WEBAGRIS is a complete, multilingual Web-based system for distributed data input, processing and dissemination (through the Internet or on CD-Rom), of agricultural bibliographic information. It is based on common standards of data input and dissemination formats (XML, HTML, ISO2709), as well as subject categorization schema and AGROVOC thesaurus. WEBAGRIS also allows to link to documents that are available in electronic format.

WEBAGRIS provides the following functionalities:

1. Database maintenance functions:

• data entry and update;
• password control;
• creation of new records;
• updating of existing records (selection from a list);
• validation by formats;
• display of authority data for a selection.

2. Information dissemination functions:

• user friendly retrieval;
• sort;
• print and export options;
• searching through a number of databases;
• result paging;
• saving option for query history, etc.

The WEBAGRIS system can be used in multiple ways depending on the need and resources of the individual AGRIS Resource Centre. The centre can host a Web site for data entry, searching and/or exporting data to the central AGRIS database and/or publishing on the CD-ROMs. It can be used as a local application or in a common networked environment for join collection of information (through exporting, harvesting data, etc.). WEBAGRIS improves accessibility of information generally, through the use of multi-database searching and harvesting.

The WEBAGRIS system is based on the Web technology and can be run from a standard Internet browser. It uses the WWW-ISIS software developed by the Institute for Computer and Information Engineering (ICIE,[email protected]), Poland with the cooperation and support of FAO. for publishing CDS/ISIS databases on the Web. The interface is based on HTML forms, and has been implemented as a CGI program. The program is invoked by the Web server process. The access to the CDS/ISIS databases is managed through BIREME's software ISIS-DLL , an API (Application Program Interface) for CDS/ISIS software of UNESCO in the Windows environment.

The current WEBAGRIS version 2.0 is developed by the AGRIS/CARIS and Documentation group of GILW, FAO ([email protected]), in close cooperation with the Institute for Computer and Information Engineering (ICIE), Poland and IICA/CATIE, Costa Rica.

The AGRIS secretariat recommends that users currently using previous version of WEBAGRIS have to install the new version 2.0, which includes all the updates and new features while maintaining the original databases.

The new WEBAGRIS version 2.0 (in English and Spanish) is now published on the FTP site and/or distributed on the CD-ROM (available upon request) for those users that do not have connection to the Internet.

This version is also included as a main part of the Integrated Library System for Agricultural Libraries, LISAGR.



For any questions please do not hesitate to contact us at: AGRIS Secretariat