November 1996 1

Friendly Interfaces Open NASA STI to More Users

Today NASA scientific and technical information (STI) is more readily available to

thousands of users because of the systems modernization project at the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI). Access to the nearly three million bibliographic citations that make up the NASA STI Database is available through two,

user-friendly search engines, CASI TRS (RECONselect) and RECONplus. The

CASI TRS (RECONselect) enters the NASA STI Database using the WAIS search

engine and is searched using a World Wide Web (WWW) browser such as Mosaic

or Netscape. The database is a selected portion of publicly available information

from the STI Database and contains more than two million records. Users may

search the entire CASI TRS database as a text search or limit their search by specific

file series or field names. Searching can be done as natural language, literal strings,

and/or Boolean queries. Fielded searches are for clients using the WAIS gateway.

CASI explains further details about searching in the Frequently Asked Questions

(FAQ), How Do I Search CASI TRS? You can reach the CASI TRS using the

following URL, http://www.sti.nasa.gov/RECONselect.html.

CASI TRS is part of the larger NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS) that

primarily provides recent full-text reports produced by the NASA centers.

The following is a list of the CASI TRS bibliographic data fields that are searchable

individually or in combination:

Title • Author • Abstract • Report Number • Subject Term • Category

Contract Number • Accession Number • Journal-Meeting Title • Language

Publisher Corporate Source • Publication Date

For other users, who need a more versatile and powerful retrieval tool or qualify to

view controlled materials, RECONplus is available. The character-based interface

(CBI) provides three methods of searching.

• Quick Search provides a convenient

way to do simple searches on the most

commonly searched fields.

• Command Line allows users to construct

searches using the RECONplus command language.

Search functions include truncation, masking, range searching, proximity searching, and Boolean searching on words, terms, phrases, or set numbers. Access is

through the Internet, using telnet software that properly emulates a VT100 terminal. RECONplus requires a system ID and password. User documentation is freely

available as a portable document format (PDF) file for viewing or downloading

using the Adobe Acrobat Reader, or as an FTP file. Users may also join the

RECONplus Announcement Listserv to get electronic announcements of changes

to the system.

The NASA Access Help Desk is the place to get additional information about the

CASI TRS (RECONselect) and RECONplus. Contact the Help Desk by e-mail

at help@sti.nasa.gov or by phone at 301-621-0390 Monday through Friday

from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET.

RECONplus Tips and

Techniques

CASI TRS Reports/Documents

STI A publication for users of the NASA scientific and technical information program office

BULLETIN

November 1996 Issue

In This Issue

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Langley Research Center

Scientific and Technical

Information Program Office

• Full Search allows users to construct

complex queries on an expanded set

of fields.

RECONplus Training

Schedule

RECONplus training is available at the

NASA Center for AeroSpace Information, located just outside Baltimore,

Maryland. The free training gives

participants an overview of the system,

emphasizing system navigation, user

aids, database content, and extensive

hands-on experience. CASI schedules

RECONplus training twice a month,

through February 1997. CASI schedules every session on a Monday or

Friday to give those users outside the

Baltimore/Washington area a chance

to combine training with other activities

and attractions in the area. Training

starts at 9:00 and ends around 3:00.

The training dates are

Friday, December 6

Monday, December 16

Monday, January 6

Friday, January 24

Friday, February 7

Monday, February 17

Contact the NASA Access Help Desk

for further information or to register

for RECONplus training.
2 STI Bulletin

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The STI Bulletin, published every other month, informs NASA

STI users about the products, services, and news of the NASA

Scientific and Technical Information Program Office.

Mark Jeschke, Editor

John Jones, Graphics

For additional information, contact

George Roncaglia

NASA Langley Research Center

Mail Stop 157, Hampton, VA 23681

E-mail: g.j.roncaglia@larc.nasa.gov.

RECONplus Tips and Techniques

Requesting or Ordering Documents for

Purchase

The RECONplus Request-Doc function allows authorized users to order document for purchase directly from

NASA CASI, in any format—hardcopy, diskette, videotape, or microfiche—listed in the availability (AV) field

of the desired document. Up to fifty documents can be

selected, and users may order 100 copies of each document at a time. Journal articles are available as hard copy

only. To establish RECONplus ordering privileges,

contact the NASA Access Help Desk at (301) 621-0390.

Your choices among the Request-Doc options include the

following:

• Current Document: Order only the currently selected

document

• Marked Documents Only: Order only marked

documents

• All Documents: Order all documents in the

retrieved set

To request the current document or all documents, select

Request-Doc from the navigation options at the bottom

of the Title List screen or the Record Display screen

(full, brief, or user selected format). To request marked

documents, first highlight each document and press

<CTRL-G>. An “X” will mark the selected documents.

Then select Request-Doc from the navigation options at

the bottom of the screen and continue as described on the

following pages.

After selecting Request-Doc from the navigation options

at the bottom of a Title List screen, the Request? panel is

displayed, allowing you to choose the document(s) you

want to purchase: the current document, only those you

have marked, or all documents.

Select the desired option by using the highlighted hot

keys or the cursor keys and pressing <ENTER>.

RECONplus displays the CASI Order screen.

As described below, the CASI Order screen permits you

to specify processing and delivery, media, and number

of copies for the document(s) you have selected.

Note that the defaults are Normal Processing and

Normal Shipping.

• Processing: Place an “X” beside Normal or Rush.

• Delivery: Place an “X” beside Normal Shipping or
November 1996 3

How do I obtain the complete report or

document cited on the CASI TRS?

Information cited on the NASA STI databases and servers

are available from many academic, government, corporate,

and public libraries. Documents can be also ordered from

the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI).

The NASA CASI prices are based on the number of

pages for hardcopy or the number of sheets of microfiche.

Price codes are found in the bibliographic citation’s

Sales Agency & Price field.

Example: Sales Agency & Price: HC A16/MF A01

CASI charges an additional shipping and handling fee of

$1.50 per document for U.S. delivery, and $9.00 per document for delivery outside the United States. Foreign airmail is $27.00 for the first 1-3 items, $9.00 for each additional item. Additionally, CASI assesses a $2.00 per video

processing fee.

NASA CASI normally processes document orders within

three business days. Rush Order Service is available on

request for an additional $10.00 per document and all

express mail charges. Please contact the NASA Access Help

Desk for specific information and orders.

For users not registered at the NASA CASI, prepayment is

required. Registered users have several options. NASA

CASI can invoice them for document orders at the end of

the month, charge against a deposit account, or registered

users can prepay by check or credit card. To register at the

NASA CASI, please request a registration form through the

NASA Access Help Desk at help@sti.nasa.gov or by telephone at (301) 621-0390.

When ordering documents, please provide as much bibliographic information as possible to assure speedy delivery.

Minimal data includes accession numbers, report numbers,

and title.

For help ordering NASA STI materials, you can contact

the NASA Access Help Desk at help@sti.nasa.gov, by telephone at (301) 621-0390, by fax at (301) 621-0134, or by

writing to the NASA Center for AeroSpace Information,

800 Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum Heights, Maryland

21090-2934.

You can contact the NASA Access Help Desk at

(301) 621-0390, fax (301) 621-0134, e-mail at

help@sti.nasa.gov, or write NASA Access Help Desk,

NASA Center for AeroSpace Information, 800 Elkridge

Landing Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-2934.

CASI-Based Express Shipping. If desired, specify a

name in the Attn. of: field.

• Media: Place an “X” beside a media type. If you need

more than one media type, please call your order into

the NASA Access Help Desk (301-621-0390). Make

sure the requested media matches the available media.

• Number of Copies: Indicate the desired number of

copies.

When you have completed your selection of the processing, delivery, media, and number of copies options, press

<ENTER>. RECONplus will verify that the requested

media is available for each requested document and process your order. If all documents you order are available

in the selected media, you will receive an order confirmation message. If any of the documents you order are not

available in the selected media, you will receive an information/error message. Only those documents that do not

meet your criteria are rejected from your order. Please

print the list of rejected records and resubmit. To check

the available media for a particular document, display the

document and review the availability (AV) field.

NOTE: Diskettes are available only in the format in

which we receive them at CASI, as indicated in the

record. Videotapes are available in all formats. However,

formats other than VHS and Beta may have special

pricing. You will be contacted before the completion of

your order by the CASI staff.
4 STI Bulletin

FIRST-CLASS PRESORT

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

NASA

Permit No. G-27

Is Your Mailing Label Correct ?

Please provide any changes below and return to: ATTN: Registration

NASA Center for AeroSpace Information

800 Elkridge Landing Rd.

Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-2934

CASI ID Number: _________________________

Phone: ___________________________________

ATTN: __________________________________

Organization: _____________________________

Address: _________________________________

_________________________________

		 National Aeronautics and

		 Space Administration

Scientific and Technical 

Information Program Office

Center for AeroSpace Information

800 Elkridge Landing Road, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-2934

Or by e-mail: help@sti.nasa.gov