ACCESSION AND EXPLOITATION OF FOREIGN COMMERCIAL DATABASES BY THE OFFICE OF CENTRAL REFERENCE AND THE FOREIGN BROADCAST INFORMATION SERVICE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89-01147R000100040043-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 21, 2011
• Sequence Number: 43
• Publication Date: April 8, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP89-01147R000100040043-2
8 April 1986
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
SUBJECT: Accession and Exploitation of Foreign Commercial Databases by
the Office of Central Reference and the Foreign Broadcast
Information Service
1. The Office of Central Reference (OCR), as part of its
responsibility to provide reference and research services to the Agency,
makes available to Agency analysts online access to a variety of domestic
and foreign commercial databases containing information on a broad range
of topics. OCR's Library reference staff serves as the interface between
the database systems and the analyst seeking information and provides
assistance in accessing and describing the contents of the systems. It
is the responsibility of the analyst to identify and select that
information required for further study or analysis.
2. The exploitation of information (collection, processing,
dissemination) from foreign commercial databases clearly falls with the
FBIS charter to collect information from foreign public media in support
of Intelligence Community requirements. To meet this responsibility,
FBIS S$T units in Antwerp and Milan are obtaining online access to
selected foreign language database services. FBIS staff officers at
these units select material from the databases that meets requirements,
have this material translated by locally hired contractors, and forward
the translations to FBIS Headquarters for dissemination to consumers
through JPRS reports.
3. As in the acquisition of other open media sources such as
foreign newspapers, periodicals and even press agency services, OCR and
FBIS may at times draw upon the same market of raw information. The
further handling and presentation of such information by OCR and FBIS to
users is dissimilar and is guided by the distinctly different missions of
the two offices.
a. The distinguishing features of FBIS's commercial database
exploitation efforts are:
- only foreign database hosts are chosen for exploitation;
- database entries are in a foreign language requiring
translation into English;
- attempts are made to identify and exploit databases not
available in the United States;
SECRET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP89-01147R000100040043-2
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP89-01147R000100040043-2
SUBJECT: Accession and Exploitation of Foreign Commercial Databases by
the Office of Central Reference and the Foreign Broadcast
Information Service
- emphasis is on, databases containing scientific, technical, and
economic information;
- information selected for processing meets the same general
criteria used in exploiting information from other open media
sources;
- information selected and processed is disseminated regularly on
an unclassified basis to consumers through the JPRS Report
series.
b. The distinguishing features of OCR's commercial databases
acquisition and use are:
- all databases relevant to specific analyst tasking, foreign
and domestic, are acquired and they are used to respond to
specific queries;
- database inquiries are in English as well as in foreign
languages, but no translation is performed by OCR;
- a broad spectrum of databases are queried providing a wide
range of information from the social sciences to the hard
sciences;
- database citations are given to individual requesters.
4. OCR and FBIS agree that their methods and objectives in
acquiring information from foreign commercial databases are not
duplicative and are carried out in full agreement with the missions of
the respective offices. Furthermore, OCR and FBIS will continue their
cooperative efforts to ensure that areas of potential conflict of
responsibility are discussed and resolved to the satisfaction of both
offices.
Director, Foreign Broadcast Information Service
Director, Office of Central Reference
SECRET
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/09/21: CIA-RDP89-01147R000100040043-2