Report
Comparing AGRICOLA By Vendor -- AGRICOLA Interest Group
Speakers: Eileen Herring, University of Hawaii at Manoa; Helen Smith, Pennsylvania State University; Heather Moberly, Oklahoma State University; Susan Flood, Auburn University; Valerie Perry, University of Kentucky; Sally Sinn, National Agricultural Library
Moderated by Carla Casler, University of Arizona
Presentations covered similar aspects for AGRICOLA from each vendor, including:
- Coverage (dates)
- Search Types
- Limit Capabilities
- Display Options
- Results
- Special Features [Output to bibliographic software includes Endnote, Ref Manager, Procite]
- Disadvantages [Multiple users numbers: depends on specific license agreements, for all vendors]
- Vendor Access Info.
Each vendor section is included with all subject topic notes in the order listed above. Specific added notes are interspersed within each section.
CSA (by Eileen Herring): [Excellent vendor relations and quick responsiveness to suggestions noted as a primary selection factor]
- Coverage: 1970 - Present
- Search Types: Quick Search (exact phrase [a default setting, with some drawbacks for inexperienced users], any, all); Advanced Search (boolean, truncation, field search); Search history can be used to build searches; combine sets
- Limit Options: Publication year range, language (advanced search only)[relevancy]
- Display: 3 display choices, results can be sorted by date or relevancy rank, recent references & web resources searched, links to local library catalog, links to library's electronic full text subscriptions, links to ILL & document delivery services
- Results: Save, email and print; 3 record format choices, all or marked records, bibliographic software compatibility
- Special Features: Saved searches, Full journal titles (not abbreviations), cross-database searching, searches separate website database, weekly alert service frames based (URL not shown [bibliographic software compatible]; Show local library catalog holdings; Multidatabase searches
- Disadvantages: Not Z39.50 compliant [Expected soon]; Default phrase search for multi-term entry on Basic Search screen; Email requires "From"
- Access: Web accessible, user validation by IP address or proxy server, no limit on concurrent users
- Contact Info: www.csa.com
Community of Science (COS) (by Helen Smith): Less well-known, privately held company for research information, providing access to unique (grants, other) and third-party databases
- Coverage: 1979 - Present, updated monthly
- Search Types: 3 search interfaces plus mark; browse or search indexes (journal, author & keyword); search by many field designators, can add terms to previous search (refine); USMARC field search;
- Limit Capabilities: Publication year (specific year or range), language, publication type
- Display: Can link directly to record, gives relevancy score
Results: Save and email, bibliographic software compatibility (EndNote & Reference Manager formats) - Special Features: Multiple indexes, truncation, saved searches, other unique databases as well as some well-known 3rd party databases, low cost; search from journal name and author indexes; advanced search requires field tags; output to bibliographic software; Link to results records
- Disadvantages: No links to full text or library holdings, cryptic citation displays, no sorting options, no combined sets; no limit by publication type; full text search in 'Main Search' does not include keyword [subject term] field; Default year selection must be reset; "Relevancy" only sort basis; Order of source information complicated
- Access: Web accessible; no limit to concurrent users
- Contact Info: www.cos.com
OCLC First Search (by Heather Moberly):
- Coverage: 1970 - Present, updated monthly (combined w/ Journal Article Citation Index 1970-Present)
- Search Types: Basic (phrase, keyword, author, title); Advanced (39 field designators, index, phrase, boolean); Expert (plurals, truncation, wildcards, combining search terms, proximity); Previous (set search)
- Limit Capabilities: "Items in my library", OCLC holdings, Advanced (publication year or range. Language, 9 document types)
- Display: No ranking, date or relevancy; Multiple sorting options; expand or refine results; Brief or detailed records
- Results: Save, email and print (2 formats); Brief titles display hyperlinked to full record; All or marked; no relevancy
Special Features: Static lefthand navigation menu; Cross-database search (within account class types); Email choose subject line, can add message - Disadvantages: Phrase search default needs notes; Previous search sets under "Results"; Expert search mode (only) shows instruction for search operation syntax; Sort only 2 - 200 items; "Holdings" (as identified by OCLC) may not be current
- Access: Web accessible
- Contact Info: www.oclc.org
OVID (by Susan Flood):
- Coverage: 1979 - Present, updated monthly
- Search Types: Field designators, combined searches, author/title/keyword/journal title, NAL category codes, searchbuilder options, saved searches; phrase
- Limit Capabilities: Publication year; language; only citations w/abs; latest update; publication type; publishing agency (USDA divisions, state experiment stations & extension agencies)
- Display: Citation content options, sort by author or date, links to library holdings, links to full text (requires add-on OpenLinks for additional cost)
- Results: Email, print and save; Select citations & format
Special Features: Multiple indexes, truncation, cross-database searching, alerts & SDIs, common interface with several other well-known databases; "Hook to Holdings" uses ISSN; Coded subjects, cascaded, w/ notes linked; Duplicate removal (multi-database, based on content - abstracts, etc.) - Disadvantages: Not Z39.50 compliant, no suggested terms; No ranking
- Access: Web accessible with remote authentication; Off-campus via proxy server
- Contact Info: www.ovid.com
WebSPIRS (by Valerie Perry):
- Coverage: 1970 - present, updated quarterly [can also subscribe to Current Contents - updated weekly]
- Search Types: Word anywhere/title/author/subject, most field designators, combined sets from current session, saved searches, search builder, indexes (all types include truncation, proximity, & boolean options)
- Limit Capabilities: Publication (specific or range), language, latest update, publication type, subject category codes, subfiles, country of publication, ISBN/ISSN, CODEN, accession number
- Display: Several display choices including customization option (any fields), links to local library catalog, links to electronic full text subscriptions, several sorting options
- Results: Save, email and print; all or marked records, several format options, may include search history
- Special Features: Common search interface for over thirty well-known databases, cross-database searching, alerts & SDIs, multiple indexes, truncation, Z39.50 compliant, document delivery options available; Sort max 500
- Disadvantages: No de-dupping (scheduled for next release), results must be saved as text and imported into bibliographic software; Abbreviated journal titles; Complex search screen may appear intimidating to novice [though easy to use]
- Access: Web accessible or CD-rom (both can be networked), validation by IP address and proxy server (remote access), no limit on concurrent users
- Contact Info: www.silverplatter.com
Summary comments by Sally Sinn, including notes on: NAL's WWW ("Virtua" - VTLS) interface to ISIS/AGRICOLA system
- Coverage: 1974 -present (currently - with 1970-1973 "in process" of addition)
- Search Types: Limited use of key(W)ord, (A)uthor, (S)ubject term and titles for Search and Browse options. Not as "searchable" as the telnet ISIS interface
- Limit Capabilities: Publication year [including before and after date options]; language
- Display: Titles; Index section searched; full record, MARC record
Results: Email individual records, or "cut and paste" - Special Features: Daily update with newly added records; Much improvement expected with NAL's new ELMS acquisition [expected/hoped for within 1-2 year future]; links to WWW documents are active; Duplicate records no longer being created by NAL; Links to WWW resources; Links to Technical Notes and List of Journals Indexed; Full journal titles; Source of all vendor data for AGRICOLA loads
- Disadvantages: No record marking; Truncations frequently fail; Proximity searches not allowed; No saved searches; No sorts (first in - first out (older records display first)
- Access: Web accessible, telnet (opac.nal.usda.gov) searchable in command line mode
- Contact Info: www.nal.usda.gov/ag98
Sally noted that enormous improvements in AGRICOLA access and services are expected with the new ELMS (Electronic Library Management System) that NAL is expecting to obtain in the not-to-distant future. Open Links Identifiers, and other features expected will add access to external sites products. Download and display options will be greatly enhanced. Interaction with customers and vendors are welcomed by NAL, and it is hoped that all will benefit.
report by Karl Schneider
Original conference site design by Karen Stanley Grigg adapted by Carla Casler
Updated August 21, 2006