The literature on natural enemy/pesticide research has grown rapidly since the mid 1970s. Comprehensive summarization using traditional methods has become limited and much less feasible. Computer data base techniques can improve summarization by allowing rapid processing of large information sets. Reasons for summarizing existing work are many: to provide a tabulation of research; to elucidate trends from a perspective not previously possible; to evaluate hypotheses regarding species susceptibility and pesticide toxicity; to develop selectivity charts by crop; to evaluate test protocols for standardization; and many other applications of this information. Data published over the past 40 years on pesticide side-effects to arthropod natural enemies of agricultural pests have been appended into a data base (SELCTV). Further development of SELCTV is imminent. Expansion and refinement of fields for more detailed recording of sublethal effects are anticipated. Literature updates are critical to keep SELCTV relevant to emerging natural enemy research.