ANTE represents the revised abstracting and indexing title, the publication formerly known as Current Technology Index, and is published by Bowker Saur who have a formidable record in secondary information sources (their series Guides to Information Sources for example). So it is no surprise that this new publication is jam‐packed with information on all aspects of new technologies (computing, environmental, biotechnology and medical technology) and engineering (mechanical, electrical and chemical). ANTE is available in hard copy and on CD‐ROM as well as online (DIALOG File Number 238). The ANTE PLUS database offers retrospective searches to over 240,000 entries from 1981. The improvements over CTI are claimed to be the new ANTE newspaper coverage (nine qualities are now abstracted), new source journals (17) to add to the 300 or so already abstracted, and an easier to use subject index. Names I recognize as having an admirable track record in this line of work include the publishing director (Geraldine Turpie) and the managing editor (Nick Moore). The first 1,930 abstracts are contained within Vol. 1 No. 1; the publication will shift, on this basis, about 12,000 abstracts yearly, which is pretty impressive.
Despite what the publications team say, if you want to visit ANTE on a regular basis you would be well advised to take time studying how to use it; the “Detailed user guide” is just that, though once you get into it, it’s not as intimidating as it first appears; there is also a “Quick user guide” on the inside front cover. The abstracts are grouped into 25 main subject headings; coverage of some areas is inevitably more in‐depth than others (bear in mind that I’m reviewing only one issue so this may well alter): medical technology was represented by a meagre 21 abstracts; communication covers 11 pages or so. The subject coverage is quite specific including particular metals, leather, paper, clothing, mineral extraction, and military technology, although this last sector was again only cursorily abstracted (11 abstracts). Most of the journal primary sources covered seem reasonable enough (a fair number from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the more well‐known general science journals such as Nature, New Scientist and Science, and specialist publications such as Knitting International which must be a favourite of ANTE; and whatever is ANTE getting involved in Rubber Developments for?). The coverage of newspapers is a bit of a curate’s egg; the press are notoriously misleading in their science reporting, but I have no qualms with the newspapers ANTE is covering; I can vouch for the “Innovations” section of the (sic) Sunday Times in terms of accuracy; overall, ANTE seems rather proud of including newspapers on their list of sources.
The abstracts themselves are well written though are often “Abstract quotes from original text”; otherwise they are signed by one of the nine abstracting team members. My biggest misgiving is that the source material is exclusively in the English language. There is a complete author index and the alphabetical subject index is quite excellent; there is even a source journal index. All in all, there is very little here to gripe about and for users with interests in new technologies and engineering ANTE will certainly complement any other searches. Extrapolating from this first issue I should reckon that subcribers will get an abstract for about sixpence. Just about what I used to get from my auntie.
