000 new records per year to the Database over the past ten years. Most records include abstracts. It also contains a comprehensive collection of nuclear research, beginning with the Manhattan project, and the latest government sponsored research.

Subject coverage is much broader than the above EDB.

NTIS Operations

NTIS is provides information dissemination of its collection of approximately 3 million U.S. Federal Government technical reports and provides dissemination services for other U.S. Federal Government agencies. NTIS provides a variety of dissemination services for other agencies with the specialized resources, systems, equipment, financial infrastructure and personnel expertise needed to produce and disseminate their information products on a large scale. Access subject specific information, retrieve information that is difficult to obtain from other sources, and identify valuable research reports, computer products, video cassettes, audio cassettes, and software.

NTIS Statutory Authorities

NTIS' basic authority to operate a permanent clearinghouse of scientific and technical information is codified as chapter 23 of Title 15 of the United States Code (15 U.S.C. 1151-1157). This chapter also established NTIS' authority to charge fees for its products and services and to recover all costs through such fees "to the extent feasible."

This authority was restated in the National Technical Information Act of 1988, codified at 15 U.S.C. 3704b. That Act gave NTIS the authority to enter into joint ventures and declared the Clearinghouse to be a permanent Federal function that could not be eliminated or privatized without Congressional approval.

That Act was amended by the American Technology Preeminence Act of 1992 (Public Law 102-245) which:

1. required all costs associated with bibliographic control to be recovered by fees,
2. required agencies to make copies of their scientific and technical reports available to NTIS, and
3. directed NTIS to focus on developing new electronic methods and media for disseminating information.

Another statute having a profound impact on NTIS is the Commerce, Justice, State Appropriations Act for FY 1993 (Public Law 102-395) which established NTIS Revolving Fund and gave it the authority to use that Fund without further approval by Congress.

In addition, section 1526 of Title 15 of the United States Code authorizes NTIS to accept payments in advance for services to be provided to other agencies.