libraryresearcher
New member
Posts: 2
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« on: December 07, 2010, 12:15:20 PM » |
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Hello,
On interface design and user friendliness and experience, based on your experience and the experience of your students and / or faculty, can you compare the interfaces of the following. Ebsco, Gale, Wilson and ProQuest. The comparison should be based on again, interface design and ease of use. Content, indexing, and other important factors are in a separate study, this is aimed at only interface functionality, design, the bells and whistles on each. Please help by providing any comments you might have. Your opinion is greatly appreciated.
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collegekidsmom
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« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2010, 02:00:23 PM » |
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I am very annoyed at one of these at the moment so will refrain from venting.
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promovenda
Just thrilled to be a
Senior member
Posts: 943
Lost in the library
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« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2010, 01:42:01 PM » |
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I'm interested in any comments - our school is using EBSCO but I'm not familiar with the others.
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"You're a wonderful bartender, Promovenda. The hamster bestows one of his special nibbles on your ear."
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alisoncurtis
New member
Posts: 1
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« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2010, 01:58:24 PM » |
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Ebsco is the most user-friendly, most configurable, best-of-breed. One example: at the reference desk, I can work with a student on a search and then email that (live) search to them, along with any saved articles, so they can continue the work we've already started. I don't even have to show the student how to find the database again (!). EZproxy prefixes are included in links so they work for remote access. Proquest hasn't changed much over the past 5 yrs so they have less user-end functionality and also the text is incredibly small; however they are supposed to be rolling out a new platform in 2011. Gale has far too many different platforms - we're a small library and we have 4 of them (there are more out there): Infotrac is ok, the ancient Gale Literary Databases platform is truly terrible - doesn't even support openURL linking and search functions are unreliable; GVRL platform is ok but can be slow to load, also the Bookmarks don't always work. Wilson's platform is much better than it used to be but we don't use their databases as much because we have the indexes, not full text.
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collegekidsmom
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« Reply #4 on: December 09, 2010, 12:08:55 AM » |
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What is the purpose of your research, or do you work for one of the companies (or maybe for a competitor)? Are you trying to choose a new vendor for certain products, or switch databases vendors? Can you give more details?
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peppergal
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« Reply #5 on: December 09, 2010, 02:02:32 AM » |
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ProQuest's interface drives me up the wall. I have very little experience with the others mentioned.
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collegekidsmom
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« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2010, 10:20:43 AM » |
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Peppergal, what database(s) are you using on the ProQuest platform? PsycINFO by any chance?
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peppergal
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« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2010, 03:01:20 PM » |
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Peppergal, what database(s) are you using on the ProQuest platform? PsycINFO by any chance?
No, it was the dissertation database. I thought it would be easier to go through ProQuest to look up one little thing that I knew was in someone else's dissertation (I just needed an exact quote -- I had the page number and everything already). By the time I actually managed to find the dissertation online, I could have driven the half hour to campus, spent 20 minutes looking for parking, gone to the library, called up the dissertation out of the reserves, xeroxed the relevant page, and driven home. Twice. |
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drjdallas
Dr. J
New member
Posts: 2
plastic surgeon
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« Reply #8 on: November 02, 2011, 11:32:53 AM » |
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ProQuest's interface drives me up the wall. I have very little experience with the others mentioned.
It's heavily involved in much of our research and I can promise you that once you get used to it, it's quite a solid program. |
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tinyzombie
She of the Ass-Kicking Socks, and a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 7,446
elevate from this point on - chuck d
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« Reply #9 on: November 02, 2011, 06:42:43 PM » |
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What is the purpose of your research, or do you work for one of the companies (or maybe for a competitor)? Are you trying to choose a new vendor for certain products, or switch databases vendors? Can you give more details?
I call shenanigans on the OP. The lone other post reads like someone else wrote it. I hate ProQuest, too. It doesn't interface well with my email. |
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Correct, as usual, TZ. That's because you are not Dude. TZ, however, is Dude. TZ is my favorite. I wish YOU began with A. |
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helpful
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« Reply #10 on: November 02, 2011, 07:06:37 PM » |
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ProQuest's interface drives me up the wall. I have very little experience with the others mentioned.
It's heavily involved in much of our research and I can promise you that once you get used to it, it's quite a solid program. If it frustrates a first time user, then it isn't very useful. |
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tuxedo_cat
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« Reply #11 on: November 02, 2011, 07:41:10 PM » |
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Um, this appears to be a zombie thread resurrected by a spamming plastic surgeon. Who already seems to have been zapped by the mods.
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The only protection from zombies is a good friend who runs slightly more slowly than you do.
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tinyzombie
She of the Ass-Kicking Socks, and a
Distinguished Senior Member
Posts: 7,446
elevate from this point on - chuck d
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« Reply #12 on: November 02, 2011, 07:49:34 PM » |
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Um, this appears to be a zombie thread resurrected by a spamming plastic surgeon. Who already seems to have been zapped by the mods.
Oh, crap, you're right. Zombiefail. |
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Correct, as usual, TZ. That's because you are not Dude. TZ, however, is Dude. TZ is my favorite. I wish YOU began with A. |
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