The NCIM catalogue does not claim to be a standard work of up-to-date nomenclature. It is compiled for the convenience of the microbiologists who want to use our cultures. The species names used in the catalogue are, as far as possible brought up-to-date. 

The NCIM numbers of the strains appear along with the specific name. 

The online NCIM catalogue is searchable and browsable by the following information :

	Organism type
	Specific name of organism
	NCIM accession number
	Strain numbers and accession numbers of other culture collections
	Special applications

The "Other information" field of each record reproduces the complete information on each strain as available in the print version of the catalogue. The information is arranged in the following order :

	NCIM accession number Source with their number.
	The year of deposition in NCIM, in brackets.
	Biochemical performance and details of culture.
	Literature references pertinent to the strains, in brackets.
	Other strain numbers and the accession numbers of other culture collections followed by maintenance medium and growth temperature, in brackets.
	Media formulations, strains with special applications and numerical index is also incorporated at the end of the catalogue.