Database Services
DITR Database
In October 1979 DITR, the "German Information Centre for Technical Rules" was founded with the support of the Federal Government. Since 2003 the DITR Database has been maintained by DIN Software.
Currently the database lists bibliographic information for over 360,000 national and international standards and other technical rules from 280 different publishers. The database includes references to German legislation relating to technical subjects and documents from Europe, Japan and the USA.
DITR data service
One of the duties of a company’s standards department is to update its standards collection. This may require a multiplicity of administrative activities, such as regularly informing members of staff and departments of new or withdrawn documents, order, supply and location management, establishing and maintaining internal distribution links, etc. Conventional methods of standards management, for example using index cards, are no longer feasible in many organizations due to the quantity of data that have to be stored and updated. Use of computer-supported standards management systems represent today’s state of the art Schemes are compiled from the data fields n the DITR database in accordance with the customer’s wishes. Customers’ data (e.g. company standards) can be added to the DITR data in order to generate customized information systems.
Data
A data record of up to 60 data fields is established for each document kept in the database.
Data fields
First, the data fields are selected. For orientation, the customer is provided with a full description of each of the data fields and, prior to signing the contract, will receive test data from which to obtain a clearer understanding of the data content. As well as data fields, the customer will also select other sets of rules they may wish to receive in addition to German ones. Once data fields and rules have been selected by customers, DIN will make an offer that will serve as a basis for further negotiations and preparation of test data. With its request for an offer, the company also specifies the data format he requires.
Data consignments
DIN Software GmbH supplies data on various media. It is recommended that data be sent via the FTP server (for monthly updates and smaller consignments of basic stock) or on CD/DVD (for larger consignments of basic stock). Other forms of delivery are available on request. FTP is the quick and convenient way for customers to download data via the Internet from their password- protected FTP account on the DIN web server.
Pricing
Detailed and precise DITR data service prices are obtained by adding together the prices for all data fields and all sets of rules selected. As opposed to off-the-shelf products such as Perinorm on DVD or the DIN Catalogue on CD, for which fixed product prices apply, each data field in the data service has its own price which is calculated according to the intensity of maintenance it involves. Once a customer has signed the agreement, he will, as licensee, be authorized to use the data from the DITR database for his own in-house purposes, within the company and within the territory, as a source for combination with other data collections, databases or retrieval systems he may have and to copy, reproduce, alter them and disseminate them in his local area networks. Any other form of network use is prohibited unless more extensive exploitation rights (by way of an intranet licence) have been agreed. DITR data service combined with full-text availability.
This special DITR data service is distributed via Beuth Verlag GmbH ans also available in combination with and complementary to Beuth Verlag’s electronic full-text subscriptions. It is aimed particularly at customers needing bibliographic information beyond that provided in the ASCII file that Beuth Verlag adds as a standard feature to all its consignments of electronic full texts. In the context of the agreement about DITR data service, customers will receive only a selection of reference data on “their own“ full-text documents and will only pay a lump sum for the monthly updates to their subscription. Customers who only need information on “their own“ selected documents rather than on full sets of rules may consider this a viable low-cost alternative to the “standard” data services.