ABSTRACT
Selective dissemination of information (SDI) is a service in which documents, or information about them, are sent to those interested in the subjects of the documents. The experience of centres which have already developed SDI services should be carefully studied before setting up a new system. When the results of an SDI run are first submitted to the users, assessment forms should accompany the printouts so that the user can indicate the number of relevant, possibly relevant, and irrelevant references. Compiling and maintaining profiles is a labour-intensive task for the professional staff of an information centre, and if it is intended to embark on a full-scale SDI service, each user should be encouraged to help compile his own profile. The computer-based services usually offer both output to meet individual profiles, and output to meet 'standard profiles', which are subjects of wide interest in the subject field covered. State-of-the-art reports should be produced in a regular series with a distinctive cover.
