Keeping Abreast of Science & Technology [Review]

  	
  	
  	
  


	Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship  	Winter 1998  


	DOI:10.5062/F4T43R22


  

Book Reviews
    Keeping Abreast of Science and Technology: Technical Intelligence for  Business.
      David Colborne
  Head, NRC Information Centre - Winnipeg
  Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information
david.colborne@nrc.ca    

Keeping Abreast of Science and Technology: Technical Intelligence for   Business. W. Bradford Ashton and Richard A. Klavans (editors). Columbus  OH: Batelle Press, 1997. 560 p. $44.95 (ISBN 1-57477-018-7)  
    Competitive technical intelligence (CTI) is "the practice of collecting, analyzing, and   communicating the best available information on scientific and technical developments and   trends occurring outside one's own company [or organization]". The obvious overlap   between this discipline and scientific librarianship, as well as the ever converging  missions of private sector and academic scientific research, make this topic of special   relevance to S & T librarians. The book's purpose is to remedy the "diffuse and   fragmented" nature of the literature on CTI, an area which the editors state is enjoying   increasing interest from professionals in many fields.     The book is composed of five parts which cover basic CTI concepts, management of CTI   within organizations, CTI production, CTI applications, and contemporary issues in   competitive technical intelligence. These are in turn divided up into a total of 17 chapters.  There is also an appendix of database vendors, databases, bulletin boards, technology   transfer organizations and newsletters, books and directories, and associations. There is   a short subject index. Unfortunately a multi authored text is probably not the best way to  rectify the problem of a fragmented literature. The chapters reflect their authors'   specialties rather than forming the integrated whole that the book's structure would   suggest. One of the editors, W. Bradford Ashton, is a contributor to the introduction and   the final chapter. These are the highlights of the book, being concise, focused, logical,  and best reflecting his editorial intentions. They are also well referenced with current   citations from the CTI literature. The book that could truly consolidate the information   on this field is the book that Ashton could write himself. There are other chapters that   stand out - most notably those on patent analysis, the rationale for CTI, the range of  services that CTI can provide, and one chapter which consists of an extended case study on   the use of CTI to characterize the field of superconductivity. There are other esoteric   chapters on scientometrics and related topics, and four heavily overlapping chapters on   setting up CTI services.

    Is there anything of interest specifically for librarians in this book? The task of   gathering information is dealt with on too rudimentary a level to be of much use. The   task of analyzing information is covered too vaguely to offer librarians ideas for   enhancing their own services. What IS relevant however, is the model that the concept of   competitive technical intelligence presents for using cooperative, multidisciplinary teams   to enhance the value of the information that librarians provide. Ashton states that "CTI   activities depend heavily on a firm's library or information center resources and   systems." Herein lies the value of Keeping abreast of science and technology: it   provides an introduction to ways that organizations can make more strategic use of S & T   information. Librarians could well be the catalysts for such organizational change and   that is why this book warrants our selective perusal.