NISCAIR, New Delhi, was established on 30th September 2002 after the merger of NISCOM and INSDOC, both dedicated to the dissemination and documentation of S&T information. They were part of CSIR.
INSDOC, established in 1952, provided S&T information and documentation services, including abstracting, database development, translation, and human resource development. It hosted the National Science Library and the SAARC Documentation Centre. NISCOM, formerly PID, emerged in 1996, offering various information products, such as research and popular science journals, encyclopaedic publications, and books, catering to diverse audiences.
NISCAIR, a premier institute of CSIR, utilizes modern IT infrastructure to serve society. Its focus areas include knowledge networking, natural resource databases, science communication, popularization, and S&T information management. Activities are categorized as Information Products and Services, Information Resources, and Projects.
Mission: NISCAIR's mission: Custodian of knowledge, promoting science communication using appropriate tech.
The mandate and objectives of NISCAIR are:
1. Provide communication linkages among the scientific community through research journals.
2. Disseminate S&T information to the general public, especially school students, to promote interest in science.
3. Collect, collate, and share information on the country's plant, animal, and mineral wealth.
4. Utilize information technology for science communication and library modernization.
5. Facilitate economic, social, and industrial development through timely access to accurate information.
6. Develop human resources in science communication, library, and information science.
7. Collaborate with international institutions sharing similar objectives.
Information Products and Services
Bibliometric Service : Bibliometric services analyze research growth, influence, and centers of excellence. They aid departments, institutions, researchers, and policymakers. Services include Citation analysis, Impact factor, Bibliometric analysis, etc.
Contents, Abstracts, and Photocopy Service (CAPS) is a personalized information service by NISCAIR. It offers a list of 7,000 core journals for researchers to choose from. They can request abstracts or full-text articles through the Document Copy Supply Service.
Foreign Language Translation Service : NISCAIR offers Foreign Language Translation Services for S&T documents from 20 languages into English, including Chinese, French, German, Russian, and Spanish. Reverse translation from English to French, German, Russian, and Spanish is also available for one-page texts. Full English document translation, interpretation, and consultancy are offered for Japanese. Clients include National Laboratories, S&T institutes, R&D organizations, universities, and more. Ongoing S&T translation services now cover Chinese, French, Japanese, Russian, and Spanish.
Document Copy Supply Service : NISCAIR supplies article copies from Indian and foreign journals, as well as patents and standards for the Indian scientific community.
Literature Search Service: NISCAIR offers literature search and bibliography compilation services from both indigenous and international databases in S&T, engineering, industry, etc.
Human Resource Development (HRD): NISCAIR offers HRD programs in science communication, library and information science, and R&D. The programs include short-term training courses covering various topics such as IT for information management, digital libraries, and more. They also provide on-site training for groups of 10 to 25 participants. Additionally, NISCAIR offers consultancy services in library modernization, specialized database development, editing, and publication jobs.
NISCAIR hosts its research journals online through the "NISCAIR ONLINE PERIODICALS REPOSITORY (NOPR)" using open-source digital repository software. All 18 journals are available in open access mode, benefiting research communities worldwide. Current issues are accessible before the print version is published. The repository contains approximately 6400 articles dating back to 2002 for some journals. NISCAIR journals are registered with DOAJ, ROAR, DOAR, Google Analytics, and prominent search engines for increased visibility. List of journals available on the NISCAIR website. [http://nopr.niscair.res.in]
Abstracting Journals
Indian Science Abstracts (ISA): Semi-monthly journal reporting Indian scientific work published since 1965, covering research articles, reviews, patents, and more. Available online since 2004.
Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Abstracts (MAPA): Bi-monthly journal covering global literature on medicinal plants, including agronomy, botany, pharmacognosy, and biological activities. Abstracts selected from 600 journals in 25 languages, with CD-ROM availability from 1988.
Popular Science Magazines
Science Reporter: One of India's oldest popular science monthlies since 1964. Started to raise awareness about technologies in scientific establishments, now covers science policy and future direction. Serves as a comprehensive resource for students and science enthusiasts.
Vigyan Pragati: Started in 1952 as a CSIR newsletter, transformed into a popular science magazine. Aims to promote scientific temper and dispel superstitions among the public.
Science Ki Duniya: established in 1975, is the only Indian popular science journal in Urdu. It features articles by eminent scientists like Prof. Abdus Salam (Nobel Laureate), Prof. D.S. Kothari, Prof. A.R. Kidwai, Prof. A.M. Khusro, Dr. Kishan Lal, Prof. M. Shafi, and Prof. A. Rahman. The quarterly journal covers Science Quiz, Science Models, Crime and Science, Cartoons, Science News, and Science for Children, along with other engaging articles in each issue.
CSIR brings out two newsletters: CSIR News (English - fortnightly) and CSIR Samachar (Hindi - monthly). These publications serve as a link between CSIR constituents, R&D organizations, universities, and industry. They cover R&D programs, new processes/products, collaborative projects, technology demonstrations, marketing, technology transfer, IPR, and more. S&T activities like conferences, seminars, workshops, training programs, and honours/awards are also included.
NISCAIR has established the NPASF to assist researchers, inventors, scientists, and science planners in their national research efforts.
Patent Drafting: Professionals help prepare detailed patent drafts for processes, machines, or matters as per technical requirements.
Prior Art Search: A search for prior inventions similar to a proposed idea is conducted in patent and non-patent literature, aiding in patent applications and research proposals.
Patent Informatics Service: Analysis of large patent data to understand technology landscape, strengths, weaknesses, and support policy decisions, R&D strategy, and investment choices.
NISCAIR's National Science Library (NSL) is the designated center for assigning International Standard Serial Numbers (ISSN) to serials published in India. ISSN is a global identification code used by publishers, libraries, and information services for citation and retrieval of various serials such as journals, newspapers, newsletters, etc. It enhances international publicity and inclusion in the International Serials Directory Database.
NISCAIR also maintains the Natural Product and Resources Repository (NPARR), an online open access repository for abstracts and citations of research papers.
Additionally, NISCAIR offers editorial services for Conference Proceedings, Scholarly Books, and Popular Science Books on a man-hour basis, covering content editing and stylization.
NISCAIR's core activity is to collect, organize, and share S&T information relevant to the Indian S&T community. Major resources include Wealth of India, Bharat Ki Sampada, National Science Library, Scholarly books, Popular science books, Indigenous Databases, National Union Catalogue of Scientific Serials in India, and Raw Materials Herbarium and Museum.
The National Science Library (NSL) is a comprehensive collection of science and technology publications in India, established in 1964. It aims to acquire important S&T publications in the country and strengthen its foreign periodicals collection. NSL has over 2,40,000 volumes including monographs, journals, and reference materials. It offers services like OPAC, E-journals, and ISSN access to researchers and users.
Wealth of India (WOI) is an authoritative reference on raw materials in India, providing information on their occurrence, distribution, composition, utilization, and trade. It helps prevent bio-piracy and is essential for researchers, entrepreneurs, and policy-makers.
Bharat Ki Sampada is the Hindi version of WOI, focusing on Indian raw materials based on flora, fauna, and minerals. It covers plants, animals, and minerals used for medicines, food products, beverages, spices, oils, and more.
NISCAIR publishes scholarly books and monographs on specialized subjects for research scientists and academicians. It also offers popular science books in English and Hindi on various topics under different series.
NISCAIR has established RHMD (Raw Materials Herbarium & Museum, Delhi) to serve scientists, researchers, students, and the public. The Herbarium contains 8000 specimens of economic and medicinal plants from India, while the Museum holds over 3000 samples of crude drugs, animal, and mineral specimens. It is a valuable source of information for folk-lore, ethnomedicine, traditional medicine, and the development of new herbal medicines.
NUCSSI is a service of NISCAIR and a data repository of unique journal titles and library holdings in India. It provides information on journal availability in major universities, S&T institutions, and professional institutes. There are 45,541 listed journals, 264,834 total holdings, and 564 participating libraries. The database is regularly updated and accessible online for free.
Projects
Science Communication through Multimedia (SCM)-Division, established in 2010, focuses on science communication through multimedia. Its threefold mandate includes research on scientific temper and public understanding of science, curating and creating multimedia content for public access, and engaging with citizens, scholars, and experts on science-related issues. They run CSIR-NISCAIR-Tube, a platform for science films and content, and plan to launch a social networking site for scientists to connect with each other and the public, allowing common citizens to pose questions to scientists for explanations.
The National Knowledge Resource Consortium (NKRC) is a network of libraries and information centers from CSIR and DST institutes. It was established in 2009, aiming to enhance R&D in CSIR laboratories. NKRC provides access to 5,000+ e-journals, including licensed and open access resources, from leading international publishers and databases for CSIR scientists and users.
NISCAIR plans to establish the Digital Information Resource Facility (DIRF) at two locations: Pusa and Satsang Vihar Marg. With exponential growth in data volume, the facility will manage databases, CDs, and knowledge repositories using updated ICT tools. The DIRF aims to enhance information resource management, hosting, sharing, and security. It will provide authorized access to NISCAIR and CSIR resources for global researchers, improving services and data management. The project focuses on setting up an integrated state-of-the-art facility to manage and share CSIR's digital information resources. Its main Objectives are
Managing and securing digital assets systems.
Providing uninterrupted data services.
Offering long-term scalable storage infrastructure.
Handling high volume of content.
Streamlining net-centric operations.
Providing authorized and secure remote and local access.
The CSIR Knowledge Gate Network Project, called KNOWGATE, is a 12th Five Year Plan initiative under the Information Sciences cluster. It aims to enhance CSIR computing power through a private cloud infrastructure and Open Source Software Technology Solution Cell (OSSTSC). The project will provide CSIR Knowledge Resource Centres (KRCs) with an Integrated Library Management Solution using open source software. Additionally, it aims to facilitate information resource sharing among CSIR laboratories through a Distributed Library, enabling catalogue sharing, interlibrary loans, and document supply services. KNOWGATE also aims to analyze CSIR research, technology, and related data using multi-dimensional analysis. Participating laboratories include CSIR-M Complex and CSIR-HQ. CSIR-NISCAIR will be the nodal laboratory overseeing the implementation in a phased manner.
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