Bruce F. Cameron' University of lbadan and Robert Vassar IBM African Education Centre Ibadan, Nigeria
Computer-Sorted Punched Card System for Abstracting Chemical Literature
The problem of coding and abstracting chemical literature has been approached in many ways, and several systems for using hand-sorted edge-punched cards for individual use have been devised ( I ). Kirschner (3) has described a method employing machiiesorted punched cards and a specially designed IBM card. Later Kimchner (3) redesigned the IBM card to make it easier to use, and described a method of adapting the system for hand-sorting in situations where IBM punching and sort,ing equipment might not be available. This method is valuable for a general subject index in an individual field of interest. For more extensive indexing and ahstrarting, however, a simple subject number code is inadequate, and even machine sorting becomes unnecessarily time-consuming if the number of cards is large. Certain industrial lahoratories have This work forms part of a research program supported in part by a grant from the United States Public Iledth Service (RG 9592). Research Fellow of the New England Institute for Medical Research, Ridgefield, Conn. Direct all communication to Bruce F. Cameron, the New England Institute for Medical Research, Ridgefield, Conn. 06877.
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adopted a computer-programmed indexing system (4), and the National Library of Medicine has developed what is perhaps the most ambitious scheme for literature abstracting and searching (5). The present proposal describes an indexing scheme of intermediate complexity, suitable for the individual chemist who has access t,o a small computing facility and who wishes a detailed index covering an individual, restricted, field of interest. The Card
The special card designed by Icirschner (IBM U20115) was adopted without change of format, although certain columns have been used differently from theoriginal description (3). The chief advantage of this card is that a "program" from which the key punch operator transcribes data to the card is directly incorporated. Also, guide lines are provided, making it possible for material to be typed or written on the face of the card without being mutilated by the punches. Columns 1-39 are used to punch information concerning author, reference, and abstract reference, as described by Kirschner (3). The "CODEN" system of journal abbreviations (6) is used throughout.
Columns 65-68 are for a card number (3). When the cards are to be computed-sorted, this feature allows a check for completeness of a working deck and makes it easy to remove a specific single card. The remaining columns (40-64 and 69-80) are for a subject. code. The division into a subject field and an atomic number field described by Kirschner (8) has been dropped. For inorganic chemists especially, the atomic number field may he more useful than the facility for extra subject codes. This may be retained, leaving eight subject code fields. The search program is readily modified to ignore the atomic number area in searching for specific subject codes. The Subject Code
For detailed indexing, a simple numerical code is inadequate, because the number of subject heatings is large. Therefore a simple thre+character, semi-mnemouic subject code was developed to cover material within a single area of interest. The table gives examples of code words. I n practice, each user can design his own code word dict,ionary according to his specific needs.
FE a FEZb FE3 HBF HGB KRM OD XXXG a
Iron Ferrous Ferric Hemoglobin F Hemoglobin Chromatography Spectrum Tnterferenee
..
For the nurwse of the code svmhol. a blank is considered as
s. character.
The code symbols use numhen (except zero) as well as letten. An example of s. code word used only in compound subjects, in conjunction with code words for the interfering materials or condit.ions.
These subject code words are punched in adjacent three-column, nonoverlapping fields. Any subject code word may be placed in any available field, inasmuch as the search program is designed to examine all subject code fields for the subject under search. The total subject capacity of a single card is twelve (columns 4042, 4345, 4 M 8 , 49-51, 52-54, 55-57, 5 H 0 , 61-63, 69-71, 72-74, 75-77, and 78-80). Column 64 is not used but is reserved for any special application. (In the system used in this laboratory, column 64 is punched, with the numeral 1, only when the paper containsnumerical data.) In practice, a card is punched for each author; as many subject cards are prepared as are needed to index the reference to any desired degree of detail. All
cards are punched with card number, reference, and abstract reference. The snbiect code is of a coordinate form to reduce the number of code words; i.e., ferrihemoglobin cyanide is indexed as hemoglobin- ferric - cyanide rather than as a single subject. complex namesor concepts are thus rendered into their component parts. A single reference may require multiple subject cards because it contains more than twelve terms, or because the use of a coordinate index would cause false drops in the search operation. For example, a paper concerning the chromatography of oxyhemoglobin and the visible spectrum of oxyhemoglobin and its ferrous derivative would be indexed on two cards (l/hemoglobiu - oxy - chromatography spectrum- visible and 2/hemoglobin-ferrous-spectrumvisible) so as to prevent this reference from appearing in a search for information on the chromatography of reduced hemoglobiu. Index Search
An IBM 1401 computer is used for the search program, with a duplicate deck of punched cards, pr* pared automatically. The computer searches all subject code fields for up to six coordinated code designations simultaneously, selecting only those cards which are coded for all subjects requested. The order in which the subject code words appear on the card is immaterial. Referring to the preceding example, a search for hemoglobiu - ferric - cyanide, or cyanide ferric - hemoglobin, or any other combination of these subjects, would select all references on ferrihemoglobii cyanide. The computer output is programmed to print card number, author, reference, and abstract reference for aU relevant cards. The card number enables the user to recover the card from thenumerically ordered deck, if so desired. A listing of the search program (in IBM 1401 Autocoder, or IBM 1620 SPS) is available on request to the first author. Literature Cited (1) CASEY, ROBERTS., AND PEHIIY,JAMES W. ( E ~ ~ O T S ) , "Punched Cards; Their Applications to Science and Industry," Reinhold Publishing Carp., New York, 1951. (2) KIRSCHNER, S., J. CHEM.EDUC.,34, 403 (1957). (3) KIKSCHNER, S., J. CHEM.EDUC.,38, 526 (1961). (4) "Index Preparation and Library Processing at Monsanto Chemical Company's Research Center," IBM Application Brief X2&0004-0, International Business Machines Corp., White Plsius, N. Y., no date. (5) "The MEDLARS Story at the National Library of iMedicine," United Ststes National Library of Medicine, Washington, D. C. [1963]. (6) Kuentzel, L. E. (Editor), "Coden for Periodical Titles," ASTM Special Technics1 Puhlieatition No. 329, .4merican Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1963. "Sup plernent 1," No. 329-SI, 1964.
Volume 44, Number I, January 1967
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