Computerized Literature Searching

Book excerpt: The computer terminal is well on its way to being as commonplace as the telephone, and its usefulness to the scholar and scientist is so great that already computer screens and disks are seen frequently in academic offices. The value of computers in research is well established, with vast amounts of data being processed daily by all sizes of computers. Computers also have had dramatic effects on the researcher's literature-searching options: Scientists and scholars can now query enormous databases containing tens of millions of citations to published literature and can extract bibliographies tailored to their specific questions. The power and flexibility afforded the user of information by these literature-searching systems ease the burden of library work, but in order to use the systems effectively, it is necessary to understand both their capabilities and their limitations. Mr. Gilreath describes the principles underlying online bibliographic systems, the databases available, and the factors a researcher must consider in using them. He explores in some depth the relationship of the structure and terminology of publications in various fields to the literature-searching process and provides detailed guidelines for research in the life, health, agricultural, and social sciences, chemistry, physics, mathematics, geology, meteorology, engineering, education, psychology, business, law, current affairs, and the humanities. A glossary of literature-searching terms is included.