Reflections on the Development of CBIR

By Jon Michael Fox

Originally appeared in the International Creativity Network Newsletter, volume 2, number 3, 1992, page 6.

Literature on creativity has expanded tremendously in the last decade, and continues to do so. We all need "user-friendly" systems to help us organize this burgeoning information base, and to gain access to the literature efficiently and thoroughly; no individual can keep up with all the relevant material alone. Responding to this need, the Center for Studies in Creativity began a project called the Computer Based Innovation Resources (CBIR). The aim of this project was to gather, organize, and annotate periodical literature on creativity for ease of classification and retrieval. Active work on preparing annotations began in 1985; I joined the project in late 1986.

My challenge was to develop a list of descriptors known as the Controlled Vocabulary, which would be used to organize the annotations. To be most effective, this vocabulary had to be in natural language, be commonly held in the discipline, provide clarity of content, and be reasonably exclusive of one another to establish the boundaries of the classification. I developed a list of descriptors and validated them with both professionals in creativity and the general public. Successive surveys narrowed the field of descriptors to a list of forty-three (43) primary terms that became the Controlled Vocabulary.

The Controlled Vocabulary was examined carefully by the Center's staff and students, and by a number of other creativity researchers from the United States. We also made efforts to insure that CBIR would reflect international research and publications, and that the Controlled Vocabulary would be useful to international colleagues. Dr. Istvan Magyari-Beck reviewed the development of the Controlled Vocabulary in 1987. By comparing this classification system to his creatology matrix, he was able to provide many recommendations that added clarification and terminology. In 1988, David Synnott (Australia) and Tudor Rickards (England) also helped by adding terminology common to their cultures. A research grant from the Creative Education Foundation (CEF) in 1987 helped move the project along to its completion in May, 1988.

In the four years since the launching of CBIR, there have been some changes. The CBIR acronym has changed to the Creativity Based Information Resources, a change that more accurately reflects the nature and focus of CBIR. Most noticeable, however, is the growth of CBIR. In May 1988 there were 415 entries on CBIR; as of August, 1992, there were 3,300 entries, with another 180 waiting to be entered. In addition to articles, these entries now include annotations of books and chapters. Future additions will include annotations on creativity measures and software.

As with most projects, many people helped to design and plan CBIR and to make it a reality. I am pleased to have had a key part in the creation and development of the first computer based system of citations and annotations for the international body of periodical literature on creativity. For more information on the current status of CBIR, and on ways you can support and use the system, please contact the Center for Studies in Creativity at Buffalo State College, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Chase Hall 244, Buffalo, New York 14222-1095. The phone is 716- 878-6223, and the fax is 716-878-4040.