IN 1953, the Forestry Division of FAO, with the assistance of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations, issued Research in forestry and forest products, as No. 9 in the series of FAO Forestry and Forest Products Studies. This directory gave country-by-country summaries of the research programs for those institutes (organizations, stations, offices, faculties) which had furnished such information in reply to a questionnaire. In a few years it became apparent that the directory was incomplete, because of the great number of changes and new developments during the postwar period. It was therefore decided to publish a revised edition, and the necessary information was collected during 1958-60. This new edition has just been issued.
AS IT TURNED OUT that the number of institutes furnishing details of their research program had trebled compared with the 1953 directory, the method of presentation had to be reconsidered. During the same period of years the Oxford Decimal Classification System for Forestry had steadily gained ground and was increasingly used in forestry institutions, departments and libraries, and so it was decided to use that system as a basis for the summarization of the research programs. The complete system is, however, not being used in the 1963 edition of the forest research directory but only an arbitrary selection of about 360 numerals. Application of the complete system would either have necessitated the incorporation in the new directory of the entire Oxford system, or would have required the potential user to have a copy of the Oxford system readily available - both of which alternatives would be impracticable. The selection of numerals used, which will be given on colored paper as a key list to the subject matter, will enable the reader quickly to identify the meaning of any individual item. In those instances where a numeral did not in itself reasonably well cover a given item of information, annotations have been added.
ANOTHER important innovation is that the summarized program is given for each individual institute. The main reasons for this are that the user of the directory should be able to assess the structure of the research program of any institute at a glance, and to see to whom to write direct for information on a particular point. In addition, this arrangement will invite institutes to notify the Forestry Division of FAO of any necessary or desirable corrections and amendments.
THE NEW DIRECTORY gives information on the number of professional research workers at many institutes - an indicator of the scope or size of the activities - and of the media of publication normally used by the individual institutes. There is an index of the plant and animal species, genera, families, etc., and another index of the media of publication used by the various institutes.
THE INTERNATIONAL UNION of Forest Research Organizations has again demonstrated its interest in A world directory of forest and forest products research institutes by voting a contribution toward its publication.
