[WEB4LIB] Silver Platter, EBSCO, ProQuest front ends

[Mike Poulin]

Hi Stacy,
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For the 3 databases you mention -- for us =97 the critical issue is how =
the Thesaurus Searching works because if you do not use the Thesaurus =97 =
we don't get good results.
=20
SilverPlatter has had one of the better (though at times non-intuitive and =
clunky) interfaces which allows for performing very high powered searches. =
 Ebsco's implementation of thesaurus searching has been impossible to use. =
 While I have not seen a ProQuest database with a thesaurus lately =97  my =
rememberance was that it also did not work well.
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Ebsco is about to come out with a new release (mid-July) which appears to =
have many features which improve the thesaurus searching (if they make it =
into the final cut) =97 this based on a "booth  demo" at ALA.=20
=20
 If you can wait until the new release to assess =97 I think they might =
well be worth a serious look. =20
=20
>From what I saw in the Beta version =97 their displays of citations/abstrac=
ts/ links to full text/ etc -- will probably be the best in the industry =
when the new release comes out (personal opinion).  The linking to =
full-text both within EbscoHost and to external resources (Jstor, =
ScienceDirect,  etc.) is supposed to be improved with the next release.
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Proquest =97 I think you would want to get a trial and assess yourself.  I =
personally find the ProQuest interface significantly less pleasant than =
Ebsco's and generally get poorer results with my ProQuest searches.
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That all said in general -  for thesaurus based databases these are the =
things I look for --
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=97 Searching the thesaurus needs to be simple and intuitive=20
=97 One should be directed to a record which have
         =97 scope notes
         =97 narrower,  broader, and related terms
         =97  the ability to explode the search (the current term and all =
the narrower terms)
        =97   the ability to create sets or create complex searches and =
make changes (edits) and combine in a variety of ways.
        =97 if it is a MESH record - you should be able to select from the =
limits which vary from term to term (eg.  aspirin -  adverse affects)
=97 When one clicks on a thesaurus term in a bibliographic record - the =
search should take you back to the thesaurus so you might read the scope =
notes, explode the term, select related terms.=20
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You need to make your own assessment on what features you need, what level =
of power searching you find necessary.  Ask for a trials and run sample =
searches against  all the candidates.  Use that to try and figure out =
which works best at your site.
=20
Mike
=20
=20
--=20
/************************************************************/
Michael Poulin
Librarian for the Sciences and Electronic Resources
Noreen Reale Falcone Library
Le Moyne College
1429 Salt Springs Road
Syracuse, NY 13214
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phone: 315-445-4332
fax:  315-445-4642
email:  poulinmw at mail.lemoyne.edu
/************************************************************/
=20


>>> Stacy Pober <stacy.pober at manhattan.edu> 06/28/02 11:02AM >>>
We currently get Medline, PsycInfo, ERIC, and some other databases through
Silver Platter.  I'm trying to evaluate whether we would be better off=20
getting some or all of these through another one of the vendors, such =
as=20
EBSCOhost or ProQuest (we already get general databases both of these =
vendors.)=20

For those of you who have made this switch, or have just used all three=20
front ends to get at some of the non-full-text databases such as =
Medline,=20
what have you found to be the reaction of your users to making the switch?

I find the ProQuest interface to be the most user-friendly of the three, =
but
EBSCOhost is not all that far behind. Are there some major differences =
you've
seen or significant user preferences on the part of your students and =
faculty?

The students will most likely use whatever front-end we provide, but =
the=20
faculty may be less flexible about this.  The advantage of being able to =
find
full-text directly when searching Medline or PsycInfo in one of the other
sources should make the switch easier for them to adjust to.  (Or =
that's=20
what I hope, anyway.)

Stacy Pober
Information Alchemist
Manhattan College Library
http://www.manhattan.edu/library/=20
stacy.pober at manhattan.edu=20



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