ERIC as Navigator: Comments from an ERIC Consumer.
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| Title: | ERIC as Navigator: Comments from an ERIC Consumer. |
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| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Levin, Bernard H. |
| Peer Reviewed: | N |
| Page Count: | 12 |
| Publication Date: | 1999 |
| Document Type: | Opinion Papers Reports - Descriptive Speeches/Meeting Papers |
| Descriptors: | Access to Information, Community Colleges, Educational Resources, Information Retrieval, Online Searching, Program Evaluation, Search Strategies, Two Year Colleges, User Needs (Information), World Wide Web |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates the online services provided by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges, from the perspective of a psychology professor at Blue Ridge Community College in North Carolina. The author praises the ERIC site for its helpful links and virtual library, and also discusses ERIC's potential for a variety of users. He focuses on one of ERIC's primary strengths: its search engine/database. ERIC's search engine offers information on community college curriculum, institutional research, and policy research. In an evaluation of the ERIC system, the author finds its strengths to be: (1) immense size; (2) speed; (3) broad scope; (4) search results ordered by relevance; (5) clarity of search criteria; and (6) common-sense database search functions. Suggested modifications to the ERIC web site include: (1) eliminating the search confirmation screen; (2) modifying the structure of the search engine with increased user choice; (3) providing a way to filter items based on publication date; (4) improving currency; (5) providing for electronic submissions; (6) availability of full-text online retrieval; (7) developing a link to find articles similar to one's topic; (8) adding logical searching across fields; and (9) adding capacity to view multiple records at a time. ERIC is compared favorably with other search sites regarding content and accessibility, despite the fact that it does not yet offer online full-text retrieval. (AS) |
| Entry Date: | 1999 |
| Accession Number: | ED428792 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | This paper evaluates the online services provided by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges, from the perspective of a psychology professor at Blue Ridge Community College in North Carolina. The author praises the ERIC site for its helpful links and virtual library, and also discusses ERIC's potential for a variety of users. He focuses on one of ERIC's primary strengths: its search engine/database. ERIC's search engine offers information on community college curriculum, institutional research, and policy research. In an evaluation of the ERIC system, the author finds its strengths to be: (1) immense size; (2) speed; (3) broad scope; (4) search results ordered by relevance; (5) clarity of search criteria; and (6) common-sense database search functions. Suggested modifications to the ERIC web site include: (1) eliminating the search confirmation screen; (2) modifying the structure of the search engine with increased user choice; (3) providing a way to filter items based on publication date; (4) improving currency; (5) providing for electronic submissions; (6) availability of full-text online retrieval; (7) developing a link to find articles similar to one's topic; (8) adding logical searching across fields; and (9) adding capacity to view multiple records at a time. ERIC is compared favorably with other search sites regarding content and accessibility, despite the fact that it does not yet offer online full-text retrieval. (AS) |
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