RL Scott, Director, Office of Project and Program Development, OSTI, presented "The Chains of Transition -- On The Road to an Information Vision for the 21^st Century - Past, Present, Future," which provided an overview of the past and present STI Program as well as a vision for the future. OSTI and the STI Program have changed very dramatically over the last 14 years both technically and programmatically. Contrasted were past and present practices in the following areas: information architecture, database structure, number of data elements, processing, and timeliness of information. The presence of the Web shifted the vision to the opportunities and the possibilities of reaching and sharing the wealth of scientific information our agency develops with new scientific communities, particularly at the individual researcher’s desktop. One of the technologies for the future is "harvesting" of information of the originating sites to reduce costs and enhance timeliness. The groundwork has been laid carefully for over a decade to move OSTI and the STI Program to a position of greater operational flexibility so we can operate the DOE STI Program at a significantly reduced cost in resources to both the DOE and DOE Contractors alike. Now we are positioned to accept the new information challenges of the 21^st Century, such as the issues of information availability.

OSTI Activities in FY 2002 - Sharon Jordan discussed several key activities for OSTI during FY 2002. DOE is one of 10 agencies that developed science.gov, the FirstGov for Science web site, which is now available in test mode. The interagency collaboration was initiated at a workshop less than a year ago to enhance access to reliable science information from the Federal agencies. The official launch is planned for later this spring. DOE has over 100 web sites that contain science and technology information included in science.gov at this time. For the STI products, OSTI is focusing in FY02 on increasing comprehensiveness beyond technical reports. Many of the procedures and forms were developed for technical reports, yet other products need to be included. Therefore, to reflect the new focus, changes will be made to be more inclusive in definitions, forms, procedures, etc. Energy Citations Database is the first OSTI tool to reflect the implementation of the Dublin Core-based data elements. The PrePRINT Network is another growing tool, with over 8400 preprint sites now searchable. Another tool under development addresses a current, growing need for protected access by DOE to sensitive STI. The ongoing web site document review should conclude in the April timeframe. However, we are still awaiting further guidance from the Administration, which may impact access limitations and associated procedures for announcing STI.

Digitized Legacy Collections  - Kathy Waldrop and Judy Lussie discussed digitizing legacy collections. Kathy discussed the current availability of pre-1995 (legacy) full-text documents on the Energy Citations Database (ECD). As sites begin digitizing legacy collections, ECD should be searched to determine if an electronic full-text document and announcement record currently exists prior to providing as a new or revised record/product. OSTI will work with sites one-on-one when they are ready to begin providing digitized legacy collections.

Judy Lussie, Department Head of the Technical Information Department at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), offered a presentation titled "Digitizing Legacy Documents." There has been much interest in having LLNL digitize documents, especially microfiche, which OSTI has had stored since 1948. LLNL began scanning documents in 1993 with a 10-page-per-minute (ppm) scanner. Now 135-ppm scanning systems worth $1.2M are operated by highly skilled personnel, who have had 640 hours of training. In her case study, Lussie shared how the lab overcame problems of personnel training, pre-processing of paper documents, and classified scanning. Because of the weapons inventory, LLNL is the lead lab in digitizing legacy documents.

Focus Areas for FY 2002 - Susan Tackett and Lynn Davis discussed although journal literature has been a recognized type of STI for many years, there has been renewed emphasis this year in the coverage of journal information, in part, as a result of the issuance of the IG report "Peer-Reviewed Scientific Literature Generated at the Department’s Light Sources", issued 8/31/01. The IG audit was specific to four Departmental light source user facilities that conduct experiments in disciplines such as chemistry, biology, and physics. Research performed at the light sources is published primarily in journal literature.

The objective of the audit was to determine if abstracts of journal articles generated from work performed at the Department’s light sources were available for public dissemination through OSTI. Results of the audit indicated that not all journal abstracts generated from work performed at the light sources were available for public dissemination through OSTI. The audit disclosed that, although required, the abstracts were not available because the Department had not established adequate procedures to ensure that journal literature for research performed at the light sources was collected in OSTI’s PubSCIENCE database. DOE management concurred on the finding and recommendations and corrective actions are currently in process.

Currently, journal information made available via E-Link, through publisher agreements, and via harvesting is made available both in PubSCIENCE as well as Energy Citations Database.

Susan Tackett and Rita Hohenbrink discussed the technical requirements for a site's bibliographic information to be "harvested" from a local web site.  She also discussed the steps to go through to begin harvesting from a site.  In OSTI’s role to coordinate STI activities, we continue to look at quicker and easier ways to acquire more bibliographic and full-text information. Currently, DOE sites electronically "send" the bibliographic data and full text to OSTI via OSTI’s web-based E-Link System utilizing a web version of the 241 form based on HTML or an SGML DTD for those sites that choose to "batch" or export their data directly from an existing bibliographic database. The use of available technology provides a streamlined option - "harvesting".

A 2000 study of DOE sites revealed that unclassified, unlimited bibliographic information and full-text documents are on a majority of DOE Web sites. OSTI is utilizing distributed technology to "harvest" Internet-accessible unclassified, unlimited documents from select site’s existing bibliographic databases and access electronic documents maintained at the sites.

OSTI harvests a site’s unclassified/unlimited bibliographic information, maps the information to Dublin Core metadata, puts it into the OSTI System, and points to the electronic full text located at the DOE site, thus making harvested information, with links to full text, available on the Energy Citations Databases and other appropriate OSTI Web products. OSTI would like to capitalize on the work already done by sites and minimize any operational requirements for the sites.

STI Product Submissions/Procedures - Kathy Waldrop discussed the following:

OSTI's Role with NTIS and GPO - Due to federal legal requirements regarding public access to federal information, OSTI will occasionally be asked about the need to have a separate agreement with NTIS. DOE’s Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) is mandated to manage the DOE Scientific and Technical Information Program and the DOE O 241.1A and DOE G 241.1-1A have been established to fulfill the scientific and technical information mandates delineated in the Departmental enabling legislation (Atomic Energy Act of 1954, Department of Energy Organization Act, and Federal Non-nuclear Energy Research and Development Act of 1974). OSTI uses the Information Bridge as the formal mechanism to make publicly available DOE’s research results produced by DOE sites, laboratories, and grantees. OSTI’s longstanding partnerships through Interagency Agreements with NTIS and GPO complies with the requirements and negates the need for DOE Operations/Field Offices, and M&O/M&I and other major contractors to have separate agreements with NTIS and GPO.

Software - OSTI’s Energy Science and Technology Software Center (ESTSC) serves as the Department’s focal point for collecting, processing, and distributing S&T software and serving as the Department’s central announcement mechanism for DOE-sponsored scientific and technical (S&T) software. Statistics show that software submissions to ESTSC have dropped significantly since 1999.

STI Managers were reminded of the DOE O 241.1A Contractor Requirements Document (CRD) which specifically points out that useful S&T computer software is to be reviewed for sensitivity as well as announced and made available to OSTI’s ESTSC. They were also reminded that the DOE G 241.1-1A describes several agreed-to best practices related to S&T software announcement and availability and were asked to communicate the requirements and best practices with their site’s Software point-of-contact (POC) to ensure the S&T software is being announced and made available as appropriate.

Sites were reminded of several best practices related to software; 1) all S&T software must be coordinated with the Nuclear Transfer and Supplier Policy Division (NN-43) to determine if unclassified software meets specific criteria (i.e., ECI, algorithms for high explosives..., etc.) as identified in DOE G 241.1-1A, Part III; 2) the new Web-based PDF fillable DOE F 241.4 replacing the DOE F 241.1 for S&T software, should be provided to ESTSC regardless of the available source of the software; 3) for dissemination purposes, DOE’s S&T software should be made available to OSTI, a Specialized Information Analysis Center (when it meets the scope of interest/operation), or hosted by the development site; 4) S&T software for which copyright has been asserted, should only be available for dissemination to requesting DOE contractors and other government organizations by ESTSC or the originating site (the copyright holder or its licensees).

STI Managers were requested to review and update the Software POC information for their site; communicate CRD requirements to site’s Software POC; work with OSTI to ensure reconciliation of announcement and availability of software packages according to DOE O 241.1A and DOE G 241.1-1A; ensure only the software that meets the scope of interest/operation of a Specialized Information Analysis Center (SIAC) is being submitted to the SIAC and that the other S&T software packages are being provided to ESTSC or made available by originating site; and ensure updates of software packages are made available to ESTSC.

Declassified/OpenNet - OpenNet, sponsored by the Headquarters Office of Classified and Controlled Information Review, SO-70 and managed by OSTI is being transitioned to a fully electronic process. The OpenNet database currently contains over 420,000 records and over 500,000 full-text pages of the Department’s declassified documents which have been determined to be publicly releasable since 1994.

The DOE O 241.1A "Scientific and Technical Information Management" and DOE M 475.1-1 "Identifying Classified Information" require organizations to submit the bibliographic information to OSTI for every document that is declassified and determined to be publicly releasable. Classified information products that have been declassified should be reviewed by the originating site for sensitive unclassified information before providing the announcement record/product to OSTI.

Declassified STI announcement records and products should be transmitted to OSTI using the Web DOE F 241.1 or batch submission (available summer 2002). OpenNet STI products are available via the Information Bridge and OpenNet database.

Beginning summer 2002, there will be two new options for providing announcement information for declassified non-STI documents. There will be a new Web form DOE F 475.1 and a batch submission process for providing the OpenNet data. There will also be an upload feature for records in XML format. Declassified non-STI documents will be available on the Web via the OpenNet database.

As a reminder, to ensure that the declassified information is made available to the widest audience possible, OSTI should receive classification change notices when a classified STI product held by OSTI is declassified by the originating site or higher authority. The submitting site should include instructions or authority for the public release or if further control is necessary the site should provide the basis for the control.

Classified - The DOE O 241.1A, Scientific and Technical Information Management and the DOE G 241.1-1A, Guide to the Management of Scientific and Technical Information specifically includes classified as a type of STI that should be made available to OSTI. The classified collection should not be maintained in a distributed environment. Unlike unclassified/unlimited and unclassified/sensitive STI products, the classified process has not fully transitioned to an electronic announcement and availability process. Although electronic is the desired format for all STI, products determined to be classified or Unclassified Controlled Nuclear Information (UCNI) should not be transmitted over open system networks, they are to be submitted to OSTI through appropriate security/mail channels. These STI products will be accepted in magnetic media or multimedia.. OSTI’s classified collection of announcement records for STI is maintained on the Classified Energy Online (CLEO) system.

Classified STI submissions to OSTI are down from previous years. Site statistics of classified submissions were provided to respective sites so STI Managers will have information for use in communicating the STI requirement and status to the classification officer.

STIP Strategic Plan - FY02 Edition - Sharon Jordan led a group effort to update the 1997 STIP Strategic Plan to bring DOE’s STI Program vision, mission, and goals up to date for the 21^st century. Attendees agreed the vision and mission are still relevant, with minor changes. Attendees reviewed the 1997 plan to affirm or modify each of the goals, identify strategies to meet each "new" 2002 goal, set milestones or measures where possible, and identify any barriers or constraints. Three goals were identified to carry forward in a new STIP plan. Goal teams then identified strategies and discussed approaches for addressing these areas in the future. The suggested changes will be captured in a draft that will be reviewed by all STI representatives, with a final document to be issued later in 2002.