CDL Database Transitions
a. Digital Dissertation Links in Ovid MLA
Links directly to titles in Digital Dissertations have been activated in Ovid’s version of the MLA International Bibliography. When users find a citation to a dissertation in the results of an MLA search, they will now link directly to the record for the dissertation title, including citation and abstract and/or 24-page preview, if available in Digital Dissertations. In addition to the 24-page preview, users will also get the complete text for UC dissertations from 1997 to present.
For example, a search conducted by MLA Resource Liaison Rob Melton (UCSD), “Foucault.mp and Novel.sh and dissertation abstract.sh” yields 13 dissertations. (The Ovid codes translated mean search for Foucault as multipurpose keyword and novel as a subject heading and dissertation abstract as a subject heading.)
When users click the UC-eLinks icon, a UC-eLinks window appears with the text “Abstract or full text available from Digital Dissertations”. By clicking here, users will go directly to the citation for the dissertation in question in Digital Dissertations, and if available, the first 24 pages of the dissertation; or if a UC dissertation from 1997 on, a PDF version of the full dissertation will be available.
To return to the MLA search results, close all screens from within Digital Dissertations. From the orange UC-eLinks page, click on “close this window.” From the Ovid page, click on the blue box “Return to Ovid Session.”
While links to Digital Dissertations are not available from all vendors who include dissertations in their sources, the CDL continues to work with vendors to make links directly to the title possible. For example, the CDL is working with Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) to make Digital Dissertation links activated in PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts and other CSA databases. This requires development work on the part of CSA to provide the Dissertation Abstracts number in the OpenURL. To enable links from RLIN and WCAT requires substantial development on the part of CDL since the DA number is not included in the bibliographic records, so will not be occurring in the very near future.
b. Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) – Version 6.0
Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA) has a new version of its Internet
Database Service, Version 6.0. (We are currently using Version 5.2.)
A decision was made to implement the change to CSA 6.0 on October 16, after
consulting with the CSA Resource Liaisons. One campus, UCSD, is not making the change to version 6.0 at this time.
The new version has these features and functionality:
–No limit to the number of viewable records
–No limit to the number of records available to Save/Print/Email
–New Advanced Search functionality
–Easy-to-set Limits
–View Marked Records option
–Fulltext links on each citation in the results list
For a summary of changes featured in Version 6.0, see
http://www.csa.com/csa/v6web5.pdf
Version 6.0 is best displayed with Netscape 6.0 or Microsoft Internet
Explorer 5.0 and above with JavaScript enabled. While it will work with
Netscape Communicator 4.7, some of the design changes will not appear
correctly in this version of the web browser.
Version 6.0 will be running in parallel with the current Version 5.2
through the end of the year.
An enhanced functionality of the new version is that for chapters in books
in PsycINFO, UC-eLinks will now be able to link to the title of the book
which contains the chapter, rather than looking for the chapter title
either as a book title or as an article in a journal.
c. Tightened Threshold Implemented for UC-eLinks Requests
CDL staff has been working with campus Patron Initiated Request Operations Managers (PIROPS) over the last few months to refine the records that are sent from citations in the A&I journal article databases to Request via UC-eLinks. As a result, we have now implemented a tightened threshold for data elements in requests that enter our system through UC-eLinks. The criteria now include the following:
Books must have: title or ISBN, year
Articles must have: article title, ISSN or journal title, volume number or issue number or page number, date
Book paper must have: article title or page number, ISBN or book title or journal title, date
If the above criteria are not met OR there is electronic full-text for the item, the Request button on the UC-eLinks screen is directed to a page listing the campus ILL services, and the user is encouraged to enter the data into a blank web form. In addition, if the electronic full text is available for the item, users will have the option of entering data in the blank web form in case they do want the print copy for some reason.
Please note that, at the recommendation of SOPAG the volume and issue number were not included as requirements. SOPAG felt that making the threshold too tight would be very confusing and frustrating for patrons.
We are very hopeful that the changed threshold will significantly reduce the number of seriously incomplete citations that get processed by Request and sent to campus interlibrary services. Please continue to notify us if you do receive incomplete requests.