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Below
find questions you should ask yourself relative to Database development
and use. You also may apply these questions
for Web development and use as well.
SCOUG
(the Southern California Online User Group) came up with ten headings
or criteria by which databases should be judged;
- Consistency
- This
is interpreted to mean the extent to which records within
a database follow the rules with regard to field assignments,
field tags and other data elements, as well as indexing and
editorial decisions.
- Coverage/Scope
- How
well does the database cover its subject area(s)? Is it the
"authoritative" file in its discipline?
- Are
periodicals indexed cover to cover? If not, is the producer's
policy on inclusions and exclusions clearly stated?
- Are
there any serious gaps (including short- or long-term gaps
caused by technical problems) or misinterpretations? Are temporary
problems or changes in file content flagged in a log-on banner?
- Timeliness
- How
often is the file updated?
- How
current is the material included in each update?
- Does
one type of publication have priority over others? If so,
is this documented?
- Are
time-sensitive sources available in near-real-time?
- Does
the load cycle vary from system to system (host to host or
medium to medium), so that one version of a database is consistently
more or less timely than another?
- Accuracy/Error
rate
- What
data sources are used? How current and complete are they?
- Is
there a prevalence of typographical errors, incomplete records
or other dirty data? What percentage of errors occur in critical
fields (e.g. company name, numeric)? What is the error rate
per update?
- What
percentage of records are received by the database producer
on tape as opposed to being keyed or scanned in?
- What
quality control procedures does the producer employ?
- Are
faulty records identified and/or removed and corrected?
- Are
corrections in the source material or print equivalent incorporated
in the database? If so, how promptly?
- Is
there a mechanism for users to tag faulty records and bring
them to the attention of the database producer?
- Are
searchers compensated for unusable information?
- Accessibility/Ease
of use
- This
category covers both access to online services and, at the
database level, access to the information itself.
- Does
the system require special software or dedicated hardware?
- Can
the user sign up online, or must written contracts be negotiated
first?
- Is
the database accessible through gateways as well as directly?
- Does
the system support full and variable proximity searching?
Are there limits on word adjacency?
- Is
there a mechanism for searching literals and stop words as
parts of phrases?
- Are
there built-in equivalencies and on/off automatic pluralization?
- Can
terms be plucked from an online thesaurus and used in a search
without re-keying?
- Can
a search strategy be saved and reused in another database?
- Is
there a multilingual thesaurus with an automatic synonym option?
- Within
the database itself, how deeply and flexibly are the records
indexed? What kind of subject indexing, if any, is used?
- Which
data elements are searchable? If some are display-only, is
this clearly documented?
- In
full-text records does a "KWIC" display blow back
to the current page rather than to the beginning of the record?
[blow back is their phrase - I leave you to guess!]
- Is
there a "locate" feature that will display the occurrence
of any term - not just search terms - in an existing answer
set?
- In
there a well-maintained online thesaurus?
- Integration
- Does
the overall database structure resemble that of other files
of the same type that are likely to be searched with it?
- Do
field and output format tags match those used in comparable
databases on the same system?
- Can
multiple files be searched together?
- Does
the system support duplicate detection and removal?
- Are
there system-wide journal lists and other cross-database search
aids?
- Have
links been forged between bibliographic and full-text records
in the same database and in different ones?
- Can
one link from textual records to related information in external,
perhaps multimedia sources?
- Can
one search for a journal or other source by name, without
knowing or specifying the database that carries it?
- Output
- Can
the user define custom formats? Can pages or portions of a
document be printed selectively?
- Can
search results be batch-printed and sent by mail, electronic
mail, diskette or fax?
- Can
print commands be bundled or stacked?
- Can
search output be downloaded into spreadsheets or database
management programs?
- Is
downloading possible with the correct formatting (e.g. for
tables)?
- Is
there an auto-logoff option that will disconnect from the
system at the end of a print or download session?
- Does
the system support data compression? Error checking?
- What
is the highest baud rate that the system supports?
- Are
record aesthetically acceptable, e.g. not all in upper case?
- Are
tables and graphic material included, or just referenced?
If included, how are they formatted and presented? If not,
are captions included?
- Documentation
- Is
both print and online documentation timely, accurate and readable?
Is it available free or at nominal cost?
- Is
a print thesaurus available?
- Are
there regular mailings of newsletters, search aids and other
support material? Is this information practical and useful?
- Is
documentation locally-resident (as opposed to online), e.g.
on disk? If so, is this well designed and easily searchable?
- Is
online help available? Is it context-sensitive?
- Do
log-on banners and other online pointers alert the user to
database limits and useful features, as well as to temporary
problems?
- At
the source level, does database documentation outline editorial
policies with regard to coverage dates, currency, inclusions
and exclusions? [My addition: Are these shown online at logon
or printed on the disc itself?]
- Customer
support and training
- Is
there a toll-free number for customer service?
- Is
live, knowledgeable customer support available whenever the
system itself is up?
- Can
customer support be reached via electronic mail, and is it
responsive in this fashion?
- What
kind of training is available, both basic and advanced? Does
training cover applications as well as mechanics?
- Is
training free or reasonably priced? Do training sessions include
free post-session practice time?
- To
what degree is training available outside the main urban centers?
- Is
customer support available in countries other than that in
which the system or database producer is located?
- Are
there computer-based or video tutorials, or other forms of
self-paced instruction?
- Is
there a low-cost or after-hours practice file?
- Does
the producer or online service support user advisory panels,
sponsor formal update sessions or encourage local and national
user groups?
- Is
free time offered on a file being used for the first time?
Is there a "free file of the month" policy?
- Are
changes made to database without warning/documentation for
users?
- Value-to-cost
ratio
- Do
general system characteristics like speed and performance,
pricing structures and display options support efficient,
cost-effective searching? Examples: must one wait for a screen
to fill? Can documents be scrolled continuously?
- Is
there at least one free or inexpensive default format? For
documents, does this format include title and publication
year? In hybrid files, does it include a full-text indicator?
- Is
a KWIC display supported?
- Are
display and print charges for various formats consistent with
other databases on the system? How well do these costs reflect
the value of the data elements presented? How are user-defined
formats priced relative to fixed formats that contain the
same information?
- Does
it cost about the same to print off-line as it does to print
online (assuming the connect charges associated with the latter
will about equal the "per hit" cost differential
between an online and a more expensive off-line print)?
- Can
search results be sorted or relevance ranked?
- Does
the break key work while the system is processing a search,
as well as during document display? Is there a charge for
items included in the display command that have not yet been
displayed? Is there a charge for partially displayed items?
- Are
multiple hit charges imposed every time the same item is displayed
in a search session, or do costs "top out" at a
one-time charge for the fullest format in which the item was
displayed?
- Is
there a surcharge for access at higher baud rates, or global
(multi-file) searching?
-
Is cost accounting available at any point during a search
session, as well as at log-off?
- Are
there upfront subscription fees, monthly maintenance costs
or minimum usage charges?
In
addition to these general measures, SCOUG came up with some criteria
specific to the type of database.
Bibliographic
files should offer the following:
-
Minimum
required fields: author, affiliation, title, source, country
of origin, publication date, abstract, unique numbers (registry,
contract, etc.), indexing
-
Same
file structure for similar databases, with standardized tags
for document numbers, chemical compounds and formulae, etc.
Full-text
databases have these special needs:
-
Comprehensive
coverage at the source level, i.e.., Cover-to-cover indexing
of all issues. Exceptions, gaps and cessation's should be documented
Directory
databases come in many forms - company, product, association, biographical,
etc. Questions of content and access are especially crucial here,
because a directory file is used like a reference book. If a listing
is missing, inaccessible or flawed, there's often nowhere else to
look for it.
-
For
product directories, include price, product description and/or
evaluation, purchasing contact. Use a standardized parts nomenclature,
e.g. SIC code, patent number, company stock number
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