The%20Secrets%20of%20Full-text%20Databases:%20The%20Overlap%20Between%20a%20Same%20Vendor's%20Subject%20Database%20and%20General%20Database,%20and%20the%20Differences%20between%20Different%20Vendors%20in%20Embargo%20%20Xiaotian%20Chen%20([e-mail])%20Bradley%20University%20Library,%20Peoria,

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The Secrets of Full-text Databases The Overlap
Between a Same Vendor's Subject Database and
General Database, and the Differences between
DifferentVendors in Embargo Xiaotian Chen
(chen_at_bradley.edu) Bradley University Library,
Peoria, ILPresentation at Brick and Click
LibrariesMaryville, MO. 10/18/2002
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Data comparisons show that full-text titles in a
subject database are considerably (sometimes
nearly 100) overlapped with those on the general
database of the same vendors, and that there are
huge differences between vendors in handling
full-text embargo. Librarians should be well
aware of these "secrets" to make informed
decisions in both licensing databases and helping
users.
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Databases of 3 vendors were analyzed for the
overlap issueEBSCO, Gale, and H.W. Wilson.
Wilson has highest overlap percentage nearly
100 Gale and EBSCO have the average around 50,
ranging from about 25 to about 80, depending on
databases.
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Wilsons subject databases and general databases
(through FirstSearch) almost 100 overlap, as of
7/02.When compared with Wilson Select Plus or
Omnifile Full Text
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Applied Science and Technology Full Text Only
3 out of the 135 (2.2) full-text titles are
unique. The 3 titles areApplied Microwave
Wireless (1075-0207), Food Engineering
(0193-323X), Journal of Coastal Research
(0749-0208)
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Wilson Art Full TextOnly 5 out of 114 (or
4.3) full-text titles are unique Art
Antiques (0195-8208), Arte Veneta (0329-5234),
Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental
Research (0003-097X), Visible Language
(0022-2224), Werk, Bauen Wohnen (0005-6529).
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The same is true with other Wilson subject
databases, such asWilson Business Full
TextEducation Full TextGeneral Science Full
TextHumanities Full TextSocial Science Full
Textetc.
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GaleHealth and Wellness Information compared
with Expanded Academic ASAP (as of 7/02) HWI has
246 unique titles out of 516 (or 47.7 unique).
But those unique titles are mostly health
newsletters that may not fit the theme of
Expanded Academic ASAP, while key journals and
magazines tend to be overlapped, e.g, JAMA is on
both.
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EBSCOWhen compared with Academic Search Elite
(as of 8/02),Health Source Nursing/Academic Ed
has 120 unique titles out of 576 (or
20.8).Business Source has 845 unique titles out
of 1092 (or 77.4). Business unique titles
include key business journals such as Harvard
Business Review.
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Overlap conclusionLicensing one big general FT,
such as Wilson Select Plus, should be more cost
effective than paying for multi subject FT
databases separately from the same vendor. Why
paying for Art Full Text and Education Full Text
separately if you can afford Wilson Select Plus?
If you have them all via one interface, say
FirstSearch, all your Wilson subscriptions are
FT.If you already have general ones, it may not
be worth it to pay for subject ones from the same
vendor.Of course, there are exceptions, e.g.
EBSCOs Business Source.
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Next, the embargo issue.FT embargo means the
delay of availability of FT articles.We can see
the amazing differences in handling embargo by
different vendors.5 vendors were compared
EBSCO, Gale, LexisNexis, ProQuest, and Wilson.
All have more or less embargoes, as of 8/02.
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Difference 1. Publicize embargoNone wants to
publicize the info, but if you try hard, you can
find outEBSCO on both database site (for
users) and company site title lists (for
librarians)Gale on company site, not on
database site LexisNexis on database site, not
on company siteProQuest on company site, not
on database siteWilson neither.
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Difference 2 Percentage of embargoed
titlesAccording to the data provided by vendors
themselves, from around 5 average of one vendor
(Gale) to around 30 average of another (EBSCO).
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EBSCO (as of 8/02)
Database FT total Embargo of Embg
Academic Search E. 1717 600 34.9
Biz Source 1091 206 18.9
Hlth Src Nursing 576 248 43.1
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Gale (as of 8/02)
database FT total Embargo of embg
Biz Comp Ctr 2462 140 5.7
Expanded Academic 1907 98 5.1
InfoTrak OneFile 4407 217 4.9
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LexisNexis not countableProQuest not
countableWilson not available.
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NoteThe real percentage of embargoed titles
are actually higher than what we just saw,
because the total FT titles include ceased titles
that are no longer updated.
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Difference 3 the same periodical is not
embargoed everywhere.The vendors/aggregators
tell us the embargo is imposed by
publishers---something out of their control. But
we found journals with 12-month embargo in one
place could have current issue FT in another
place.
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Child Development, Journal of Interdisciplinary
History,Journal of Pacific History,TDR (The
Drama Review). As of 8/02, the above 4 journals
have 12-month embargo with EBSCO, but have
current issue FT with Gale.
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Similarly, Renaissance Quarterly has 3-year
embargo on Gale, but has current FT on ProQuests
Periodical Abstracts.Journal of
Interdisciplinary History does not have Summer 02
FT on EBSCO, but does have FT on Wilson. If the
embargo is imposed by publisher, why it is not
imposed everywhere?
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Difference 4 Have citations or not before FT
available?First of all, if the embargo period
is 6 months or shorter, all vendors do not add
citations or bibliographic information.The
difference mainly lies in embargo longer than 6
months, typically 12 months, or longer.
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EBSCO Has citationsGale Has
citationsLexisNexis does not applyProQuest
does not have citationsWilson does not have
citations.
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Citation before FT examples as of 9/02.Gale has
the citation. E.g., Renaissance Quarterly has
citations before FT available.Periodical
Abstracts does not have citation. E.g., Journal
of Sport Social Issues the most recent
available was 5/01.EBSCO and Wilson comparison.
Journal of Urban Affairs is on both. On 9/11/02,
the same search could retrieve 7/02 issue as the
most recent on EBSCO without FT, but could only
retrieve 4/02 issue with FT as the most recent on
Wilson.
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Embargo conclusionsEmbargoed percentage
differs greatly, with EBSCO probably has the
highest. The fact that same titles embargoed on
one place have FT on another probably reveals the
secret that embargo may not be simply imposed by
publishers--it could be related to the price the
vendor and library are willing to pay.When there
is embargo, some vendors load citations before
FT, others let us believe that embargoed issues
do not exist.
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Other little secret found through vendor
comparison.The overlap between same kind of
databases, say general databases by different
vendors, is very little. EBSCOs Academic Search
Elite, Gales Expanded Academic ASAP, ProQuests
Periodical Abstracts, and Wilsons Wilson Select
Plus do not overlap much. Possible reason more
and more exclusive deals between aggregators and
publishers.Price for the libraries and users
no more one-stop shop.
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Where can we find the secrets?Vendors Web
sites, such ashttp//www.epnet.com/http//www.ga
le.com/http//www2.oclc.org/oclc/fs/fstitle/http
//www.hwwilson.com/http//www.umi.com/Download
the FT lists in MS Excel (if no Excel file
available, download the Text or CSV file, and
convert them into Excel). With some basic Excel
tricks, you can manipulate the data and get the
analysis you want.
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Questions and comments?

• Thank You.