INTELLIGENCE SUBJECT CODE (ISC)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79M00062A001300010054-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 22, 2006
• Sequence Number: 54
• Publication Date: September 5, 1968
• Content Type: MF

Approved For Release 2006/09/22 : CIA-RDP79M00062AO01300010054-7
5 Septeithe, 71968
IHC-D 36/4
UNITED STATES INTELLIGENCE BOARI,.'
INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION LING COMMITTEE
MEWRANDUK FOR: Chai n, IHC
Intelligence Subject Code (ISC)
1. In January, 1968 CODIB received a memorandum from t ?7, ea
Director of Central Reference Service, CRS, indicating that 11:e
USIE-sponsored Intelligence Subject Code (ISC) was no lunges. being
used by his organization as a subject index ciasaific t5.on c yatern
rased CRS was, therefore, discontinuing its n igntenanceo The k)IA
CODIB member propoeed, in view of the extenaive and ccnuinu:use
of ISC throughout DoD intelligence components, that future
n intenance of the ISC be accomplished by DIA
20 The ISC was designed and put into use by CIA ka 19"6
It was revised In 1960 to meet requirements of the iarter.lig::aGbe
community and to incorporate changes considered necessa~,^y :: ver
ten years of experience in its application and use. The re?7~~~ sed
ISC was reaiesued three times incorporating additions arEd c7.,1-,xages
in codes necessary to keep the codes responsive to current [ c eds 0
new terminology, etc o
3? As early as 1957, Air Force Intelli ence ado t I t'.,e CIA
ISC with some modifications for use with its deacuanr.~:vic
storage and retrieval system. Subsequently0 Hqs and AC.?C
installed systems and utilized the ISC therein, A--.: 25X1
somewhat later x e the Navy employed ISC in conjunction w.Yth
its now defunct eystem~ ISC was subsequently dna-Led 111F
J
DIA as its basic document storage and retrieval system
acquired from Air Force. The ISC is also used by DIAL co-.~_~~c a?ns~
in connection with the. Defense Intelligence Requirement Maul
DIRM, and Specific Intelligence Collection Request S1CR rce? `. 'erg
triad AIRES (Automated Intelligence Report Zvaal :ration System) In
1964, the use of the ISC area code as published was discont:.,nued
in favor of a modification employing the DoD country s:igrmp"~ code,
however, close coordination on the subject portion of the :`C
wbs continued by CIA and D IA. The ISC is also used in DoD
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intelligence components in conjunction ivith FMA storage and
retrieval systems installed in DIA)OC, and at'STRICOM, GONAD, 25X1
TAG, USAFE, PACAF, ACIC, FTD, Atlantic Intelligence
Similar requests continue to be received and serviced quite
frequently.
4. From the INC point of view the ISC represented a
"community" standardization "success" even though its adoption
was limited to CIA, and at various times by Air Force, Navy, and
DIAD Further, the ISC was never adopted as an all-encompassing
standard method of representing subjects and. areas of intelligence
interest by all of the components of any of these agencies?
5. DIA is at present examining its subject coding requirements
and capabilities for the purpose of achieving greater efficiency
through standardization. Initial inclination in DIA was toward
expanded use of the ISC. However, they are now re-examining and
defining requirements for an intelligence thesaurus which may
provide the basic DIA_system,
6, A number of other agency components in the community are
now inclined toward the expanded use of term indexing (keywords)
rather than subject classes. Previous attempts along this line
have not been without problems which. result from semantic and
syntactic ambiguities, the occurrence of logical mismatches,
input/output inconsistencies, etc., all of which are characteristic
of natural language processing.
7. In view of DOD's' continuing multi-component use, of ISC
and CIA's decision to cease its use and maintenance, it is
recommended that:
ao Maintenance responsibility for the ISC be
assigned to DIA as proposed by them,
b. IHC continue its overall monitorship of the ISC,
ca If and when DIA determines that it will no longer
use the ISC, the need for further r'R4 t ce hi
determined by IHCO
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d. Existing stocks of the fourth editions of the ISC
be assigned to the IHC for appropriate disposition.
eo The ate tapes and programs for producing the
tSC be retained by CTh/ S and the ISC rep9Qdeaoti6n plates
be retained by CIA/Mil until further notice from IHC<
Executive Secretary
Aooroved For Release 2006/09/22 : CIA-RDP79M00062AO01300010054-7