The Importance of Numeric Database to Materials Science

Scientific numeric databases are important research tools for materials scientists. The nature of these databases, in distinction to merely bibliographic databases, that lead to their usefulness is discussed; the direct, immediate access to data. Examples showing the application of crystallographic databases are given, including determining candidate materials for certain applications. Thermochemical data useful for the design of fiber optic cable is discussed showing the importance of high quality data and the economic implications. In addition, these databases are an important tool that can be utilized in the graduate education of the next generation of materials scientists.