Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS), 1957-1994
Overview
Abstract
Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS), 1957-1994, released by Readex (a division of NewsBank) in 2011, is an English-language archive of translations of foreign scientific, technical, and social science materials. Produced by the U.S. Joint Publications Research Service, a government agency that translates a range of foreign-language materials, JPRS includes monographs, reports, serials, journal and newspaper articles, and radio and television broadcasts from around the world. JPRS is also the largest single producer of English language translations in the world and has generated four million pages from more than 130,000 reports.
With a focus on communist and developing countries, Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS), 1957-1994 is also a complement to and cross-searchable with the digital edition of Foreign Broadcast Information (FBIS) Daily Reports, 1974-1996.
This review is in progress. CRL is working to gather more information and critical assessment. We encourage our community to submit comments on their experiences with the database.
This resource is currently offered to CRL libraries at favorable terms. Representatives at each library have been sent login access to view purchase or subscription offers.
Sources
Sources for this review include information publicly posted or obtained directly from the publisher, data collected by CRL staff and members, and examination of the digital collection when possible. Other sources are noted where cited.
This database is also reviewed in Christopher C. Brown, "Unearthing the Gems in JPRS Reports," The Readex Blog September 4, 2012. Accessed October 3, 2012.
Analysis
Collection Content
Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS), 1957-1994, released by Readex (a division of NewsBank) in 2011, is an English-language archive of translations of foreign scientific, technical, and social science materials. Produced by the U.S. Joint Publications Research Service, a government agency that translates a range of foreign-language materials, JPRS includes monographs, reports, serials, journal and newspaper articles, and radio and television broadcasts from around the world. JPRS is also the largest single producer of English language translations in the world and has generated four million pages from more than 130,000 reports.
With a focus on communist and developing countries, Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS), 1957-1994 is also a complement to and cross-searchable with the digital edition of Foreign Broadcast Information (FBIS) Daily Reports, 1974-1996.
JPRS was established in March 1957 as part of the United States Department of Commerce’s Office of Technical Services, about six months before the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1. Acting as a unit within the Central Intelligence Agency, JPRS staffers prepared translations for the use of U.S. Government officials, various agencies, and the research and industrial communities. During the Cold War, the reports were primarily translations rather than analysis or commentary, with an emphasis on scientific and technical topics. Over time, however, that scope expanded to cover environmental concerns, world health issues, nuclear proliferation, and more.
JPRS organizes its materials into the following categories:
- Countries and political entities
- Article types
- Report types
- Subjects
- JPRS series
Within each of these sections, it is possible to refine results further to sources such as speeches, news briefs, and conference proceedings, and many others.
Sources
Four million pages have been scanned from more than 130,000 reports; according to Readex, few organizations outside the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Library of Congress have the complete sets of the reports in microform.
Delivery
Metadata
Each digitized JPRS article has a “headings” metadata field that includes the region(s), countries and political entities that are applicable to the material contained within the article. It is this field that is being searched when including a region, country, or political entity limiter as part of a search.
Technical platform & interface
Strengths and weaknesses
Cross-collection searching with Foreign Broadcast Information (FBIS) Daily Reports, 1974-1996 is available.
Terms
The titles may be purchased separately or as a group, with discounts offered for purchasing multiple titles.
Details
Direct from Publisher
Sources
Collection Content
| Subjects covered | ||
| Geographic coverage | Worldwide | |
| Chronological coverage | 1957–94 | |
| Content types | Translated monographs, reports, and journal articles | |
| Source formats | paper, microprint, microfiche | |
| Total titles | Total articles: 556,177 from 12,814 reports | |
| Total pages | 1,106,407 | |
| Digital collection launch date | November 2011 | |
| Update frequency | Monthly, last updated 9/12/2012 | |
| Collection ongoing | Y | |
| Completion date | Estimated: Fall 2014 | |
| Available supplements | NA | |
| Major languages | English-language translations |
Technical Platform
| Browser compatibility | MSIE 6+, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Opera | |
| Authentication options | IP recognition, username & password, library card, Shibboleth | |
| P | Archiving solution – master files | Archival tapes available for purchase upon completion of project. 400 dpi group 4 TIFF bitonal images |
| P | Archiving solution – derivative files | NA - there are no derivative image files with this database |
| Availability in web discovery tools | N | |
| Open URL target | Y | |
| Federated searching, z39.50 | Y | |
| Local host option | Y (with purchase of tapes, according to terms of license) | |
| Usage statistics | Y | |
Interface Tools
| Full text displayed | N | |
| Page images | Y | |
| Color images | N | |
| Search full text | Y | |
| Advanced search | Y | |
| Search within results | N | |
| Limit results by dates and/or document types | Y | |
| Display highlighted search terms | Y | |
| Display snippet -- search term in context | Y | |
| Relevance sorting | Y | |
| Save searches | N | |
| Download PDF | Y | |
| Download HTML | N | |
| Print page | Y | |
| Print full document | Y, up to 25 pages at one time (can do multiple downloads for long documents) | |
| Export citations | Y | |
| Annotation tools | N | |
| Cross-product searching | N | |
| ILL | Y (special provision upon request following CONTU Guidelines) | |
| Restrictions on use |
Provider
| Publisher / Distributor | Readex, a division of NewsBank | |
| Address | 5801 Pelican Bay Boulevard, Suite 600, Naples, Florida 34108 | |
| Contact | www.readex.com; readexmarketing@readex.com | |
| Related product(s) | ||
| CRL Profile of Publisher | url |
Terms
| Options | ||
|---|---|---|
| P | Subscription option | Y |
| P | Purchase option | Y |
| P | Multiple year payments option | Y |
| P | Hosting charges | Y |
| P | List of purchasers available | Y, upon request |
| P | Sample license available | Y, upon request |
| P | MARC records purchase fee | N (included with JPRS purchase) |
| P | Pricing based on tiers? |
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