Authentication data was utilized to explore undergraduate usage of subscription electronic databases. These usage patterns were linked to the information literacy curriculum of the library. The data showed that out of the 26,208 enrolled undergraduate students, 42% of them accessed a scholarly database at least once in the course of the entire…

This study examined the ways that students describe how they look for information for a research project. Sternberg's Triarchic Theory of Intelligence was used to theoretically choose the statements that were sorted by the participants to determine the perceptions of the information-seeking process. Using Q methodology as the research strategy,…

In early 2010, library staff at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) in Ohio designed and conducted a usability study of key parts of the library web site, focusing on the web pages generated by the library's electronic resources management system (ERM) that list and describe the library's databases. The goal was to discover how users find and…

This study examines potential correlates of business research database access through academic libraries serving top business programs in the United States. Results indicate that greater access to research databases is related to enrollment in graduate business programs, but not to overall enrollment or status as a public or private institution.…

This paper provides a theoretical critique of the deficiencies of full-text searching in academic library databases. Because full-text searching relies on matching words in a search query with words in online resources, it is an inefficient method of finding information in a database. This matching fails to retrieve synonyms, and it also retrieves…

This paper evaluates five polling resource: iPOLL, Polling the Nations, Gallup Brain, Public Opinion Poll Question Database, and Polls and Surveys. Content was evaluated on disclosure standards from major polling organizations, scope on a model for public opinion polls, and presentation on a flow chart discussing search limitations and usability.

Citation attributes were found to be strongly associated with the omission of citations from the cited article lists in 603 "SCIE" records from six chemistry journals. By requiring well-documented citations and by making it easier to identify where one citation ends and the next one begins, journals can help minimize the number of omitted…

This study compared Social Work Abstracts and Social Services Abstracts databases in terms of indexing, journal coverage, and searches. The authors interviewed editors, analyzed journal coverage, and compared searches. It was determined that the databases complement one another more than compete. The authors conclude with some considerations.

The National Assembly Library is leading the development of an integrated Electronic Theses and Dissertations system in Korea. A survey was conducted to identify the current management of electronic theses at twenty-six university libraries. Standardized metadata sets, PDF, and a hybrid system model are recommended.

Scholars in many academic areas, including librarians, devote a significant amount of thought to critical thinking. Surveying views of its use and possibility, the author considers some key librarians' thoughts on critical thinking. In conclusion, the inability to define critical thinking means that librarians need to emphasize control of…

The author identified 433 core journals in psychology and investigated their full text availability in popular databases. While 62 percent of the studied journals were available in at least one database, access from individual databases ranged from 1.4 percent to 38.1 percent of the titles. The full text of influential psychology journals is not…

Business faculty were surveyed as to their use of free Web resources and subscription databases for their own and their students' research. A much higher percentage of respondents either require or encourage Web use by their students than require or encourage database use, though most also advise use of multiple sources.

This study examines international student information needs and whether education level, age, and gender affect their information use. An e-mail survey revealed that international students need information that supports their academic courses, and those with higher education levels use databases, remote access to library offerings, and e-journals…

Discusses metadata, digital resources, cross-disciplinary activity, and standards. Highlights include Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML); Extensible Markup Language (XML); Dublin Core; Resource Description Framework (RDF); Text Encoding Initiative (TEI); Encoded Archival Description (EAD); art and cultural-heritage metadata initiatives;…

Examines use of online access to bibliographic files in library reference service, focusing on two systems: OCLC and Research Libraries Information Network (RLIN). The development and current status of each system, differences between systems, search examples, user expectations, and advantages of online access are noted. Twenty references are…