Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Compare before you buy: updated and improved free database comparison tool launches today

Free database comparison tool aims to make it easier for university librarians to make informed decisions when subscribing to online resources

JISC Collections in partnership with DataSalon Ltd have launched a free online database comparison tool today, which aims to help libraries make informed decisions about future subscriptions to online resources – the Academic Database Assessment Tool.

With so many products offering a huge diversity and wealth of information, it can be difficult for librarians to know what resources they should be investing in. The Academic Database Assessment Tool provides access to detailed information and title lists for major bibliographic and full text databases. It also delivers key service information for database and eBook content platforms. This enables librarians to quickly compare and contrast key items to assist in the purchase decision process. These include: a list of titles included in each database; search features available; linking methods e.g. full text linking; metadata standards and methods of access provided to these resources e.g. IP access, Athens or Shibboleth.

Further details can be found here.

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