This UNISIST publication discusses issues related to the compatibility and standardization of bibliograpic records, index languages, software, hardware, and other information systems and services. Following an executive summary, definitions of terms, and other introductory material, existing information systems with common standards are briefly described. A section on compatibility of bibliographic records then discusses codes for bibliographic description, record formats, a common communication format, data exchange problems, bibliographic references, journal titles, script conversion, authority files, filing order, serials holdings data, and bibliographic record problems. Index language issues and products discussed include vocabulary compatibility, the intermediate lexicon, an integrated vocabulary approach, microthesauri, the macrovocabulary, algorithmic approaches, multilingual processing, other aspects of terminological compatibility, and index language problems. The section on software compatibility covers programs and programming languages, command languages, database management systems, machine assistance for searching, user-system interfaces, and software problems, while the hardware section discusses computers, input/output devices, information storage devices, character sets, information transmission, computer networks, machine-machine interfaces, and hardware problems. Compatibility of numeric databases and the management aspects of compatibility are discussed. Also presented are a series of case studies showing how eight organizations have achieved some level of compatibility in information exchange. A series of conclusions, a 566-item bibliography, and a list of abbreviations and acronyms conclude the publication. (ESR)