This paper provides a state-of-the-art assessment of an integrated database and information system for research in a university environment. It begins with a review of the innovation and diffusion of computer-based information technologies, then follows with an evaluation of three technological frontiers, and a demonstration of the importance of system integration. Implications of new information technologies are analyzed with respect to agricultural economic research. The illustrative example given is the integration of a database management system with an on-line and ongoing large-scale econometric modeling system. A broad spectrum of database management techniques are employed for a multi-commodity, multi-frequency farm commodity sector model of cotton used for ongoing forecast and interactive policy analysis.