The second in a series of articles on the
activities of the Information Sciences Division
(ISD) of the International Development
Research Centre (IDRC). Examines the
widening scope of ISD projects in response to
a broader client base, the increasing diversity
of information technology and the greater
sophistication and knowledge of Third World
information workers. The generalized
information management system MINISIS,
developed at IDRC and distributed to many
countries, is described briefly. Examples of
projects indicate that ISD's support of
informatics is aimed at providing assistance to
developing countries' researchers, planners
and decision makers, development
practitioners and information professionals to
acquire the skills for implementing and making
use of diverse information tools from
microcomputers to expert systems.
Concludes that ISD's informatics programme
is concerned not only with producing
software for developing countries, but also
with filling the need for knowledge to build an
indigenous information technology capacity.
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