Scientific, technical and economic information for central economic agencies

Abstract

The paper reviews the basic principles of scientific, technical and economic information for meeting the demand of the central economic agencies. Reference is made only to the utilisation of published information sources, though the importance of unpublished literature - internal documents, drawings, reports etc. - is also mentioned, as this type of literature must also be considered is the decision-making process.
All information related to soientific, technical, economic and social problems belong to the sphere of interest of the central economic agencies of a country, being information required by the central economic administration. Selection of information is indispensable. Selection requires on the hand great professional competence and practice, on the other hand current examination of the information demand of the central agencies and the dynamic observances of changes occuring in the demand.
The users of such a system of information may be divided broadly into two groups: members of the top policy making group and specialists in the highest ranks of the executive and advisory staff. The subjects of interest are the same for both groups, differences are found only in the extent of proceseing the literature and in the quantity of the sources used. The first group requires synthetical, concise and easily applicable information (with tables, diagrams etc.), while the second group needs information processed from all possibly available sources.
The processed information has to include the analysis of the present situation, data of the leading or especially interesting countries, data related to the state of development and the trends of progress in the different technical and economic fields throughout the world, in selected countries and in the own country.
The information is mainly selective: this requires the organisation of a constant and current feedback. The required high standard can be attained only by cooperation with outstanding experts in the given field and by the participation of external institutions and organisations.
The study deals further with the information system for top executives in France, Chechoslovakia, the German Democratic Republic and Poland. In Poland the establishment of this type of information services was preceded by investigations which took three years, during that time the content and the methods of the information services were determined. Four series of publications were started:
Sygnaly (News): synthetical information on 6-8 pagest;
Sygnaly-Ekspress Informacje (New: - Rapid Information);
short information on the most important events on not more than 2 pages;
Wybrane Informacje Tematyczne (Selected Thematical Documentation):
synthetical information based on many sources;
Przeglad Informacji Ekonomicznych (Economic Information Review):
abstracting journal containing articles selected and processed chiefly of foreign journals.