ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


176

NEW COMPUTER SERVICE
A new computer-based information retrieval 

system for locating doctoral dissertations for 
researchers is called DATRIX, for Direct Ac­
cess To Reference Information. Its microfilm 
file contains some one hundred and twenty-six 
thousand doctoral dissertations from more than 
one hundred and ninety United States and 
Canadian universities, and some eighteen 
thousand new dissertations are added annually. 
The DATRIX system uses a key-word list 
that is actually a comprehensive computer vo­
cabulary derived from the titles and subject 
classifications of doctoral dissertations.

By using one of three key-word lists, which 
are divided into major academic fields, the 
searcher formulates his own inquiry. The com­
puter recognizes each selected key-word combi­
nation, or alternate, and makes its search, sup­
plying the inquirer with a bibliography or list 
of doctoral dissertations pertinent to his query. 
He may then select titles of interest and order 
the complete dissertations from University 
Microfilms as a xerographic reproduction on 
paper or as positive 35mm microfilm. The 
three key-word lists are: “Chemistry/Life 
Sciences,” “Engineering/Physical Sciences,” and 
“Humanities/Social Sciences.”

For a $5 charge the inquiry is processed by 
DATRIX, and the searcher receives a list of 
the first ten references produced by the com­
puter. For the 11th and succeeding references 
on his bibliography, the charge will be 10 
cents for each reference.

The key-word list also shows an “occurrence 
number” indicating how many dissertations are 
represented by that key-word. By using this

count for each of the key-words selected, a 
searcher will have a good estimate of how 
many references will turn up. ■ ■

FOR THE RUSSIAN 
BOOK SECTION

Reference and
Source M a terial

•  Russian Literature: Classics, 
Contemporary

•  Linguistics and Literary Criticism
•  English-Russian and Russian-English 

Dictionaries
•  Russian Language Records
•  Children’s Literature
•  Books on Art
•  Books on Science
•  Textbooks on mathematics, geography, 

natural sciences, history, etc.
•  Socio-Economic Literature
•  Russian Atlases and Maps
•  Soviet Magazines and Newspapers

Inquire about our out-of-print books 
and back issue magazines.
W r it e  f o r  C a ta lo g s  &  P ric e s

P ho ne 212 C H  2-4500

FOUR C O N T IN E N T  BOOK CORP.
PT7 2 7 , 156 FIFTH AVENU, NEW YORK ,N.Y .10010DE