A Trend Report is an exposition of a subject, giving an account of the general direction of research in the subject, based on a review of the documents on current developments. The trend report service is designed to help the specialist reader in the productive utilization of his time and in the conserbation of the research potential. The training of a documentalist equips him to do this service satisfactorily. However, the specialists cooperation is necessary.
In the age of information explosion and with the increasing number of documents as well as reader requirements the already existing documentation services like indexing abstracting just cannot cope with the specific subject requirements of the specialist reader. A trend report is one such tool which is designed to help the specialist reader by acquainting him with the recent developments and research conducted in the particular subject. With the help of trend reports the specialist reader can utilize his time more effectively in research.
The main aim of the Trend Report is to fulfil the requirement of a specialist user of specific information on a particular subject. It is a highly useful tool to analyse and consolidate the informatin which facilitates the specialists in their research work.
Preparation of Trend Report
The documentalist should possess the following qualities for the preparation of a trend report
(i) Proper knowledge regarding the method of compiling a trend report is essential.
(ii) He should also have proper report with the concerned specialist reader to know his subject approach and views.
(iii) Familiarity with sources of information in the concerned subject is necessary. A trend report is oriented towards a specific subject.
Steps in the preparation of Trend Reports
The preparation of trend reports is divided into three planes of work as mentioned below:
1. The Idea Plane
2. The Verbal Plane
3. The Notational Plane
1. The work in the idea plane involves:
a) choice of the specific subject
b) collection of ideas from documents
c) arrangement of ideas in a helpful sequence
d) Intefrating the information into an organised text.
2. The work in the verbal plane involved:
a) use of homonym-free and synonym-free terminology
b) other factors associated with the expression of ideas in languages
3. The work in the notational plane involves:
a) use of expressive notation for the representation of the level of unity of ideas
b) structuring the text in the idea plane
Evaluating of Trend Reports
1) it should have comprehensive coverage of the literature
2) it should be directed towards the given subject
3) it should be through and depth analysis of the subject
4) the material in it should be produced in a compact format
5) it should serve as an addition to the information database
6) it should be able to serve many purposes
