It is important to have an initial assessment of the product
to see it it meets the basic criteria. In essence these are the factors that
will allow a title onto the desiderata list and those that will exclude it.
This generally comes down on three things: a. cost, b. content, c. capability.
The following questions will serve as a guide in choosing a database:
- Has the dataset been requested by the large number
of users?
- Will it be heavily used by a large number body of
readers from all sectors within the institution?
- Will it provide access to information which is not
readily available in other formats?
- Will it provide a set of tools or features which is
not readily and enhance the use of material?
- Will it offer the possibility of a potential cost
or space saving through the cancellation offprint subscription?
- Does it have, or is it likely to have, any
competitors?
- Is it essential to maintaining the research profile
or competitiveness of a department/faculty/company?
- It is based in a subject area that has been
relatively underrepresented by previous dataset purchase?
- Does it complement existing digital services?
- Has it received promise of funding?
- Is it a one-off purchase (ex. it does not add to
recurrent cost?)
- Is a consortium deal possible or it regarded as
good value for money?
After the title has been selected it is important to
request a trial subscription or evaluation copy. The evaluation should draw the
on a pool of experts and these would ideally represent:
·
Subject specialist
·
technical experts
·
readers or readers services
·
interface experts
·
Administrative personnel (to consider such
things as the implications of the budget, the proposed license, etc.)
The following list of questions provides a fairly
comprehensive guide of the types of issues an evaluation might cover. This
would also be of use once a dataset has been purchased, at the renewal stage of
the life cycle. The collation of work by other institutions drawing on Oxford University’
Evaluating a (www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dc/eval/htm) dataset and Harvard’s Stewards’
checklist of questions (http:// hul.harvard.edu/cmtes/ulc/coers/checklist.htm).
Evaluation Checklist:
Initial Details
·
Full title of the dataset
·
Publisher
·
Details of corresponding print publication (if
applicable)
·
Pricing details
__ payment model
__standalone cot
__network cost
__ recurrent or one-off payment
__ additional fees to third parties or under national taxes
__(if available) average inflation for product over past few years
·
Type of product (e.g.) CD-ROM plus platform,
internet access, tape, etc.)
·
Machine specifications used for evaluation include details such as internet connection
if applicable)
·
Date and time of evaluations
·
Brief description content
Setting up or accessing the
dataset
Local Products
·
Is the dataset easy to install
·
Is it easy to network?
·
Was all the software needed supplied with the
installation CD-ROM?
·
Were the instructions clear?
·
Does it appear to conflict with other functions
of the computer/server?
·
Can the database be uninstalled easily?
Remote access
·
Did you manage to access the site easily?
·
Was the URL intuitive?
·
Can you bookmark the site or section of it?
·
Does the service use any of the following;
frames, cookies, Java or JavaScript?
·
What browsers will it run under, and what
version is needed?
Both local and remote
·
Does the dataset require any plug-in?
·
Does it create an otherwise excessive burden on
the client
·
Accessing the opening screen: on average, is
this instantaneous, or does it take few seconds
·
Accessing the search screen: on average, is this
instantaneous or does it take few seconds?
·
Have you ever experienced a message saying “too
many connections/Users?”
·
Is yes, approximately how often does this occur?
Coverage
·
Is there
a clear and easily accessible list of the complete contents of the dataset? If
this is a growing resource. Or one with updates, how accurate is the list?
·
Are there errors noticeable in the text, broken
links, or anything else’s which would indicate a lapse in quality control?
·
Would you say that the dataset contains
everything that is in the print version? What is the relationship between the
electronic product and the print holdings of the institutions?
·
Have you seen any other publications to compare
to this in content?
What are they and how they compare?
·
How often is the product updated?
Interface
and Searching
·
Is there a main menu or some kind of main list
that outlines all the functions clearly?
·
Is the interface generally easy to use?
·
Is the navigation intuitive
·
Does it conform to accepted standards for
disabled access?
·
Was it obvious how to browse or start a search?
·
Can you:
__ save searches?
__combine search words?
__modify searches?
__narrow/widen searches?
__use proximity searching?
__use Boolean operators?
__truncate search terms and/or use wildcards?
__limit by year/publication/type/language/other?
__check the indices and pick entries to search for?
__use any command line searches? Is it made clear how to structure these,
or how to use special codes
·
Can you search the dataset via third-party
software (ex. reference manager tool?)
·
Do you get a hint if your search achieved no
results?
·
Can you see history of searches?
·
Can you save the search set for future use?
·
Can users set up or configure personalized
accounts?
·
Can the dataset be cross-searched with others?
·
Sending a simple search and receiving the
results (e.g. looking for a term in a single dataset) on average, is this instantaneous,
or does it take few seconds?
Display/save/print
·
Do
results display automatically?
·
If not, is it intuitive how to access them?
·
Is there a choice of formats for display?
·
Can you mark useful results?
·
How many records can you mark/save/export at
once?
·
Are the steps for saving/exporting/printing easy
to understand?
·
Can you save to a floppy disk/hard disk/either?
·
Can you e-mail results?
·
In what format are records saved (ASCII, HTML,
other)?
·
Can the results be exported to third-party
software?
Exiting
·
Is it easy to exit/logoff?
·
Are you prompted to save or lose your
searches/results?
·
Is there a timeout system for idle session?
Administration
·
Is it possible for the administrator to change
some settings of the database to suit the users’ needs?
·
What authentication system is employed (ex.
Username/Password, simultaneous access, domain name, etc)?
·
Is there a choice of authentication systems on
offer?
·
Can you add information to the dataset, such as
local holdings? Is it easy to interface the dataset with other electronic
products?
Documentation and support
·
Is any documentation provided?
·
Is it sufficient, covering both installation and
use?
·
Are there costumer support and technical support
facilities?
·
Are these available by telephone/fax/email/the
web?
·
If there is a website does it include
information about system status?(ex. Is the system fully operational? Are
connections being refused?, etc.)
·
Is there any training available? Is this free of
charge?
·
If there is an online help system how useful is
it?
·
How easy is it to access the online help
mid-session?
·
How closely does it mirror the paper
documentation?
General points
·
Is this product available on a different
platform or through a different aggregator? If so, has this been evaluated?
·
Is this publication useful? In other words,
could you predict a high demand for it (using existing requests for the
product, use/importance of the print publication if applicable, ILL request and so on)?
·
Would you say this dataset presented good value
for money?
·
Do you think it will be of use to people in the
institution other than the proposer?
·
Did you detect any errors or problems either
with the actual data or with the search software?
·
On average would you envisage using the dataset:
__lees than once a week?
__1-3 times per week?
__once a day?
__more than once a day?
References:
Ask.com.(2013).
What are proprietary database.
Retrieved on December 05,
2013,
from
http://www.ask.com/question/definition-of-proprietary-database
Lee, S.D. (2002). Building
an electronic resource collection: a practical guide. Great Britain: MPG Book Ltd.
