At the moment, it is probably a good initial starting point, as there are reports of it not producing the number or quality of results that are found using the more traditional databases. It would also be frustrating when you keep selecting resources that your institution doesn't hold a subscription to.
There are still a lot of academics and students that write very poor search queries, which is something this won't address. It's amazing how many people don't find stuff that is held in our own Library and request it via interlibrary loan.
"It would also be frustrating when you keep selecting resources that your institution doesn't hold a subscription to."
Believe me, dj, at Adelaide Uni you get that problem no matter what database you use :)
Yes, true. This is why there is a big drive to create more databases that indicate which items are held or subscribed to. On the other hand, in some fields, free-access is becoming more and more common, which will be interesting to watch.
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Wed Nov 24 02:15:16 2004
This is brilliant...so much quicker and easier than logging into Biological Abstracts or Current Contents.