ANALYZING GeoBase: A COMPARISON WITH GENERAL AND SUBJECT DATABASES

Many bibliographic indexes are available for geoscience research, including general indexes such as Academic Search and InfoTrac; science databases, such as Web of Science and Scopus; and subject specific databases, such as GeoRef and Biological Abstracts. As library budgets are reduced by inflation and other cuts, libraries are increasingly looking at all possible savings, including reducing database subscriptions.

GeoBase, a primary database for geography which is also useful for research in the geosciences, was compared with a number of subject databases, including GeoRef, Biological Abstracts, Zoological Abstracts, Science Citation Index, PAIS, Sociological Abstracts, International Political Science Abstracts, America History & Life, Historical Abstracts, general indexes (Academic Search and InfoTrac), and others. A comparison of these databases reveals that each index contains unique content and search capabilities. Examining the coverage of these databases to identify the number and nature of unique and duplicate titles and assessing the needs of the local user population allows librarians and their users to make informed decisions regarding possible database cancellations. With the results of these analyses, librarians will be able to hold informed discussions with their users regarding potential database cancellations and direct them to other potential sources of information.