The ERIC Database: Choosing Among Free and Fee-Based Options

The ERIC database is available in many free Internet versions, mainly from ERIC clearinghouses. Paying for access to ERIC through a commercial vendor is a decision that needs to be justified by all libraries with finite budgets. This case study attempts to determine the relative merits of the featur...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:College & undergraduate libraries 2000-12, Vol.7 (2), p.95-103
Main Authors: Jatkevicius, James, Sebold, Cheryl
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Libraries
Case Studies
Commercial services
Comparative Analysis
Comparison with
Data base systems
Education
education databases
Educational planning
Educational research
Educational resources information center
ERIC
ERIC clearinghouses
Free services
Higher Education
Idaho State University
Information sources
Internet
Library Material Selection
Online databases
Search Strategies
United States
Vendors
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:The ERIC database is available in many free Internet versions, mainly from ERIC clearinghouses. Paying for access to ERIC through a commercial vendor is a decision that needs to be justified by all libraries with finite budgets. This case study attempts to determine the relative merits of the features and functionality of the various free versions of the ERIC database in comparison with one commercial version. Conclusions are shared about decisions reached at one academic library. The conclusion centers on whether libraries can forgo a commercial version of the ERIC database.
ISSN:1069-1316
1545-2530
DOI:10.1300/J106v07n02_09