TNAG-2287-FCO40-3290-Chinese-personalities-involved-with-Hong-Kong-1991 — Page 28

CODE

RAD

Mr Seaton FED Mr I Davies FED Ms P Major HKD

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separate copies

HAC010/1

Reference

PERSONALITIES INDEXES IN FAR EASTERN SECTION

1.

A July.

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pw personalities.

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Following a review by the MRS, it has been decided that from 15 July all personality indexing in RAD will be done on computerised databases. These are being designed, in-house, by Dr Hay for use across the Department and are not specific to Far Eastern Section. I attach, for those interested, a copy of the prototype specifications for the two main databases we intend to adopt, one covering information on individual personalities, and the other, termed "groups" covering principally organisations and visits. view of the enormous amount of data we have already on the card index system, it will not be feasible to transfer the existing information we hold into the new electronic databases. We will, in effect therefore, have to start again from scratch, although we will of course be keeping the old card indexes for reference purposes as well as for the storage and updating of certain material that is too highly classified to be kept by electronic

The purpose of this minute is to ask you, and copy addressees, for your views and comments on the type of information on personalities and organisations that we ought to be attempting to record. The introduction of computerisation on the scale proposed will not be an easy process and we would like to have clear guidelines in place by 15 July which the personality indexers can follow in gathering and recording personality information.

2. I attach suggested guidelines for the coverage of the three main areas covered by our existing databases: China, North Korea and Hong Kong. These are not dissimilar from the guidelines followed informally at the moment, though we are trying to tighten up our effort to concentrate on the type of information that is likely to prove really valuable both to ourselves and to our customers. The main effort by our three indexers will be on China, and we can only offer limited coverage of North Korea and Hong Kong. I should add that the databases will be accessible to all members of the section and we hope that this will enable us to make our collection and storage of personality information on on the other countries covered by the Section both greater and more systematic. Inputting of information on these other countries will however be the responsibility of the desk officer concerned in RAD and will not be done by full time personality indexers.

3. We continue to find the personality indexes an invaluable research tool, both for the provision of straightforward biographical and organisational information which is unavailable in a similar form elsewhere, and for the political analysis of closed systems such as China and North Korea.

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