Every summer, the Library's Electronic Resources and Services Committee (ERSC) examines the available data and statistics on use of all of the electronic resources the Library purchases and licenses to support research at Brown. This information and feedback help the ERSC to determine if any of them require a change in status of if we need to acquire a new database to support a specific research need. Based on ERSC's evaluations, the following databases were added:
Web of Science, 1988 - present. Despite its title, this database is comprised of the contents of three well-known citation databases: the Arts and Humanities Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index, and the Science Citation Index. The print versions of these databases have always been popular because they are the only indexes designed to track citations activity. For example, through the Web of Science (WOS) you may look up any specific author and then see whether other writers have cited a particular work of his. WOS is available in the Library and through the modem pool or the proxy server. The Library was able to purchase WOS due to the assistance of Provost Blumstein and acting Dean of Medicine Donald Marsh.
Dissertation Abstracts, 1861-present. This database covers PhD dissertations accepted at accredited institutions in the United States and Canada, as well as some master's theses and foreign language dissertations. Requested many times by graduate students and faculty, this source will particularly benefit people working on their theses by helping them determine if anyone has written on their subject or related topics.
Wilson Business Abstracts, 1986-present. Coverage includes international, English-language business, financial, and accounting magazines. Users with assignments in a variety of courses, such as economics or political science, will find this to be helpful.
Index to Legal Periodicals and Books, 1981-present. Articles and reviews are drawn from journals, yearbooks, bar association publications, law reviews, and government publications originating in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. This database makes a useful partner to Lexis/Nexis Academic Universe.
Literature Online (LION). Three new full-text databases were added to this product recently: Editions and Adaptations of Shakespeare, the Cambridge Biographical Encyclopedia, and the Cambridge Encyclopedia. Two of the other LION databases, English Drama and English Poetry, have expanded their years of coverage.
Internet Grateful Med, 1966 - present. A web-based search interface produced by the National Library of Medicine for databases such as MEDLINE, AIDSLINE, AIDSDRUGS, AIDSTRIALS, BIOETHICSLINE , ChemID, DIRLINE, HealthSTAR, HISTLINE, HSRPROJ, OLDMEDLINE (1964-1965), POPLINE, SDILINE, SPACELINE, and TOXLINE.
PubMED, 1966-present. A National Library of Medicine, web-based search interface to MEDLINE, including PREMEDLINE, a file of items too new to be indexed in MEDLINE. Unique features include connections from a citation to a pre-packaged list of related articles, and a matching feature which allows the user to plug-in minimal data to identify a complete entry. Links from citations to genetic and molecular modeling data are also available.
In addition to the above, some databases have moved to the web from a CD format. These are now accessible from the Library Web page on and off campus. Titles include Ethnic NewsWatch and the ATLA Religion Index. By the spring semester, America: History and Life and Historical Abstracts should also be available through the Library Web.
If you have questions about databases available to the Brown community, contact Anne_Nolan@brown.edu. For questions related to searching a database, please call the Reference Librarian listed on the information page on the Library Web for that database.
Anne C. Nolan