searching the chemical literature - American Chemical Society

Continuous Collection and Classification of Data as an Aid in Preparing Surveys J O H N C. LANE and J O H N

METSCHL

Downloaded by UNIV OF TEXAS AT DALLAS on July 11, 2016 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: January 1, 1961 | doi: 10.1021/ba-1951-0004.ch024

Gulf Research & Development Co., Pittsburgh, Pa.

This paper outlines a scheme which has been found to offer facilities for preparing literature and patent surveys with a near minimum of time expenditure and a high degree of completeness. Described briefly, the scheme consists primarily of the continuous collec tion, classification, and filing of current literature and patents. As a result of this operation, surveys may be prepared directly from filed material without the necessity for arduous searching through the abstract journals. Stenographic personnel may be utilized for much of the work in order to reduce the cost of the operation and to conserve the time of the technical personnel.

If literature and patent surveys are to serve as guides for research programs, i t is fre quently essential and always highly desirable that they be prepared i n the shortest possible time, so that the speedy development of an idea will result i n a competitive advantage. A patent may be obtained or a market may be captured if a process can be brought to completion before a competitor's, yet a hastily contrived survey may be useless. Some reference overlooked may contain the key to success or failure. Thus it would appear that the two main requirements of literature and patent surveys are that they be sufficiently comprehensive and that they be completed within as short a time as is consistent with the requirement of adequate coverage. These two requirements are, by nature, somewhat opposed, and i t is possible to satisfy both simultaneously only by conducting a survey i n the most efficient manner possible. Inasmuch as the collection of material usually constitutes b y far the largest amount of time consumed i n the preparation of literature and patent surveys, and entirely deter mines the coverage, increasing the efficiency of the collection step is of paramount impor tance. The purpose of the present paper is to outline a scheme which has been found to offer facilities for preparing surveys with a near minimum of time expenditure and a high degree of completeness. Described briefly, this scheme consists primarily of the continu ous collection, classification, and filing of current literature and patents.

Classification The smooth functioning of this scheme involves the teamwork of several sections and a number of individuals, each section contributing its services according to its facilities and each individual according to his particular training. The backbone of the entire scheme is the index classification system that has been developed b y Gulf Research & D e velopment Co.'s fellowship at M e l l o n Institute; it is by use of this system that both the literature and the patents are classified and filed for ready reference. This classification system is now undergoing revision, and a full discussion of i t must be reserved for a 164

SEARCHING THE CHEMICAL LITERATURE Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1961.

LANE AND METSCHL—CONTINUOUS COLLECTION AND CLASSIFICATION O F DATA

165

later date. However, for present purposes, a brief outline will suffice to illustrate its con tribution to the over-all plan. A t present, the system consists of the nineteen main divisions shown i n Table I . Divisions Β through J serve to classify material pertinent to the various products of petroleum, while the other divisions provide classifications for all other material relating to the petroleum industry.


Table I.

Main Divisions of M< lion Institute File Index System

A. Miscellaneous B. Gas C. Gasoline and other motor fuels D. Kerosene E . Gas oil, fuel oil, and fuels Γ. Lubricants and lubrication G. Wax and petrolatum H . Asphalt and coke I. Crude oils J. By-products and miscellaneous petroleum pr •ducts

L. Chemistry and chemical composition M . Physical properties N . Testing, analysis, and specifications O. Equipment P, Q, R. Open S. Production, pipe lines, and storage T. Distillation U. Treating chemically V. Treating physically W. Cracking

E a c h of these main divisions is subdivided into as many classes as are required b y the amount and type of information to be classified. Table I I shows the breakdown of the lubricants and lubrication division of the present system. The first letter i n the file designation for each class is that of the main division, i n this case F for lubricants and lubrication. The second letter in the file designation indicates the particular class within the main division. A number of classes are provided for the various lubricant products, while others exist for classification of information relating to their production, specifica tions, testing, etc. Each class is further divided as extensively as has proved to be useful. Since the system was initiated prior to 1927, it is not surprising that a number of sub classes have since been added, as, for that matter, have some classes and even a few main divisions. The rapid progress of petroleum technology i n recent years has compelled the revision now under way. Table II.

Breakdown of Typical Main Division of File Index System F.

FA. FB. FC. FD. FE. FF. FG. FH. FI.

Lubricants and Lubrication

Miscellaneous, general Nonviscous oils. Textile oils Turbine oils Industrial lubricants Motor oils Open Cutting and emulsifying oils Cylinder and bright stocks, car journal, black oils Compounded lubricants, thickened lubricants, additions

F J. FK. FL. FM. FN. FO. FP. FR. FS.

Open Open Open Greases and soaps, transmission, chassis, extreme pressure lubricants Properties and composition Theory of lubrication Specifications (of petroleum lubricants) Preparation Equipment

Table I I I shows how the classes are broken down into subclasses. The F I class has been taken as an example to continue the account of the breakdown of the F main division. The subclasses are designated by number and further divisions by lower case letters. The paragraph just under the class heading indicates briefly and rather incompletely the type of material filed under the class. However, subclasses may be added as needs dictate.

Filing B o t h the literature and patents are continuously classified and filed by use of this classification system. A card file, a reprint file, and a patent file are maintained. The card file contains references to all or almost all of the existing material on each subject; the reprint file contains the full text of a large number of the best articles on each subject; SEARCHING THE CHEMICAL LITERATURE Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1961.

166

ADVANCES IN CHEMISTRY SERIES

and the patent file holds a l l pertinent patents classified b y subject matter. Thus it is possible, at a moment's notice, to extract the classifications desired, and find instantly at hand a l l the material necessary for a complete survey. Table III.


FI.

Breakdown of Typical Class of File Index System Compounded Lubricants, Thickened Lubricants, Additions (See also M C - 4 a , G B - 2 a , L H - 4 )

Additions of compounds for improving lubricating oils, viscosity improvement, increasing film strength, pour-point depression, oiliness agents, compounded oils, synthetic oils, fatty acids as lubricants, linseed oil, rapeseed oil (including blown), castor oil and castor oil blends, rubber in lubricants, tin compounds, Exanol, Paratone, Vistones, etc., penetrating oils, electrochemical oils. FI-1 General (miscellaneous) F l - l a Graphite lubricants Aquadag, Oildag, graphite, analysis, theory of graphite lubrication FI-2 Improving viscosity and viscosity index FI-3 Oiliness, extreme pressure, film strength FI-4 Anticorrosion agents FI-5 Antioxidants FI-6 Detergents Sludge dispersera Carbon preventives FI-7 Anti-ring-sticking agents

Although these files are great timesavers when a survey is to be prepared, they require surprisingly little time to maintain i n current condition. Division of effort prevents tak ing more than a small fraction of any one person's time, and stenographic help is employed as far as possible.

Selection of Material A t Mellon Institute, the senior fellow makes selections from a number of outstanding periodicals, including Chemical Abstracts, Journal of the American Chemical Society, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Refiner, S. Α. Ε Journal, Petroleum Engineer, and Petroleum Processing. H e indicates whether a card is to be made for an article, whether it is to be clipped and added to the reprint file, or both. This work is done i n his odd moments. Another member of the fellowship, who also heads the library at Gulf Research & Development Co., classifies the senior fellow's selections according to the index system described. Taking Chemical Abstracts as an example, about 2 hours of classification are required per issue, and an average of around 100 abstracts are classified. This amounts to only a little over 1 minute per abstract. F r o m this point, the additions to the files become a stenographic job. F o r articles i n journals other than Chemical Abstracts, the procedure is as follows: Cards listing the bibliographic data, but containing no abstract, are made and filed under the indicated classification, and selected articles are clipped and filed. I n the case of Chemical Ab stracts, the abstracts themselves are clipped, pasted on cards, and filed according to classification. These Chemical Abstracts cards replace the cards containing only biblio graphic data, the latter serving an interim purpose i n keeping the file up to date. Thus, as far as the literature is concerned, the card file is as complete as the coverage of Chemical Abstracts, and the reprint file contains articles from the leading journals i n the field. The patent phase of the work is handled somewhat differently but i n an equally efficient manner. The head of the Patent Section of Gulf Research & Development C o . examines each copy of the Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office for patents of interest. H e then obtains copies of the patents, roughly classifies them, and sends them to various qualified persons at the research laboratories for abstracting. Since each man receives only patents which directly pertain to his specialty, the abstracting involves a minimum of mental effort—hence time. The patents, accompanied b y copies of the abstracts, are then sent to Mellon Institute for classification and filing i n a manner analogous to the way i n which the literature is handled. This completes the account of how the central reference files have been established and are kept current. SEARCHING THE CHEMICAL LITERATURE Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1961.

167

LANE AND METSCHL—CONTINUOUS COLLECTION AND CLASSIFICATION O F DATA

Information Bulletins


These procedures serve a number of purposes i n addition to maintaining the files. For example, the selections made i n Chemical Abstracts are checked for completeness of coverage both at Mellon Institute and at Gulf Research, and a mimeographed bulletin is prepared for each issue; i t contains all the abstracts considered b y the selectors to be of interest to Gulf Research personnel. This bulletin, prepared b y the information section, is so arranged that individual abstracts can be clipped from i t , pasted on file cards, and added to each man's personal file. The patent abstracts are published monthly i n a m i m eographed bulletin put out b y the patent section. Thus, the entire technical personnel of the company is kept abreast of current developments i n the field, and each man may build a personal file to suit his particular needs. The information section, whose chief function is the preparation of literature and

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such an arrangement is made at the conclusion of the search. Also, the references are checked for pertinence and completeness, and each abstract is given a reference number. If the search form of presentation is to be followed, the typist can immediately begin stenciling from the abstract books while the technical man begins preparation of a subject index to the search. SEARCHING THE CHEMICAL LITERATURE Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1961.

LANE A N D METSCHL—CONTINUOUS COLLECTION AND CLASSIFICATION O F DATA

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The use of the loose-leaf abstract forms is of particular value in the continuous collec tion of data for supplements to existing searches or surveys. As two of its services, theinformation section issues a "Weekly Literature Notification B u l l e t i n / ' which calls attention to articles of interest in the current literature, and the Chemical Abstracts bulletin already mentioned. During the preparation of each, abstract forms are filled out for all articles on subjects for which supplements will eventually be required. I n the case of the literature notification bulletin, only bibliographic data are recorded on the forms, but i n the case of the Chemical Abstracts bulletin, the abstracts are also included. When the supplement is to be prepared, all that is required is to add available material, if any, from sources other than Chemical Abstracts and begin typing. Figure 3 shows how selections for supplements requiring search and surveys are made, simultaneously, with selections for the "W eekly Literature Notification B u l l e t i n " and the addition of articles to the section's files. The only time technical skill is required is when the selections are made. Downloaded by UNIV OF TEXAS AT DALLAS on July 11, 2016 | http://pubs.acs.org Publication Date: January 1, 1961 | doi: 10.1021/ba-1951-0004.ch024

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After they are recorded on the form shown i n Figure 3, a stenographer fills out the forms, makes additions to the files, and prepares the bulletin. During the page b y page check of Chemical Abstracts for the abstract bulletin, notations are made of all abstracts to be added to the supplement books on the standardized forms, and this is done by the same stenographer who prepares the bulletin. Figure 4 shows a typical notation sheet for this operation.

Advantages of System I n all the methods mentioned for facilitating the preparation of searches and surveys, the work has been reduced to the stenographic level wherever possible. This is important both to keep the over-all cost down and to conserve the time of the technical personnel for other duties. Technical time has been further conserved by combining functions— SEARCHING THE CHEMICAL LITERATURE Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1961.

170

A D V A N C E S IN CHEMISTRY SERIES

for example, making selections for the supplement abstract books at the same time that the literature notification and Chemical Abstracts bulletins are being prepared. The final test of any scheme, system, or process is—what does it offer? The continu ous collection, classification, and filing of literature and patents as outlined i n this paper have been found to afford advantages far i n excess of the relatively small amounts of time and money spent i n its accomplishment. CHEMICAL PAÛi Mr S393

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Figure 4. Notation Sheet for Making Additions to Supplement Books during Preparation of Chemical Abstracts Bulletin First, and perhaps most important, the existence of up-to-date, comprehensive files, logically classified by an index system, makes possible the rapid preparation of literature and patent surveys directly from filed material without the necessity for searching the abstract journals. The collection of material, which is usually the most arduous step and the step most susceptible to errors of haste and omission, is obviated, with savings of time and money. Almost equally important, if not fully so, the same files can be used i n the prepara tion of technical papers and books b y members of the organization. Here the advantages are manifold; subject classifications may be removed from the files one by one as needed and taken home or to the office for individual use. I n many cases, the article file suffices for the work i n question. However, the card file is available when more comprehensive coverage is needed. I n essence, the card file is a portable condensation of Chemical Ab stracts arranged b y subject matter. Extraction of a subject classification from this file and removing i t to the office for study is equivalent to transporting some 40 volumes (or roughly 130 separate bindings) of Chemical Abstracts to the same place and then searching them for one subject out of thousands. How effective the use of the files has proved may be judged from the fact that " T h e Chemical Technology of Petroleum" was written almost exclusively from them. This book, by W . A . Gruse and D . R . Stevens of Gulf's Mellon Institute fellowship, is widely known and highly regarded throughout the petroleum industry. The work by Gruse and SEARCHING THE CHEMICAL LITERATURE Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1961.

LANE AND METSCHL—CONTINUOUS

COLLECTION AND CLASSIFICATION O F DATA

171

Stevens is only one example of the way i n which the files have rendered yeoman service. Other examples include numerous technical papers and at least one other book. Finally, the fact that the card, literature, and patent files are up to date at all times makes the issuance of a supplement to existing information, whether survey, article, or book, only a matter of writing. The briefest possible answer to the question, " W h a t does the scheme offer?" is simply time—time saved from laborious searching—technical time conserved for technical work.


Summary The over-all scheme has been devised purely from the standpoint of the needs of Gulf Research & Development Co. Certain operations, such as the preparation of bulle tins concurrently with making selections for the files, have been discussed only to make the Qulf picture complete and to illustrate how time may be conserved in the collection of material for the files by combining this step with other existing operations. The salient feature of the scheme is simply the continuous collection, classification, and filing of the literature and patents. I t is this operation which has been found most helpful i n the preparation of surveys and which is passed on to others for whatever use they may care to make of it. PRESENTED

before the D i v i s i o n of C h e m i c a l E d u c a t i o n , S y m p o s i u m

M e e t i n g of the AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY,

o n C h e m i c a l Literature, a t the

A t l a n t i c C i t y , N. J.

SEARCHING THE CHEMICAL LITERATURE Advances in Chemistry; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 1961.

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searching the chemical literature - American Chemical Society

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