Evaluating Scholarly Databases

1. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Evaluating a database before using it can save time, frustration, and hopefully make the process more efficient • Gives the user an idea of the scope of information stored in the database, availability of full-text, search syntax accepted by the system, and more

2. Finding the Right Database • Fogler Library Subject Portals • There’s a portal for every academic program at UMaine • http://www.library.umaine.edu/default_portals.asp • Guide to Reference • Database listings by subject, includes reviews • http://ursus.maine.edu/record=b4251271~S1 • Internet Subject Directories • See handout from week 6 • Mostly list free Internet resources, but some will list scholarly/academic databases too.

3. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Subject coverage • Geographic coverage • Years covered • Types of publications included, i.e. journals, conferences, technical papers • Frequency of updates • Well organized and understandable help pages • Limit search to: • Most recent updates • Peer reviewed

4. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Journal Selection • Databases can contain information from a range of journals, trade or industry publications, popular magazines, conference papers and other document types • Look for databases that provide content that undergoes peer review, editorial review or some other applicable quality control processes

5. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Relation to full-text • Full-text • Bibliographic data with an abstract • Cited and/or citing documents • Citation tree or citation graph • Remember, domain limitations

6. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Cost • Typically, the best databases will require some sort of payment • Pay per use • Pay per download • Subscription • Free databases may have less reliable indexing, less available content, lower quality standards for the content it does have

7. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Cost (cont.) • While they are “free” to you, most databases accessed via Fogler Library website are licensed, i.e. , the library pays a subscription fee. • Libraries usually pay more for these subscriptions than individuals, because libraries must pay for multiple users to access them.

8. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Subject Indexing • Can be used to narrow search results and increase precision and recall • Databases that have a thesaurus and/or return search results that include subject headings typically mean they are manually indexed • Remember: BT, NT, RT, UF • Exploding

9. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Search Types • Basic, advanced (field), and expert options • What fields are searchable? • Operators and modifiers • Boolean, truncation, proximity, nesting, etc. • Search History

10. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Limit search: • To most recent updates • To peer reviewed only • To review articles • By language • By publication type • By publication date

11. Database Search Challenge • Topics • Construction and maintenance of offshore marine wind turbines in difficult climates • Community health aspects of adult male circumcision in developing regions • Personal data privacy and protection in ubiquitous mobile computing environments • Safety standards, guidelines or best practices for the operation and maintenance of natural gas vehicles