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Online Database Searching:
Research in the Fast Lane

March 13, 2001:

"Online"TermUsage

Commercial Online Databases
Typically fee-based and frequently require online subscription. Full-text databases of newspapers, TV news broadcasts, magazines, journals; controlled vocabulary used to some extent; search protocols vary; may offer dial-up-modem-access or Web access. Examples include Nexis.com; Dow Jones Information Service, Dialog, Bloomberg's Financial Service
Online Library Public Access Catalogs
Usually free; access to public and academic online catalogs, indexes and abstracts to journals; some full text E-journals; controlled vocabulary and key word searching
Web-based Products
Examples include B2B portals, newspaper "gateways, and commercial online databases. Includes full-text, graphics, images, statistics; usually fee based but portions of some of these products may be offered free. Requires subscription or registration
Intranets
In-house databases limited to organization's staff; password controlled access; "invisible" to public; content developed by librarians and archivists in collaboration with IT staff for their clients/journalists. Examples can be found at http://www.ibiblio.org/slanews/intranets/
Electronic Mailing Lists
Experts in a specialized area share knowledge; usually free and open to all people interested in subscribing; some lists may be closed requiring permission from list administrator to subscribe and to post. One example of the "open" list is NewsLib. An example of a "closed" list is Profnet

Demonstrations

  • Nexis.com Sample Search Queries
    • Tisza River: key words include "Hungary" "Romania" "pollution" "hazardous waste" "fish kills" "environmental damage"
    • Mad Cow Disease: key words include: "BSE" "Hungary" "livestock vaccination"
    • Ko Ko Kovacs: key words include "welterweight boxing" "Hungary" "champion"
    • Reuters Hungarian Wire Service: key words include "Reuters" "wire service" "Hungarian"
    • Computer crimes: key words include "cybercrime" " hackers or hacking" "Kevin Mitnick" "lawsuits or case law"
    • Peter Tufo: key words include "U.S. Ambassador or U.S. Embassy" "Hungary" "Budapest"
    • Mercy Killing: key words include "nurse" "Budapest" "elderly" "Kervorkian"
    • MTV Journalists: key words include "journalists" "Hungary" "strike or protest or complaints" "Szeged" "Karoly Nemeth"
  • Bloomberg Financial Data demonstration
  • Online Library Catalogs:
  • Search Engine Comparisons
[Note: March 12, 2001 Northern Light Technology announced the re-launch of the Hungarian national search engine, Vizsla. The Web search engine had previously operated under the name of Alta Vizsla and was powered by search software from Alta Vista. Following a lengthy investigation and analysis, MATAVnet selected Northern Light to provide the Web crawling, indexing and search software. MorphLogic, also of Budapest, a specialist in linguistics programs, worked closely with Northern Light to provide the Hungarian language analysis software. The re-launched service provides access to a larger database - currently over two million pages, faster response time, more frequent updating and more precise searching. This engagement represents the first time Northern Light has developed a non-English language version of its search software.]
Copyright 2003 - The Park Library - School of Journalism and Mass Communication - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill