Issues in Science and Technology Librarianship | Summer 1999 |
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DOI:10.5062/F4028PHT |
URLs in this document have been updated. Links enclosed in {curly brackets} have been changed. If a replacement link was located, the new URL was added and the link is active; if a new site could not be identified, the broken link was removed. |
IEL was first released in 1996 as a standalone, CD-ROM system requiring a significant amount of space for CD cartridge storage and monthly updates to the index and CD-ROM cartridges. All that is needed for the online version is a computer with Internet connection, a web browser for searching the database, and Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print full-page images. Access to both bibliographic searching and full-text in IEL Online requires a signed license agreement.
All journal and conference proceeding titles copyrighted by IEEE and IEE are covered in IEL Online. Technical standards include superseded standards but not draft standards. Coverage begins in January 1988 for all three document types. Proceedings for pre-1988 conferences are included in the database if they were published after 1988.
A full listing of titles in IEL Online is at { http://www.ieee.org/products/onlinepubs/.}
Choosing Advanced Search allows users to enter their own search query, limit search terms to fields, and customize features such as collections to search, sorting order, and publication year. There are no on-screen instructions for entering a search string. Instead, searchers must select View Operators or View Field Names which each bring up a browser window with a list of options. It would be helpful if these lists offered some examples of how to combine operators and field names or links to explanations of operators and field names. Help screens are available for advanced searching, search operators, and field names, but they are a bit labyrinthine for the novice searcher.
Searching in IEL Online takes a bit of practice to get used to but is overall user-friendly. Response time is quick. Subject terms are amply assigned to articles. Locating journal or conference titles by keyword in the Search mode is an effective way of finding pertinent publications and subject terms and correct entries for conference titles. The Help screens in IEL Online are for the most part very easy to follow, with the exception of those mentioned above. The index of help topics is very thorough, although difficult to read because of the small and somewhat broken font. The Help browser window should be maximized to see the full contents.
In addition, academic institutions get a discount. In the March 1999 issue of Access IEL ({ http://www.ieee.org/products/onlinepubs/}) this discount is printed as 10% for subscriptions received before August 31, 1999. IEEE might not offer any academic discount after this date. Institutions should contact an {IHS sales representative} for specific pricing. Only institutions, not individuals, may purchase IEL Online. Like so many other full-text electronic databases, interlibrary loan of IEL Online articles is not permitted.
Currently IEEE does not allow institutions to purchase the collections individually. IEEE representative Johnathan Dahl announced at the ASEE Annual Conferece (http://www.asee.org/) in June that, beginning in January 2000, IEEE will make available separate periodicals, proceedings, and standards packages. Customers will be able to buy 1998-2000 only. A potential pricing model would be 30% over the print price for the packages and a 5% discount for subscription orders received by December 15, 1999.
Could consortial agreements possibly bring down the cost on? Several agreements are currently being considered, but none has closed yet.
Libraries are caught between patrons wanting to have full-text, online access to research publications and publishers giving vague or even no statements about how they will provide archival access to electronic products. Do we cancel the print in favor of online to save money and avoid duplication? Making this decision is risky business, especially when publishers couple price quotes with statements to the effect of "for this year only." What may seem like a reasonable price and agreement this year could change drastically by next year. Publishers are proceeding very carefully with the online business, not wanting to lose any of their profit margin. It is important for libraries, however, not to get taken for a ride.
There are several steps IEEE could take to improve the value of IEL Online. They shoud collaborate with database vendors to allow linking to IEEE/IEE full text from bibliographic databases such as Inspec or Science Citation Index. There are currently no such projects in the works. Interlibrary loan is vital to research and library budgets. IEEE should be an industry leader and allow institutions to share documents from IEL Online as it does with its print publications. In addition, there are many search and save features missing from IEL Online that are standard in most other article databases. Adding marking, search history saving, and marked lists e-mailing features would enhance the functionality of IEL Online.
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