Science.gov 2.0 launches

Science.gov

The governmentwide Web portal for science and technology information has been upgraded.

Energy Department officials heralding new features and more advanced search capabilities launched Science.gov 2.0, a collaboration among 12 major science agencies, this week.

"These agencies together have combined innovative technology, forward thinking and hard work to build an invaluable science resource," Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said in a statement. "From the most current information on new technologies, to historical research results, to the most promising medical advancements, Science.gov connects citizens to the world of science."

Known as the FirstGov for science, Science.gov was first launched in December 2002 to provide science and technology information from across the government. The new version includes user-friendly enhancements, officials said, and will now search 47 million pages of government research and development information, presenting the results in relevancy-ranked order.

Science.gov allows users to search 30 government databases and 1,700 Web sites, officials said. The portal has metasearch capabilities, making massive databases in the Deep Web part of the Internet searchable in a single query.

Involved in the Science.gov effort are: the departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services and Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Government Printing Office, NASA, the National Science Foundation and the National Archives and Records Administration.