Library and Information Science Commons^™

Csa: Not Just Science Anymore, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

ASK LIBRARIANS WHAT they think of when they hear "Cambridge Scientific Abstracts" and most, not surprisingly, would likely cite bibliographic databases in the sciences. That is probably why Cambridge Scientific Abstracts officially changed its name to CSA to reflect a broadened scope of topics and types of sources.

Part of the, Cambridge Information Group (CIG), CSA now publishes databases and journals on many subjects and provides access to these and other companies' products through its Internet Database Service (IDS). Even librarians who hadn't paid attention to changes at CSA took notice this year when CIG purchased the R.R. Bowker Co.

Electronic Journals: How User Behavior Is Changing, Carol Tenopir, Donald W. King

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

From 1977 through 2001 the authors have conducted a series of studies that examine reading and publishing habits of scientists in both university and non-university settings (including private companies and national laboratories). For the last decade the studies have measured the influence of ejournals on scholarly reading and publishing behaviours. These studies demonstrate that scientists continue to read widely from scholarly journals primarily for research and current awareness. Reading of scholarly articles has increased to approximately 120-13 articles per person per year, with engineers reading fewer journal articles on the average and medical faculty reading more. A growing amount of …

The Power Of Citation Searching, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

IT MAY BE EFFECTIVE to find relevant literature by searching for articles by subject descriptors or keywords, but subject searching is not the only way. When authors of scholarly pieces cite relevant sources in the references or notes sections of their articles, researchers can thus extend their literature searches.

Database And Online System Usage, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

A DECADE AGO I wrote a column called "The Most Popular Databases" (LJ 4/1/91, p. 96,98). I used data from a company called Information Market Indicators (IMI) that tracked usage in a wide sample of libraries, plus CD-ROM best sellers lists from popular computing magazines. It is harder now to track database and system usage over all types of libraries because IMI no longer collects the data, CD-ROM isn't as important in libraries, and there are now many more choices of systems and databases.

Still The Big Three In Special Libraries: Dialog, Factiva, And Lexisnexis, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

JUDGING FROM THE size of their booths, the number of activities sponsored, and the glitz of their parties at the Special Libraries Association (SLA) 2001 annual meeting in San Antonio, Lexis-Nexis, Factiva (Dow Jones/Reuters), and Dialog are still the big three for special librarians. In fact, all three lead in online system revenues. These mainstays in special libraries fiercely compete with each other, but none can afford to take its position for granted--witness Dialog's recent slip from market leader to number three.

Communication By Engineers: An Analysis Of The Literature Focusing On 1994 Through May 2001., Carol Tenopir, Donald W. King

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

No abstract provided.

Reference Services In The New Millennium, Carol Tenopir, Lisa Ennis

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

The results of surveys regarding the implementation and use of automation in university libraries are presented and discussed. In just one decade, from 1991 to today, the accelerating changes in university reference services have been noticeable and profound. Much of this change corresponds to the rapid development of the Internet. In 1991, there was no Web, few electronic journals, little integration among types of services, and limited networking. The libraries in this survey are all members of the Association of Research Libraries.

Virtual Reference Services In A Real World, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

NOW THAT LIBRARIES have substantial digital collections available to users from their homes or offices, it isn't surprising that remote access ("virtual") reference services are the latest trend. LJ recently provided an overview of virtual reference services and reported on local progress and national initiatives to implement online reference help 24 hours a day, seven days a week (see "The Shape of E-Reference," LJ 2/1/01 p. 46ff.).

Recently, I asked the directors of reference in the academic member libraries of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) to describe changes in their reference services over the last three years and how …

The Web And Content Companies, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

All CAS electronic services are now on the web. The company views the web as "an opportunity to offer more convenient access to scientific databases and reach new audiences with little or no experience in traditional online searching." OCLC believes "the web has allowed OCLC and libraries to think in new ways about virtually every aspect of their operations: cataloging, reference, and resource sharing."

The Database Marketplace 2001: Racing At Full Speed, Carol Tenopir, Gayle Baker, William Robinson

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

In both car racing and in the information industry, large multinational companies are major players. Though we don't yet wear the names of information companies like Thomson and Reed Elsevier on our T-shirts, their brands are on many of our products. In the last seven years, Thomson purchased Findlaw, Dialog, and Information Access Company, to add to holdings that already included Gale Group, ISI, and Westlaw.

Scientists' Use Of Journals: Differences (And Similarities) Between Print And Electronic, Carol Tenopir, Donald W. King, Randy Hoffman, Elizabeth Mcsween, Christopher Ryland, Erin Smith

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

Studies conducted over the last three decades demonstrate that scientists read widely from scholarly journals. Scientists use these journals primarily for research and current awareness. Reading of scholarly articles has increased to approximately 110 to 120 articles per person per year, and a growing amount of these readings come from preprints and other separate copies. Scientists are also reading a greater percentage of new articles. In fall 2000 we surveyed scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to repeat a survey conducted in 1984. The primary aim of the recent survey was to identify the impact of electronic/ digital journal alternatives …

Why I Still Teach Dialog, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

A GROUP OF SPECIAL librarians who run information services for multinational corporations recently told me what they looked for in new MLS graduates. They want people who feel comfortable learning and searching multiple online systems, teaching end users, and choosing the best resources.

Several in the group complained that, although their new hires were excellent web searchers and web page designers, they did not have enough experience with fee-based online services. One manager said she looks to MLS graduates for less common attributes; she wants people who understand how information systems are structured, can search fee-based systems with confidence, and …

Are There Too Many Meetings?, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

AFTER OVER 20 YEARS, the face of online meetings is changing. As of 2001, Online World is no more, the National Online Meeting sports a new name, and ASIS (now ASIST) continues to refocus its meetings. Is the traditional online industry in trouble or were too many meetings vying for our attention and budget?

Links And Bibliographic Databases, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

AROUND A CENTURY AGO, when indexes and abstracts first became widespread, it was revolutionary to provide descriptions of articles in the form of indexing and abstracting records. Indexes such as Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature, Index Medicus, and Chemical Abstracts noticeably increased the periodicals audience among students and researchers.

Time To Redefine Database, Carol Tenopir

School of Information Sciences -- Faculty Publications and Other Works

IT USED TO BE EASY to define a database. It was "a continuously updated computer file of related information, abstracts, or references on a particular subject, arranged for ease and speed of search and retrieval" (ODLIS: Online Dictionary of Library and Information Science, www.wcsu.ctstateu.edu/library/ odlis.html). A database publisher such as Psychological Abstracts or Engineering Information was responsible for creating the content (and perhaps distributing the printed indexes), but the vendor, such as Dialog or SilverPlatter, transformed the content to make it searchable and then provided access.