DISCLAIMER

The following is a staff memorandum or other working document 
prepared for the members of the Advisory Committee on Human
Radiation Experiments.  It should not be construed as representing
the final conclusions of fact or interpretation of the issues. 
All staff memoranda are subject to revision based on further 
information and analysis.  For conclusions and recommendations of
the Advisory Committee, readers are advised to consult the Final
Report to be published in 1995.

MEMORANDUM

To:       Advisory Committee on Human Radiation Experiments

From:     Advisory Committee Staff

Date:     September 1, 1994

Re:       Staff Memorandum:  Information System
          Development/Database Development and Capabilities


ACHRE is involved in a complex research and investigation project
that requires the analysis and understanding of over fifty years
of the interactions among public policy, government programs,
scientific and medical research, and moral attitudes and
expectations, in a context in which the public perception of
appropriate and inappropriate and of right and wrong in all of
these areas has changed several times.  Despite the complexity of
this information, the importance of the issues involved to
individual American citizens requires that ACHRE achieve a
synthesis of understanding and a clarity of analysis that can be
understood by the public and effectively translated into
governmental action.  To perform this daunting task, ACHRE
requires significant technical support to aid it in coordinating
information of different types and in communicating that
information to the public.  The technology selected to provide
this support includes (1) telecommunications facilities that
include electronic mail and Internet access, (2) software that
supports shared databases of textual information, (3) electronic
discussion groups that support the research work of staff teams,
and (4) facilities that allow public access to much of the
information collected or developed by ACHRE.  The planning and
implementation process was described at the Committee's second
June meeting.  Since that time, substantial progress has been
made towards full implementation of the plan.


NETWORK

The ACHRE computer network was installed in early August, and
currently connects 38 workstations.  The network provides access
to Lotus Notes, which is being used for electronic mail within
the staff offices and various database applications (described
below).  We are working to obtain full Internet access for the
ACHRE network in September, so that staff and committee members
may correspond by electronic mail.  Committee members who are
interested in having direct access  to ACHRE databases should
request a copy of the hardware and software requirements.


ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SERVICES

Established Databases

In addition to the standard mail and help databases, ACHRE staff
members now have access to the following databases:

All Staff Discussion is an open forum for comments and
contributions on any topic;

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Technology Corner is a discussion of various hardware, software
and telecommunications issues managed by ACHRE's senior
technology consultant;

Document Collection contains lists and descriptions of all
documents received by the ACHRE staff, and can be manipulated to
show subsets of the collection of particular interest to the
user.  Information services staff use the database to provide
collection and document control; research staff use the database
as a catalog of archival materials.

Publications Collection serves as a catalog of published research
materials held by ACHRE.  Staff and committee members can also
use the database to request published information.

ACHRE Indexes contains standard information sets developed by
ACHRE staff.  Available  information includes lists of subject
terms, individuals of research interest, isotope formulas,
acronyms, and other general information, and supports look-up
tables for other databases, so that their use can be facilitated.

Experiment Index contains information in a standard format for
each experiment identified as of interest to ACHRE, classified
according to the agreed themes and emphases in ACHRE's research. 
This index can be sorted according to various keywords, themes,
types of experiment, etc., in order to allow categories and
characteristics of experiments to be selected.

Database Development

Several databases are being developed.  One database will include
a timeline of incidents, people, places and things of interest to
ACHRE in a single chronology.  Another will include news articles
and broadcasts related to ACHRE or its research interests. 
Others will aid specific research teams in recording, developing
and organizing information related to their projects.  Additional
databases will be constructed as required or requested.

Online Services

Staff still have direct access only to Lexis/Nexis; some second
hand access is available through the DOE Library.  Requests for
access to Medline and other specific services are still
outstanding; eventually we hope to have direct access through
Dialog.  Continuing efforts are being made to address this
problem.


DOCUMENT COLLECTIONS

Records

The Archival Collection now contains c. 125 cubic feet of
records.  Approximately 40% of this volume has been reviewed at
the document level in order to identify significant documents,
which are then described and indexed in detail.  Approximately
another 10 to 20% of this volume has been analyzed by staff
members for their specific research projects but has not been
evaluated for broader interest.  The necessary goal is review and
evaluation of all documents.

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The structure and handling of ACHRE's own records has been
addressed by the issuing of general guidelines for records
retention and the identification of lead staff members whose
responsibility it is to see that specific categories of records
are preserved and organized.

Publications

ACHRE staff have made several hundred individual requests for
published information, most of which have been sent to the DOE
Library for fulfillment.  Among these requests are orders for
publications related to radiation exposure standards, articles on
various ethical issues, and transcripts of Congressional hearings
over a 46 year period.  Several collections of documents have
been assembled, including runs of minutes of important committees
and several sets of agency histories.


DEVELOPING SERVICES

A professional librarian will join the ACHRE staff in September. 
Among her first tasks will be to develop, in cooperation with the
director of information services and members of the research
staff, a plan for expanding and improving online and other
bibliographic services.  At least two new projects have already
been identified:  (1) a coordinated set of online and other
searches that results in a formal, certified survey of
publications related to topics of interest to ACHRE, particularly
reports of experiments and related research; and (2) research to
identify the location of archival collections related to ACHRE
research interests.  The availability of the librarian will also
allow better coordination and control of the various print
documents now owned or on long-term loan to ACHRE.

Following establishment of ACHRE's Internet access, planning work
will begin for two major applications:  (1) the creation of
optical records of important ACHRE documents, both to provide
better access for staff and for the public, and (2) the creation
of a gopher server to provide public access to the information
contained in ACHRE's databases and document collections. A gopher
server is an Internet location that holds information that can be
selected and downloaded by individuals.  If possible, a newsgroup
or listserv will be established in conjunction with the gopher. 
Newsgroups and listservs are online discussion forums on specific
topics.


PUBLIC ACCESS

Public access to some ACHRE information is now available in the
ACHRE offices.  Among the items available are the agenda and
minutes for all ACHRE meetings, including all supporting
documentation developed for or used by members of the committee
for those meetings, or otherwise submitted for its information
and consideration; assembled collections of documents, such as
the minutes of meetings of agency committees or agency histories;

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and descriptions of the collections of records deposited by the
agencies, together with lists of significant documents identified
in those collections.

Additional information is available only in electronic formats. 
Proposals for public access to this information are included in a
separate memorandum.



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