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Citation Help In Databases: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same, Mary Van Ullen, Jane Kessler
Citation Help In Databases: The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same, Mary Van Ullen, Jane Kessler
University Libraries Faculty Scholarship
In 2005 the authors reviewed citation help in databases and found an error rate of 4.4 errors per citation. This article describes a follow-up study which revealed a modest improvement in the error rate to 3.4 errors per citation, still unacceptably high. The most problematic area was retrieval statements. The authors conclude that librarians should include citation features in the evaluation of databases, and should open a dialogue with vendors about the importance of providing accurate, reliable information about citations to students.
Citation Help In Databases: Helpful Or Harmful?, Jane G. Kessler, Mary K. Van Ullen
Citation Help In Databases: Helpful Or Harmful?, Jane G. Kessler, Mary K. Van Ullen
University Libraries Faculty Scholarship
A review of the help files in several major databases revealed that database vendors have begun including information on citing sources, which has the potential to be very useful to students. Surprisingly, 94% of the citation examples in the databases reviewed had errors. The average number of errors per example was 4.3. The citation help appears to have been put together quickly, with little thought and no proofreading. Librarians must insist that vendors correct or remove this information.