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A preliminary study was made of the requirements, criteria, and measurements of performance of information storage and retrieval systems. A total of 92 applied electronics researchers and 11 metallurgists were interviewed to measure and rank several different requirements for information. It was found that some requirements could definitely be measured, and that there was general disagreement among the users about the relative importance of various information requirements. The methodology and the interview guide could be extended, with minor modifications, to other technical subject fields. In addition, three separate and complementary tools were developed for the analysis and evaluation of information retrieval systems: (1) a coarse screening procedure; (2) two different performance evaluation procedures; and (3) two cost analysis procedures that used computer programs to simulate the operation of candidate systems to determine their operating costs over wide ranges in operating conditions. A general functional model of a storage and retrieval system was developed for use by these cost analysis programs.