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Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship Spring 1997

Electronic Publishing Programs in Science and Technology Part 2: Abstracting and Indexing Services

Elizabeth W. Brown
Library and Information Center
Georgia Institute of Technology

Andrea L. Duda
Davidson Library
University of California, Santa Barbara


In the last issue, we looked at electronic journals being made available over the world wide web. In this issue we survey indexing and abstracting services available over the web. This information is current during the Spring of 1997, but programs change frequently and we encourage you to check with the producers for the latest information.

Publishers covered in this survey are:

American Mathematical Society

Publisher: American Mathematical Society
Examples of Indexes and Abstracts online: MathSciNet, a Web database containing reviews and abstracts of the mathematical research literature from Mathematical Reviews, and the subject indexing of recent and forthcoming mathematical publications found in Current Mathematical Publications.
Coverage: 1940- (bibliographic data 1940- ; review texts available 1980- )
Updates: Updated daily (data from Mathematical Reviews monthly, from Current Mathematical Publications, daily)
Availability of full-text articles? Through links to: AMS journal articles, AMS Bookstore, MathDoc (AMS document delivery service) .
Cost: Data access fee: $4,160 (institutional/corporate member); $1775 for MathSciNet only. AMS institutional and corporate members offered a 20% discount on the Data Access Fee; discount for subscribers to MathSciDisc.
Consortial arrangements available? Yes
Notes: In addition to Boolean searching, has feature called "Author identification" (available 1985-) which identifies authors and possible variations of authors' names as listed in Mathematical Reviews. Searchable list of serials and a "Journal identification" feature. Browsable searching of the Mathematics Subject Classification scheme.

MathSciNet records have hypertext links to the above features and to institution codes and addresses, reviews referenced in the on-screen review, reviews that cite the on-screen review, works by the reviewer, the reviewer, and works by a given author.

URL: http://www.ams.org/mathscinet/

Beilstein Information

Publisher: Beilstein Information
Indexes and Abstracts Online: NetFire, a Web-based application that provides access to titles, abstracts and authors from the organic chemical literature. Announced in Dec. 1996, the product gives access to titles, abstracts and authors of reports published in over 140 of the top journals in organic and medicinal chemistry.

Coverage: 1980-
Availability of full-text articles? Abstracts only.
Cost: Will be offered through an annual subscription. Free for "initial six months" (ie., through June 1997).
Notes: Offers Boolean searching, ability to limit to specific journal or specific time range. Results include Citation Number in Crossfire (CNR).
URL: http://www.beilstein.com/beilst_2.shtml [Note: Link moved; URL changed 7/18/00 by ald]

Cambridge Scientific Abstracts

Publisher: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts
Web publishing program for Indexes and Abstracts: Internet Database Service (IDS). Provides subscribers with World Wide Web access to more than 35 databases published by Cambridge Scientific Abstracts and its publishing partners.

CSA focuses on life sciences but also includes pollution, health, safety, and ecology research, physical sciences and engineering. The disciplines covered are grouped in the following categories (with overlap among the databases): Aquatic Sciences, Medical and Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Computer Sciences and Engineering Specialties, Materials Science and Technology, and Scientific Conference Papers Index.

Examples of Indexes and Abstracts online: Random examples of databases include: METADEX, MEDLINE, Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management, Genetics Abstracts, Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts, Solid State & Superconductivity Abstracts, and Conference Papers Index.

By special arrangement with Elsevier Science Secondary Publishing Division, a selected number of subsets from EMBASE are available through the IDS.

Coverage: Each database has two coverage options available. One includes access to records for the current year plus a backfile extending back five years, while the other includes the complete archive of all records indexed from the inception of the database.
Updates: Contains the "most up-to-date contents of the databases (updated before print versions go to press)"
Availability of full-text articles? No. The Web site provides a list of document delivery suppliers.
Cost: Pricing plans according to range of file coverage and level of access. Trial subscriptions available.
Consortial arrangements available? Yes
Notes: Simultaneous searches of more than one title are possible (from list, click in the boxes corresponding to the databases to be searched). Same search screen for all databases or combinations. Boolean searching.
URL: http://www.csa.com/siteV3/productsandservices.html [Note: Link moved; URL changed 7/18/00 by ald]

Engineering Information, Inc.

Publisher: Engineering Information Inc.
Examples of Indexes and Abstracts online: Ei Compendex(TM), the world's most comprehensive interdisciplinary engineering database, is available by itself as a Web database, or integrated into Engineering Information Village, an Internet-based "virtual village" offering a large variety of services, information, internet sites, etc.

Ei Village includes selections from Ei Compendex and the option of unlimited fixed price access to that entire database. In addition, the Ei Village offers access to over 10,000 classified, annotated and monitored Web sites of technical interest with formal database information, a community of engineers, a technical libr arian, Ei Compendex and its document delivery service.

Coverage of CompendexWeb: 1989-
Updates: Contains the "most up-to-date contents of the databases (updated before print versions go to press)"
Availability of full-text articles? Yes. Ei Village subscribers have access to EiDDS, Engineering Information Document Delivery Service, which is also available independent of Ei Village.
Cost: Price schedules offer the option of Ei Village with CompendexWeb, just CompendexWeb, or just Ei Village. Prices can be according to site licenses based on user population, on concurrent users, etc. 30 day free trial available for Ei Village and Ei Compendex Web.
Consortial arrangements available? Yes
Notes:
URL: http://www.ei.org/
URL (EI Village): http://www.ei.org/eihomepage/village/intro.html [Note: Broken link removed 11/1/99 by ald]

KR Science Base

Publisher: Knight-Ridder
Indexes and abstracts online:
Coverage:
Availability of full-text articles?
Cost:
Notes: Information was requested from the publisher but never received. If Knight-Ridder responds in the future, the information will be provided in the "letters" section.
URL:

OCLC FirstSearch

Publisher: OCLC FirstSearch Service
Web publishing program for Indexes and Abstracts: Web interface to the FirstSearch service, which provides access to over 60 online databases and more than 1.5 million full-text articles. Covers wide variety of subject areas, including a selection of science and technology databases.
Examples of databases: The Scitech databases offered through FirstSearch are: AGRICOLA, AIDS and Cancer Research, Applied Science and Technology Abstracts, BasicBIOSIS, Biology Digest, Biological and Agricultural Index, CINAHL, Environmental Sciences and Pollution Management, General Science Abstracts, GEOBASE, GeoRef, INSPEC, MDX Health Digest, MEDLINE, and Microcomputer Abstracts.
Coverage and Updates: Varies with database.
Availability of full text articles? Some FirstSearch databases have full text option, but as of Mar. 1996, none of the Scitech databases offer full text.
Cost: Libraries should contact OCLC, their OCLC-affiliated Regional Network, or an OCLC distributor for prices and ordering information.

OCLC offers three basic FirstSearch pricing options: subscription (fixed prices for unlimited searching of selected databases), per-search (pay by the search and purchase blocks of 500 searches in advance with three per-search price levels), and a combination of subscription and per-search (subscription pricing for access to one or more databases with per-search pricing access to other databases under the same authorization).

Consortial arrangements available? Yes.
Notes: Searching supports Boolean operators, Wordlists (index browsing), an optional link to PRISM Interlibrary Loan (ILL), Proximity Operators, and Restrictors (limits)
URL: http://www.oclc.org/oclc/menu/fs.htm

Ovid Web Online

Publisher: Ovid Technologies
Examples of Indexes and Abstracts Online: Agricola, Aquatic Science and Fisheries Abstracts, Biosis Previews, CASearch, CAB Abstracts, Cambridge Life Sciences Collection, Current Contents, EI Compendex Plus(TM), Envir onmental Science & Pollution Management Abstracts, INSPEC, NTIS, PATDATA, Wilson Applied Science and Technology Abstracts, Wilson Biological and Agricultural Index, Wilson General Science Index
Coverage: Varies depending on the database. Agricola, Biosis, CASearch, CAB, NTIS, and PATDATA have backfiles to the 1970s. The Wilson databases and Life Sciences database have coverage back to the 1980s. Current Contents covers only the current year.
Availability of full-text articles? The databases provide citations and some abstracts. However, Ovid also provides the capability of linking to full-text articles, primarily in the biomedical area.
Cost: Options are available for either a flat fee or pay-as-you-go access. Databases available for site licensing include Medline, PsycINFO, and the full-text journal collections.
Notes:
URL: http://www.ovid.com/

PINET

Publisher: American Institute of Physics
Indexes and abstracts online: SPIN (Searchable Physics Information Notices), Advance SPIN (General Physics Advance Abstracts and Physical Review Abstracts), PINET Plus (AIP journals available online)
Coverage: SPIN: 1985 to present, PINET Plus: starts in 1997
Availability of full-text articles? AIP journals are available through PINET Plus. You can search or browse through the collection and retrieve citations and abstracts. If you subscribe to the print version of the journal you can read the full text online. Non-subscribers can order copies of articles.
Cost: For institutional subscribers:
User access is controlled by IP address range authentication and number of simultaneous users. Prices, as quoted, are for one-year subscriptions. Institutions who subscribe to any of the AIP Online Journal Service journals should contact AIP Circulation and Fulfillment at subs@aip.org and request free access to PINET Plus in conjunction with the AIP Online Journal Service.

1-user license: $500.00
3-user license: $775.00
5-user license: $1,025.00
7-user license: $1,250.00
10-user license: $1,450.00

Notes: PINET is not limited to databases. Other services include:

Research Library: bibliographic databases tables of contents, abstracts
Online Journals: full-text articles, document delivery
Newsroom: reporting of important events in the physical sciences, with links to the latest information
Resource Center a frequently updated compilation of online tools for the physical scientist.
Communications Center: an online physics Rolodex updated regularly and cross-searchable
Conference Hall: special-interest discussion areas; within each forum you may browse topics, messages, and replies; add topics and messages; and send e-mail directly to forum participants.

URL: http://www.aip.org/pinet/pinetplus.html

SilverPlatter

Publisher: SilverPlatter
Indexes and abstracts online: Many databases available. Examples include: Agricola, Analytical Abstracts, Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts, CAB, Compendex Plus(TM), Computer ASAP, Current Contents, GeoRef, NTIS, Wilson Applied Science and Technology Abstracts.
Coverage: Varies depending on the database. Examples:
Agricola: 1970 to present
Analytical Abstracts: 1980 to present
Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts: 1978 to present
CAB: 1973 to present
Compendex Plus: 1987 to present
Current Contents: 1994 to present
GeoRef: 1785 to present
NTIS: 1983 to present
Wilson Applied Science and Technology Abstracts: 1983 to present
Availability of full-text articles? The databases generally provide citations and some abstracts. Other information varies with the database.
Cost: Cost information was requested from SilverPlatter, but was not received at the time this issue was released. If the information is sent at a later time it will be included as a letter to the editor in a future issue.
Notes:
URL: http://www.silverplatter.com/

STN Easy

Publisher: STN
Examples of indexes and abstracts online: Biosis, CAplus, Chemical Catalogs, Compendex(TM), INSPEC, PROMT (Predicasts Overview of Markets and Technology), Registry File, SciSearch.
Coverage: Varies with the database. Examples:
Biosis: 1969-present
CAplus: 1967-present
Chemical Catalogs: Latest edition
Registry File: 1967-present
Availability of full-text articles? Varies with the database. Most offer bibliographic citations and abstracts. Others provide molecular structures, citations, or full-text information.
Cost: STN Easy charges per search and per answer displayed. There are no sign-up or subscription charges. Prices are shown on the screen before you incur the charge.

Search Fees:
Basic and Advanced: $2.00
Refine: Free

Display Fees:
Costs range from $.25 for MEDLINE to $20 for CHEMLIST. Most databases are $2.50 to $3.00

Notes:
URL: http://stneasy.cas.org/

FEEDBACK

Are you subscribing to abstracts and indexes on the web? What do you think about them? Do they replace the traditional print index or supplement it? Please send e-mail to the editor for possible inclusion in a future issue.


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