Full Text Databases

This book incorporates an overview of the current status of full text databases with explanations of past research pertinent to full text and offers information regarding the future of full text. The major online systems that offer full text are described, with five systems highlighted - DIALOG, Mead Data Central’s LEXIS and NEXIS, Westlaw, STN International, and BRS. The book features an extensive bibliography that includes articles specifically about full text databases, as well as citations to research studies that use methodology particularly appropriate to full text research. The first two chapters of the book describe in detail the major online systems that currently offer full text. Chapter three provides an overview of the search and display features on the major online systems that are particularly suited to full text searching. Chapters four, five, six and seven focus on full text searching. Chapter four introduces and provides an overview of the types of full text research that have been done. The next three chapters describe in detail the methodology and findings of some full text research projects undertaken by the authors. Chapters eight and nine bring together the practical aspects of the research described in the preceding chapters and offer advice for searchers, database producers and online developers. The information is of immediate use for searching today’s full text database, but also offers ideas for improvement in the near future. The final chapter focuses on the future of full text research. The book can also be used as a supplemental text in courses in advanced online searching and information storage and retrieval.