[WEB4LIB] Ejournals and subjects

[Tim Bucknall BUCKNALL]

We have a homegrown link resolver and knowledge base at the University of 
North Carolina at Greensboro. In it, we created subject divisions that 
correspond to the academic departments on our campus. We also added a few 
subjects for which UNCG does not offer degrees - Medicine, Engineering, 
General, Trade Publications - because there were so many journals in those 
areas.

This method of organizing is obviously great for accreditation purposes 
because it makes it so easy to see which journals we have for each 
department. On the other hand, having such broad subject areas means that 
some of the lists have grown to the point that they are somewhat unwieldy. 
We could make the lists shorter by creating more specific subject headings 
or sub-headings within each department, but my experience at the Reference 
Desk and some usability testing of Journal Finder lead me to believe that 
would be a mistake. Here's why-

It is extremely rare that patrons really want a list of journals relating 
to a particular topic. When patrons want journal literature on a certain 
subject, at least 90% of the time they really ought to be looking in 
article indexes, not in a subject listing of journal titles. For example, 
a patron wanting journal literature on "cancer treatment" should be 
looking in Medline, not in a list of journal titles that list that as a 
subject heading.

When you make a prominent "subject" link in your list of journal titles 
and when you make those subjects fairly specific and searchable, then my 
usage data and usabilty testing shows that it hurts more folks than it 
helps. In other words, you get LOTS of folks innappropriately searching 
your journal title subjects for "cancer treatment" or "Maya Angelou" or 
"IBM and product innovation" some other article topic and, of course, 
getting no results.

So, in Journal Finder we relegate the subject listing to the "Advanced 
Search" page. Few people use it, but few people are misled by what it 
does.

You can take a look by clicking on the "Advanced Search" link from
http://journalfinder.uncg.edu/uncg




Larry Campbell <larry.campbell at ubc.ca> 
Sent by: web4lib at webjunction.org
11/29/2004 05:26 PM
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[WEB4LIB] Ejournals and subjects







Hi all.

I'm interested in the subject-, topic-, or discipline-based 
categorization of ejournal titles, and hoping to get some information 
about practices at different libraries. I'd appreciate any details re:
- do you provide such subject access for ejournal titles at all?
- if so, what is the basis for determining the subject categories:
   -- LC or Dewey classification?
   -- LC, Me or other Subject Headings?
   -- Academic disciplines (how defined?)?
   -- Other (what?)?

Thanks for any help at all -- reply to me personally, and I'd be happy 
to summarize for the list if anyone is interested.

Larry Campbell
Librarian, Information Technology Services
UBC Library
Email: larry.campbell at ubc.ca
Telephone: (604) 822-2076






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