Frequently Asked Questions for the NASA Information Locator
The NASA Information Locator is a service which can help you identify public NASA information sources. This includes any type of information source: servers on the Internet, publications, phone-based services, etc.
Answers to questions you might have when looking for NASA information sources using the NASA Information Locator.
General Questions
- Why aren't there more records?
- Why are the records so long?
- How do I get things that aren't on the Internet?
- How do I get my WWW Server (or other source) into the NASA Information Locator?
- What is GILS?
Questions about searching
- I didn't find what I was looking for.
- Why are there different search forms?
- Why would anyone want to use the fielded search form?
- Can I use logical connectors like AND, OR, ADJ?
- Why do I get the option to see text or HTML?
General Questions
The NASA Information Locator is a new service as of October 1, 1995. There are records for some of the sources on NASA. By October 20, 1995, records for all major information systems will by added by each NASA Center.
FAQ List
The Government Information Locator Service (GILS) Core Element requirements specify that certain fields are necessary and must be included. Although there might appear to be a lot of extra information when linking to a web server, keep in mind that other, non-electronic sources will be included. Also, NASA Information Locator records may also appear in print publications where all of the additional information will be welcome.
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Each record should include complete information on how to order, contact the distributor, or a URL. Initially, some records may be incomplete.
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NASA Centers are to provide records for their information sources for inclusion in the NASA Information Locator. See the instructions.
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The Government Information Locator Service (GILS) is a new, Federal Government-wide initiative. It is designed to provide a standard for Government Agencies to use when presenting information to the public, and to facilitate the searching for information across agencies. Additional information and documents about GILS is available at http://www.gils.net/.
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Questions about searching
Since the NASA Information Locator is a new service as of October 1, 1995, it is not yet a comprehensive source for locating all NASA information sources, on the Internet or otherwise. Some other things to try:
- Try to make your search broad rather than narrow.
- Try searching on some synonyms or related concepts for the things you are seeking.
- Try browsing through the Alphabetical Title listings.
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Different search forms are provided for searching the NASA Information Locator to meet the different needs of individuals searching for information. As more information is added and we learn more about how the Locator is used, modified or additional forms may appear. Here is a summary of the differences:
- The search form on the NASA Information Locator page is designed to allow a user to quickly identify a source with one or two words. This will be most useful when trying to identify a known source.
- The fielded search form on the NASA Information Locator is designed to provide more options, and assumes that most people will want to identify Internet-accessible sources first.
- The fielded search form provides complete listings and entry areas for every field or element within the NASA Information Locator record. This will allow precise searching for specific topics or categories. This is most useful, of course, when there are a large number of records.
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Initially, with the small number of records available, the fielded search form has less utility. Later, as more records are added, it will provide a degree of specificity needed to narrow a search down to a usable number of items. Users with experience on library-oriented search systems will probably be most comfortable using the fielded search form.
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Yes. They must be capitalized: AND, OR, or ADJ. ADJ is for phrases, like "news ADJ release". Keep in mind that using AND (as well as ADJ) will significantly reduce the number of items retrieved.
Logical connectors are not required; generally using a few words or phrases will result in a satisfactory retrieval.
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HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is the format used on the World-Wide Web and allows the inclusion of hyperlinks and formatted text. NASA Information Locator records exist in both text and HTML format. Generally, if you are using the Web, the HTML version will be the easiest to read.
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NASA Information Locator
- NASA STI Help Desk
- E-mail: help@sti.nasa.gov
- Responsible NASA official:
- George Roncaglia, NASA STI program
- E-mail: G.J.Roncaglia@larc.nasa.gov
- Phone: 757-864-2374
Last Revised: September 23, 1999