National Technical Information Service

The National Technical Information Service[5][6] (NTIS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. The primary mission of NTIS is to collect and organize scientific, technical, engineering, and business information generated by U.S. government-sponsored research and development, for private industry, government, academia, and the public. The systems, equipment, financial structure, and specialized staff skills that NTIS maintains to undertake its primary mission allow it to provide assistance to other agencies requiring such specialized resources.

National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
Agency overview
Formed1945 (1945) (as Publication Board),
became Commerce's Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information (CFSTI) 1964, National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 1970[1]
HeadquartersAlexandria, Virginia, United States[2]
38°49′14″N 77°3′2″W
Employees100[2]
Annual budgetFee-based, no federal appropriations[3]
Agency executive
  • Wayne Strickland, Director[4]
Parent agencyDepartment of Commerce
Websitewww.ntis.gov

Overview

Under the provisions of the National Technical Information Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 3704b),[7] NTIS is authorized to establish and maintain a permanent repository of non-classified scientific, technical, and engineering information; cooperate and coordinate its operations with other Government scientific, technical, and engineering information programs; and implement new methods or media for the dissemination of scientific, technical, and engineering information, including producing and disseminating information products in electronic format and to enter into arrangements necessary for the conduct of its business.

NTIS serves the United States as a central repository for government-funded scientific, technical, engineering, and business related information to assure businesses, libraries, academia, and the public timely access to approximately 2.5 million publications covering over 350 subject areas. The stated aim of NTIS is to support the Department of Commerce mission to promote the nation's economic growth by providing access to information that stimulates innovation and discovery. (Public Law 102-245, Section 108 American Technology Preeminence Act of 1991).

Additionally, NTIS acts as the federal government's IT provider and consultant.[8]

Scope

Containing over 3 million bibliographic records, the contents of the collection include research reports, computer products, software, and more. The complete electronic file dates back to 1964. On average, NTIS has added over 30,000 new records per year to the collection over the past ten years. Most records include meta-data. It also contains a comprehensive collection of nuclear research, beginning with the Manhattan project, and the latest government sponsored research. NTIS covers a wide spectrum of subject areas with 39 Major Subject Categories and 375 Sub-categories.

Operations

NTIS operations includes the acquisition and archiving in perpetuity of scientific and technical information. This information is freely available at no charge, by law. The cost of operating the site, however, must also by law be recovered from those using the site for anything beyond raw data access. There is a fee for use of the search tools.[5]

NTIS also provides technical support solutions to other Federal Government Agencies. These Lines of Business include:

  • Shipping & Fulfillment Services[9]
  • e-Training Services[10] NTIS is an OPM-approved eTraining Service Provider
  • Federal Energy Data Management[11] Mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005
  • Government Web Hosting[12]
  • Scanning, Digitization & Electronic Archive Services[13] NTIS currently working with the Social Security Administration, National Science Foundation, Internal Revenue Service, and other Federal Agencies
  • Other Support solutions[14] Includes Electronic & Multimedia Services, Email Broadcast & Fax Management, Billing & Collections Services, and more

Initiatives

In 2008, NTIS recognized the need to provide subscription-based access to the collection using an online platform. Incrementally in 2009 and 2012, National Technical Reports Library (NTRS). Federal Science Repository Service (FTRS) followed V3 of NTRL.[15]

NTIS has been working with Public.Resource.Org to digitize videos and to post content on YouTube.[16]

Statutory authorities

NTIS' basic authority to operate a permanent clearinghouse of scientific and technical information is codified as chapter 23 of Title 15 of the United States Code (15 U.S.C. 1151-1157). This chapter also established NTIS' authority to charge fees for its products and services and to recover all costs through such fees "to the extent feasible."

See also

References
  1. "Technical Reports and Standards". loc.gov. Library of Congress. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  2. "About Us". ntis.gov. National Technical Information Service. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  3. United States Department of Commerce. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY NATIONAL TECHNICAL INFORMATION SERVICE FISCAL YEAR 2021 BUDGET SUBMISSION TO CONGRESS (PDF) (Report). United States Department of Commerce. p. 201. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  4. "National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Leadership". ntis.gov. United States Department of Commerce. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  5. Clausing, Jeri (May 17, 1999). "Government Halts New Search Service". The New York Times.
  6. "U.S. to Offer Search Service That Links Its On-Line Sites". The New York Times. May 17, 1999.
  7. 15 USC § 3704b - National Technical Information Service | Title 15 - Commerce and Trade | U.S. Code | LII / Legal Information Institute. Law.cornell.edu. Retrieved on 2013-08-12.
  8. "We Help Federal Agencies put their Data to Work". ntis.gov. National Technical Information Service. Retrieved July 18, 2021.
  9. http://www.ntis.gov/services/dissemination.aspx
  10. http://www.ntis.gov/services/etrain.aspx
  11. http://www.ntis.gov/services/eng-mgmt.aspx
  12. http://www.ntis.gov/services/webhosting.aspx
  13. http://www.ntis.gov/services/digitization.aspx
  14. http://www.ntis.gov/services/otherservices.aspx
  15. http://www.ntis.gov/fsrs/index.aspx
  16. https://public.resource.org/ntis.gov/contentid.pdf

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Government.(Dept. of Commerce)

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