We reviewed both SPIN and IRIS and selected IRIS three years ago.  We have
been very satisfied.  Discussions about the IRIS thesaurus and lack of user
friendliness are out of date.

In fact, IRIS, which we use online is now fully interactive - very good subject
categories, no codes - and is available either through TELNET or WWW, depending
on how your system is set up.  Its fast, the deadlines are accurate (I've done
considerable spot checking), and the reports as complete as you need.  It has,
in addition, several download options.

Its updated very regularly (and even includes an inactive file so that you can
see programs that have been canceled, of which there are sadly more and more).
We are not interested in diskette versions, since we are all very internet
oriented, so that part of SPIN was not of interest.

We've kept up with both SPIN and IRIS changes, and continue to prefer IRIS.
IRIS, which is the product of and is maintained by a university rather than
proprietary group, can be reached at:

Illinois Researcher Information Service
Univ. of Ill. at Champagne-Urbana
128 Observatory
901 s. Mathews Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801

Tel: 217/333-0284
Email: xxxxxx@uiuc.edu

Att: Aaron Trehub

Alex Garrison, Ph.D.
Office of Sponsored Programs
New York University
15 Washington Place, #1H
NY, NY 10003

Tel:212/998-2123
EMail: xxxxxx@acfcluster.nyu.edu
Fax: 212/995-4029