Database systems

Abstract

The history of database system research in the U.S. is one of exceptional productivity and startling economic impact. Barely twenty years old as a basic science research field, database research conducted with Federal support in the nation's universities and in its industrial research laboratories has fueled an information services industry estimated at $10 billion per year in the U.S. alone. This industry has grown at an average rate of 20 percent per year since 1965 and is continuing to expand at this rate. Achievements in database research underpin fundamental advances in communications systems, transportation and logistics, financial management, knowledge-based systems, accessibility to scientific literature, and a host of other civilian and defense applications. They also serve as the foundation for considerable progress in basic science in various fields ranging from computing to biology.