Under a 3-year plan, NACSIS-IR whose operation was commenced in 1987 will be upgraded to a new information retrieval system (hereafter abbreviated to the "new IR system") which can support an open system. This move accompanies the updating of the main system model used at NACSIS and the changes occurring in the computer environment at NACSIS.
Development plan
The course of events leading to the development of the new IR system and future plans for the system are outlined below.
1994
(1) The opinions and requirements concerning the monitor and the information retrieval service functions of other institutions were examined, and the functions desired for the new IR system were studied.
(2) As a result of the study on a retrieval system for an open system on which the new IR system was based, it was decided that the PAT made by OPEN TEXT CORPORATION fulfilled the functional requirements, and the decision was made to conduct further studies on the PAT as the platform for the new IR system.
(3) The new IR system prototype featuring the PAT as the basic component was designed and developed.
1995
(1) The new IR system prototype was monitored with the cooperation of users and others to evaluate and study the prototype system.
(2) Based on the evaluation of the prototype system, the specs of the new IR system were decided upon, and develop-ment was undertaken with those specifications.
(3) The databases available on the current main system will be transferred to the open system over a 3-year period starting in 1995.
1996
Starting in 1996, the databases will be transferred, the user administration system will be moved, and by 1997 all the current information retrieval services will be available on the open system.
Features of new IR system
The new IR system has the following features.
- CUI (character user interface)
- Command system complying with ISO standards
- Full text retrieval functions (retrieval possible using any word in the text)
- Simultaneous retrieval from multiple databases
- Proximity operations, set operations, retrieval designating word appearance, frequency and other sophisticated retrieval functions not provided by the existing NACSIS-IR
- Expanded range of output functions for retrieval results (KWIC display, highlighted display, sort display, user-defined display, etc.)
- Expanded thesaurus functions
Service transfer plan
A separate announcement will be made at a future point in time concerning the specific schedule and other details concerning the move from the existing NACSIS-IR to the new NACSIS-IR.