Computer Assisted Literature Searching During the c o m e of alarge scale literature search we found that one of our most significant problems was that of duplicate references in the indices. As a consequence, much time was lost looking up the same abstract several times. In order to eliminate this problem, we searched all of the appropriate indices of Chemical Abstracts a t one time and listed each entry in the order as it appeared. The page numbers of the index were also indicated on the handwritten sheets so that errors in transcription could be traced back t o the original reference for correction. Each entry was then assigned a serial number using a sequential numbering device. Entries that looked especially important were designated by an asterisk following the serial number so that they could be given priority in the later literature search. The final format for a typical entry is shown below \ P a t e n t h B =Bmk,R- h e w ) ,
P107398b
G&+$A / ba:~"k:r
ad
Asterisk for epl&
entries
The information was then transferred t o standard 80 column computer punch cards and sorted according to volume and abstract number. The sort was done by an IBM 360122 computer using a standard "load disk for sort" program. The information, when sorted, was printed with triple spacing on standard forms using a standard utility program, trimmed and burst t o 8% X ll-in. size, and mounted in a Nylon post binder. Using this technique, library searching time was reduced by a t least ten times because all abstracts were listed in numerical order as they were printed, and duplicates, being adjacent, were subsequently eliminated. This work was supported in part by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Grant Number NSG-804. New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, New Mexico 87701
Bennie S. Amhuleta A. D. Rae1 Ronald D. Clark
Volume 53,Number lo, October 1976 / 639
