Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
a wide variety of A&I databases on a similar subject; the library must
choose the right amount of resources, depending on the perceived
quality of these resources, available budgets and the needs of the users.
Over the next few years every A&I database must show value for
money. Quality is not just about accuracy of data. Any A&I database that
does not include the following is at risk of cancellation:
Article abstracts
: many A&I databases are still only indexes, e.g. one or
two sentences of text describing the article. This is often
frustrating to the user.
Cover to cover indexing
: although many databases list a large number of
journal titles in their coverage, further inspection often reveals
that this is split between core content (cover to cover indexing);
secondary content (where more than 50% of the material is
indexed); and tertiary content (where less than 50% of the
material is indexed). Any A&I database with a low proportion of
core content or a high proportion of tertiary content is at risk.
Full-text linking
: an A&I database that effectively sends users down a
cul-de-sac, by not linking or providing the means through
OpenURL linking (see below) to access external full text, does not
promote resource discovery.
Date coverage
: unless specifically covering an archive period, A&I
databases that purport to be current, but index a high number of
ceased titles, are arguably less relevant to users and provide little
value for money.
Geographical coverage
: often research requires information from specific
geographical areas; if these are not adequately covered, then the
resource is not valuable for research.
Publisher coverage
: libraries want to use A&I databases to achieve a
good spread of publishers; if a database does not achieve this, then
the resource is little better than searching a publisher's platform.
Clearly, this spread may be dependent on subject.
Intuitive interface
: is the resource as easy to use as Google? If not, users
may go elsewhere.
Shibboleth authentication, EZProxy access as standard
: any A&I database
that relies on individual user names and passwords for access is
creating a barrier to use
.
