48 lines
2.4 KiB
Plaintext
48 lines
2.4 KiB
Plaintext
Date: Monday, 29 September 1986 15:09-EDT
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From: Brint Cooper <abc@BRL.ARPA>
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To: Risks Forum <risks@csl.sri.com>
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Re: Sanity in Automating Keyword Abstracting
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Here is an example of a risk associated with the use of computers. The risk
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is to the accurate dissemination of information and is caused by faulty
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programming (programmers?).
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Today, the BRL Librarian informed us that the Defense Technical Information
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Center (DTIC, formerly known as DDC) now requires that the titles of our
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technical reports (the principal products of a research lab such as the BRL)
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be written so that the "keywords" are found in the first five words of the
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title.
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Thus, a report which formerly was titled "Communication Modeling in the
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Artillery Control Experiment" with keywords "error control," "tactical
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communications," "networks," and "modeling" would have to be titled
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"Modeling, Tactical Communications, and Error Control Networks," thus
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sounding like, as one chap here put it, "a four volume set by Harry van
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Trees" instead of a 25 page report.
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Exact text of our librarian's notice follows:
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> We have been advised by DTIC that the titles of technical reports should
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> be designed with the key words positioned in the first five words of the
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> title. This is because only the first five words are used in a title
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> search in the DTIC electronic data base DROLS.(DEFENSE RESEARCH ON LINE
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> SYSTEM). Important to know (and remember) is that articles are counted
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> in those first five words. Therefore a report entitled "A report of the
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> effect........." will not have any key words picked up in a title
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> search. If you currently have a report in editing, we will review it
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> and if it it does not comply with the DTIC recommendation we will advise
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> you so that it can be reworked. If you currently have a report under
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> review or in writing you might like to think about a title change.
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> Please give this widest possible dissemination.
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Brint
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ARPA: abc@brl.arpa UUCP: ...{seismo,unc,,decvax,cbosgd}!brl-smoke!abc
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Dr Brinton Cooper, U.S. Army Ballistic Research Laboratory
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Attn: SLCBR-SE-C (Cooper), Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-5066
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Offc: 301-278-6883 AV: 298-6883 FTS: 939-6883 Home: 301-879-8927
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[ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COMPUTER CAN DO FOR YOU,
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ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COMPUTER!
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I started to add a diatribe, but gave up in annoyance. PGN]
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