ISIS(ID:4533/isi003)

for Integrated Set of Information Systems

ILO, Geneva, 1964

IR language for legal documents, originally on IBM DOS, ported to OS 1975, parent to DCS/ISIS and MINISIS.

Comprised a storage format, a formatting language, and a querying language.

Used in 1965 to prepare "labour, social and economic development bibliography" 185,000 records
Related languages
ISIS => CDS/ISIS   Evolution of
ISIS => MINISIS   Evolution of
References:
  • Marthaler, M. P., McGurk, A. K. "Computerized IR and catalogue production within the ISIS System" pp451-466 view details
          in FID/IFIP JOINT CONFERENCE, June 14-17, 1967, Rome. Proceedings... Amsterdam : North-Holland Publishing Company, 1968 view details
  • Marthaler, M. P. ISIS : progres apres cinq ans. [Isis : five years' progress]. Neue-Technik-A, v. 11, n. 6, p. 351-359, 1969 view details
          in FID/IFIP JOINT CONFERENCE, June 14-17, 1967, Rome. Proceedings... Amsterdam : North-Holland Publishing Company, 1968 view details
  • Valantin, Robert L. "CDS/ISIS and MINISIS: A Functional Analysis and Comparison" IDRC Ottowa Canada 1981 view details
          in FID/IFIP JOINT CONFERENCE, June 14-17, 1967, Rome. Proceedings... Amsterdam : North-Holland Publishing Company, 1968 view details
  • Jesse, Andy "Computerised information sources of the International Labour Organization" view details Abstract: An overview on ILO's information systems is given: databases containing bibliographic, legislative, and statistical information, their coverage, how to access them, products, and services. Development trends within ILIS, the International Labour Information System, and networking with ILO's partners are described. External link: Online copy Extract: Information sources
    Information sources

    Since its establishment in 1919, the ILO has developed an important publication and documentation programme, and a Central Library and Documentation Branch which maintains a unique collection of literature on labour as well as on a large number of related subjects.

    In the 1960s, the volume of information coming into the office led to consider computerization. As appropriate software packages were not readily available, the ILO developed ISIS (Integrated Set of Information Systems), running on an IBM mainframe computer. At the end of the 1970s, the ILO changed to MINISIS, a generalized information management system based on ISIS and developed by the International Development Research Centre (Ottawa) to operate on a mini-computer (Hewlett Packard 3000). UNESCO made available CDS/ISIS, an improved version of the ILO's ISIS to run on mainframe computers, and released in 1986 a mini-micro version (Micro CDS/ISIS) which is in wide use, particularly on PCs. The Directory of Applications Software of the United Nations System (ref. 2) contains details on ISIS and Micro-ISIS.

    The ILO uses MINISIS to operate bibliographic, legal, terminology, address and other databases. Statistical data are processed with the SAS software on an IBM mainframe computer. A full-text database on ILO Conventions and Recommendations, and related material on their application is stored on the IBM mainframe. A CD-ROM version of this database is under production (see ref. 6 for datails about the project).

    A selection of the International Labour Office's major public databases, their coverage and availability is summarized below. Details can be found in the Directory of United Nations Databases and Information Services (ref. 3). Information materials are available on request from the ILO (ref. 1).

          in International Conference on Information Technology, Electronic Communications and the Labour Movement Manchester (UK), 14-16 April 1992 view details