eBLAST

[jennifer_reiswig at ucsdlibrary.ucsd.edu]

>http://www.eBLAST.com/
     
> This one comes from Encyclopedia Britannica and seems useful, 
> although it's far from comprehensive.  Presumably it will continue 
> to grow.
     
> As seems to be the trend nowadays, they don't just pick one thing
> and do it well

In my opinion it would be better if they DID just pick one thing and
do it well.  Every trial search I've put in to eBLAST has been a
disappointment.  Their rating system is particularly baffling.  For
example, do a search on carpal tunnel.  Out of the FOUR 
resulting sites (giggle), The American Academy of Family Physicians' 
site is rated two stars LOWER than a store selling "health and 
nutrition products" such as herbal phen-fen.  The ONLY items at that
store relating to carpal tunnel syndrome are a book and two laminated
reference charts selling for between $10 and $17 each.  The last result
item is completely off topic, on tunneling electron microscopy.
eBLAST does not link to Brittanica's own chapter on carpal tunnel
syndrome, nor to any of the dozens of other reputable FREE sites
on this.  This is typical of the results I've experienced with this
search tool.  Perhaps there are some disciplines better covered than
others - but even the historical and social science topics I tried
did not fare much better.


Hoping it gets better...

-- 
Jenny Reiswig
Biomedical Library
University of California, San Diego
jreiswig at ucsd.edu