Information and reference system: types and examples. What is this information and reference system?

The dissemination of information, its further collection and processing within modern society is due to special resources: human, financial, technical and other. At some point these data are collected in one place, structured according to predetermined criteria, combined into convenient for use special databases. The information system is a tool by which the processing of information is processed. The main function of IP is to provide people with relevant information. In other words, it satisfies the need for information within a given area of the subject. The product of the information system is data sets, structured databases, various types of documents. Further in the article, we will discuss in more detail the purpose, tasks and properties of these structures.

Classification

Information systems, depending on the type of processing they use, are divided into two groups. The first group includes structures whose work is carried out according to complex schemes. These systems are able to process information independently. This category includes, for example, automated programs. The second group includes information and reference systems. They do not have complex data processing schemes. Information-reference system is a structure that provides data on a special request. It is designed to quickly find and submit information in a convenient format.

Information-reference system. Characteristic

The main tasks of this structure are collection, processing for further storage and provision of information to users on relevant requests. The type and content of the information provided is formed under the influence of data accumulated in the reference stores. The process of issuing the requested information is based on associative searching in databases (repositories) with subsequent processing in a user-friendly format. The information-reference system of the archival industry allows you to accumulate and save data over long periods of time. It is also possible to exchange information with external sources, subscribers. The following examples of reference systems can be cited : city inquiry, organization dispatch service, data search departments in depositories, and others.

There are several elements in the structure under consideration. The main components, which includes an information and reference system, are:

1. Shared storage.
2. Specialized devices that convert information into a format accessible to the subscriber.
3. Information transmission channels.
4. A special element (the "brain" of the structure, the processor) that processes the data stream (a group of people or an electronic computer).

Kinds of information-reference systems

In total there are two types of structures: factographic and documentary. In the first case, referral systems include schemes based on the provision of a common set of facts: the name of the processes, the name of the items, the value of the quantities, and others. The documentary type of the system provides the filing of information stored in it in the form of documents: legislative acts, regulations, certificates and so on. The structures of factographic type differ from each other in the complexity of data processing. The simplest types of such systems are those that are based on the principle of finding the required information in its repository. More complex schemes use in their work the semantic processing of their data. So, they are able, for example, to select only the necessary information (fact, paragraph) from the general text of the document. The most practical application was the information and reference system, based on a combination of two types: documentary and factual.

AISS: description

The degree of automation of information processing processes has a significant impact on the efficiency of any reference system. In connection with this, in the recent past, automated programs for searching, collecting and structuring data have been developed and are being introduced. They are based on powerful electronic computers. Thanks to the development of the use of computers, the process of updating and storing information was substantially simplified. The main elements of most AISS are:

1. Technical component. This is directly the computer itself, acting as a brain structure, a set of related equipment that provides input-output information, devices that allow the user to work with the database, electronic data drives (disks, magnetic tapes and others).
2. Information store and software. The automated information and reference system and subscribers are connected by means of standard devices (teletypes). They, in turn, are connected directly to the computer with the help of telephone or telegraph channels. Especially popular among subscribers were consoles with built-in screens. The monitors display information from the help system. Also, the consoles are equipped with a special keyboard, through which the necessary data is managed and entered.

AISS structure

The automated information and reference system is based on the integration of several storage facilities. They contain all the necessary data for the functioning of this structure. The information is structured in a certain way, taking into account all the requirements for the form, type and time of submission after the user's request. The level of information contained in the system, the quality of their updating and structuring directly depends on the characteristics of the storage facilities and their number.

AISS software

There is a set of special programs that allow you to perform certain algorithms for converting information and to manage all the processes that occur inside the system. This type of collateral is performed using several "formal languages":

• External world, by means of which the subscriber forms his request to the system;
• Information;
• Programs and subroutines;
• Programming.

Performance

The productivity of any reference system is affected by:

• The structural organization of processes, based on the sequential processing of data;
• Optimal distribution of its resources and operating modes;
• Clear understanding of user commands.

Also, the average AISS performance is improved by implementing the latest software. It, in turn, affects the calculation processes and allows you to work in multitasking modes.

AISS Features

The work of modern information and reference systems is based on the definition of priorities in serving users, choosing the most important tasks. At the same time, there is a process of combining the modes of receipt of new requests and issuing information to certain time intervals defined by the program. In the event that nonstandard information search parameters appear, the system is also able to find the necessary data without using additional resources. The modern structure is capable of simultaneously serving several users without loss of time and quality of the information provided (the exact number is determined by technical support). AISS applications have been found in such branches of the economy as industry and agriculture, with the help of automated processes at enterprises and organizations of a scientific orientation. Legal information and reference systems are also very popular, allowing subscribers in a huge database to find the necessary information on the requested normative act.