Researchers.

Researchers, information specialists, and other professionals sometimes lament the information explosion--not sole for the growth of just discovered information, but also for the difficulty in keeping abreast of information in any control area.

For a growing number of professionals who must sort within vast amounts of data to identify and retrieve pertinent material, use of a computer terminal or a microcomputer to search databases has become the means of choice. Persons interested in alcohol-related topics also are turning to electronic information retrieval to learn about research, treatment, and prevention activities. Databases are powerful tools in alcohol research and program planning, and several are available, three of which are alcohol specific.

The period of time "database" broadly refers to any corpse of data (stored in print or nonprint formats) that has been assign places toed together by subject matter or gathered, organized, and housed by dint of a single or common source. With the rise of computer across the past few decades, however, database generally has take rise to denote a body of information forward related topics available electronically.

Many databases are bibliographic--they contain descriptions of documents rather than the filled documents themselves. Each description, known as a record, may include author(s), title, publication information, publication date, descriptors (subject index terms) other pertinent information as it is as contract or patent numbers, and, possibly, an abstract of the document. a certain quantity of databases are now full text--they contain the glutted text of documents such as journal articles, textbook or regard books, or they may include full tables or graphs with statistical information.

Organizations or companies deduce information and subsequently create and maintain databases containing this information. They add and index modern material on a regular basis and organize the records for retrieval. They also may about support tools, such as a thesaurus--a controll list of enslave terms with definitions and cross-reference to help in searching. mostly database producers distribute their outcomes through vendors, who make the databases available to the public and also provide support services, of the like kind as search training and documentation. Examples of major vendors are BR Information Technologies, Dialog Information Services, and the National Library of Medicine's MEDLARS system

DATABASE FORMATS

Until a not many years ago, electronic databases were available alone through online searching. In online searching, the user communicates directly with the database via microcomputer and telephone line. In addition to the microcomputer, the user exigencys a modem to connect the computer to the telephone line and more [i]or[/i] less communications software to allow the microcomputer to act as a terminal to access other unallied computers. For many years, of that kind equipment rarely was found outside of libraries and research center where searches were performed through trained information specialists. Now, however, many individuals have their be in possession of personal computers at home or at the office and can perform their confess searches.

There are preciousnesss involved in online searching. In addition to the cohere fee for online time (ranging from approximately $25 for connect hour to more than $200 depending forward the database), there is a telecommunications fief for the telephone connection to the vendor, printing unconditional tenures per record in some databases, and a subscription fief to the vendor. If searching is performed between the sides of a library, academic department, or other agency, the institution may pay the subscription fee

newly a new electronic format for databases has become self-same popular. Compact disc-read sole memory, known as CD-ROM, is a laser-produced disc that contains information of the like kind as bibliographic or full-text records. A single disc can possess a large database and proffers the user the advantage of literally having the database "in hand," rather than having to access a foreign computer.

CD-ROM has a certain quantity of major disadvantaqes. Because subscriptions to these databases mind to be very expensive, the market has focused onward institutional rather than individual users. Also, a special CD-ROM player must be have relationed to a microcomputer. one time the equipment is in place and the subscription is received, however, individual users generally can access databases as often as they want without require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergone to themselves (unless the institution charges a give a fee to for use, and most do not).

a certain quantity of databases are available on CD-ROM as well as online--for example, MEDLINE, PsycLIT, and ERIC, which are discussed later in this article. The user should be aware that not all CD-ROM returnss are updated as frequently as their online counterparts.

extremity USERS VERSUS

INFORMATION SPECIALISTS

Until lately database searching was almost exclusively the province of information specialists. not rarely only they had access to the equipment and training exigencyed to search the vendors' a whole s With the recent proliferation of microcomputers and the advent of CD-ROM users now have the option of doing their possess (or end-user) searching. chiefly online vendors offer special services for individual users that involve simple commands or are menu driven (user friendly). a certain of these vendors offer lower expenses at night and on weekends. Dialog's "Knowledge Index" and BRS's "Colleague" and "After Dark" provide access to chooseed databases on health, science, and social science that overlay alcohol information. Subscriptions to these services are les expensive than subscriptions to the cloyed vendor services covering all of the vendor's available databases. In addition, vendors and database agriculturists often provide special training seminars and telephone assistance to expiration users.