Spwla Computer Index

The last index of SPWLA papers, based on first authors, was published in The Log Analyst in 1986. Although a subject index has been urgently needed, none was prepared at that time because creation of a definitive index is time consuming and highly subjective. Digital files avoid this problem by permitting users to search by key words or word strings of their own choice. Now, SPWLA is preparing to enter the world of electronic publishing. A cumulative computer index of papers, in ASCII text, using generic field/record identifiers, has been completed and will be available on 3.5 inch diskette. These data can be modified for use with any search/retrieval or bibliographic-database software for searching by author, date, title (any word), publication title, volume, number, and key words of the user's choice. We will demonstrate use of the index for performing these reference searches using End Note, a widely used commercial bibliographic database program that is available for both DOS and Macintosh computers. This disk will be available to members for a nominal charge (under $30). The main deficiency of an index based on titles (citation), is that commonly, titles do not adequately describe the paper contents and a search based on titles alone would probably not be adequate. A second phase in the SPWLA computer index, now under consideration, is to include the ABSTRACT text for each paper, because ABSTRACT s contain additional information regarding a paper's contents. Ideally, the complete text for every paper should be available for a search and SPWLA, following the lead of AAPG (AAPG Bulletin), SEG (Georom), and SPE (Master Disc), is investigating publication of all its technical papers on CD-ROM. This product would compliment the digital index and would include papers published from 1960 through 1993.