The National Technical Information Service (NTIS) is an agency within the

U.S. Department of Commerce The United States Department of Commerce is an executive department of the U.S. federal government concerned with creating the conditions for economic growth and opportunity. Among its tasks are gathering economic and demographic data for busin ...

. 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.

Overview

Under the provisions of the National Technical Information Act of 1988 (15 U.S.C. 3704b), 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 The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

as a central repository for government-funded

scientific Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

, technical,

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...

, 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.

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 Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...

, beginning with the

Manhattan project The Manhattan Project was a research and development undertaking during World War II that produced the first nuclear weapons. It was led by the United States with the support of the United Kingdom and Canada. From 1942 to 1946, the project w ...

, 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. NTIS also provides technical support solutions to other Federal Government Agencies. These Lines of Business include: * Shipping & Fulfillment Services * e-Training Services NTIS is an OPM-approved eTraining Service Provider * Federal Energy Data Management Mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005 * Government Web Hosting * Scanning, Digitization & Electronic Archive Services NTIS currently working with the Social Security Administration, National Science Foundation, Internal Revenue Service, and other Federal Agencies * Other Support solutions 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. NTIS has been working with Public.Resource.Org to digitize videos and to post content on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

.https://public.resource.org/ntis.gov/contentid.pdf

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 Title 15 of the United States Code outlines the role of commerce and trade in the United States Code. Notable legislation in the title includes the Federal Trade Commission Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, the Sherman Antitrust Act, the Securities ...

(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."

References

(Dept. of Commerce)
Energy Policy Act of 2005

NTIS Statutory Authorities

National Technical Information Act of 1988

American Preeminence Technology Act

Section 1526 of Title 15 of the U.S. Code

External links

*
National Technical Information Service
in the '' Federal Register'' {{authority control Government databases in the United States United States Department of Commerce agencies Government agencies established in 1988 1988 establishments in the United States