UNIT 15 INTERNET INFORMATION RESOURCES Structure l~.O Objectives - . 15.1. Introduction 15.2 Internet Information Resources 15.2.1 Definition 15.2.2 Nature of e-Resources 15.2.3 Publishers of e-Resources 15.2.4 Subscription of e-Resources 15.3 Types of Internet Resources 15.3.1 General Information Resources 15.3.2 Specific Information Resources 15.4 Searching the Internet: Where. to Start 15.5 How to Keep Up-to-Date with New Internet Resources 15.6 Summary ]5.7 Answers to Self Check Exercises 15.8 Keywords 15.9 . References and Further Reading 15.0 OBJECTIVES After reading this Unit; you will be able to: • understand the definition and nature of''fnternet resources; .• know who toe publishers of e-resources are and what subscription and access options' are available; ~ . • know various Internet resources in the area of Science and Technology. and Medicine; Socia1 Sciences; and Humanities; .• discover how to find information on the Net; • find out how to critically analyse information resources; • navigate the Internet resources successfully; and • - discover how t() keep up-to-date with new websites I resources. 15.1 INTRODUCTION You have studied in detail, in Block 4, Units 13 and 14 of this"course, the vastness of the . '. information resources available and the several applications and users of the World Wide Web (yVWW). Utilising the web technologies that are becoming available the world over, various organisations are developing and maintaining web sites providing access to the information generated/collected by them in the form of online databases, online publications, and also providing other information services and products. 437 I Internet Resources This Unit will give details of the various information resources accessible on Internet and and Services how to tap the right information resource in any d sired rediscipline or topic of interest. 15.2 INTERNET INFORMATION RESOURCES 15.2.1 Definition Internet information resources can be defined as resources that include both documents and non-documents in electronic or e-format that provide information or a pointer to the information and can be accessed via Internet. 15.2.2 Nature of e-Resources These electronic resources could he of varied nature. Broadly, we could categorise them as follows: • Primary Sources of Information: These include electronic conferences, elec c journals, electronic pre-prints and e-prints, electronic theses and dissertations, patents, standards. technical reports, project reports including status reports of current ongoing projects. news. software courseware, tutorials, manuals and the like. • Databases, Data sets and other Collections: These include abstracting and indexing databases; digital col1ections comprising images. audio, video; scientific data sets comprising numeric, properties, structural databases; library catalogues; virtual libraries; museums and archives. etc. • Electronic Books: Such as NetLibrary (http://www.netiibrary.coml); Ebrary (http:/ /www.ebrary.com/), etc. Generally online book selling and print-on demand features also facilitated. For instance NetLibrary has entered into print-on-demand marketplace. Similarly Amazon.com (termed as the largest library - though not a library in true sense of the word) facilitates online book selling (http:// www.amazon.coml) • Reference Sources: such as dictionaries; encyclopaedias; biographies; handbooks: thesauri and the like. • Organisations and People: Information about organisations and people ranging from funding agencies to libraries; information centres; research institutes; and experts; directories of people of varied nature (scientists; archaeologists, etc.) • Meta Resources: Resources that facilitate easier access to network based resources in a defined subject area and a plethora of such resources under various names available on the Internet, such as subject gateways; virtual libraries; clearing house; pathfinders and the like. 15.2.3 Publishers of e-Resources There is a mixed bunch of players in the market who publish electronic or e-information resources. These include traditional players offering electronic versions of their' resources as well as several new enterprises offering new products and services that are 'born digital'. Besides, there are others also, such as subscription agents in their new role in the e-environment as electronic aggregators; institutions of higher learning and the like. We may broadly classify the Internet information resources publishers in the following categories: • Traditional Commercial Publishers: Such as Elsevier Sciences' Science Direct (http://www.sciemcedirect.coml); Spring Verlag (via their Link information services 438 http://link.springer.de) • Scholarly SocietieslBodies: Several such agencies are making electronic versions Internet Information of their publications available online through their websites. For instance, Indian Resources National Science Academy (lNSA) scholarly publications are available online for free and unlimited access at http://www.insa.ac.in or via http://www.insaindia.org. Similarly, Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore journals can be accessed at www.ias.ac.in. Scholarly societies such as IEEEIIEE; ACM, etc., all are making e- versions of their publications available online. • Institutions of Higher Learning: Several academic and research institutions host their specialised collections like courseware, theses and dissertations; and also offer subject gateways and portals, etc. • Electronic Aggregators: These agencies facilitate intermediary services of aggregating electronic journals and other resources from different publishers and offer them to their clients through a single search system. Examples of aggregators are: JSTOR; 9t1C; Lexis-Nexis and the like. .. • Others: Among the others. are non-commercial publishers, individuals, etc. Many individuals, groups and non-commercial publishers compile resources dedicated to providing access to e-resources (generally offered free) on the Internet. Examples of such meta resources include: Librarians' Index to the Internet (http.z/lii.org/); Vlib:The Virtual Library (http://www.vlib.org/); Internet Public Library (http:// www.ipl.org/jand others. 15.2.4 Subscription of e-Resources For production of a journal a significant investment on the part of publishers is involved irrespective M the format (print or electronic). Since publishers are adding value to the whole process of publication, somebody has to pay for it. So, journals are made available through the web at varying price models. Some of the common ones are as follows: • Electronic subscription bundled with print subscription: In such cases electronic subscription to journals is linked with their print versions. This means, e-version may be either offered free with their print counterparts; or a fixed token percentage may be charged on and above the print subscription charges or some other similar model. • Electronic subscription with campus licenses: wherein unlimited access to subscribed journals is facilitated campus-wide. • Electronic only: In such situations publishers offer electronic versions only with a token discount. • Pay-per-look: Identification of e-articles and paying for such articles in full text on a pay-per-look basis. This could be considered somewhat similar to print versions where articles of interest are identified and requested on payment basis via a document delivery system. • Consortium Licensing: With the popularity of consortium mode of subscription, publishers have started working out best pricing models suitable for different types of consortia, whether at regional, local or national level. Self Check Exercise I) What do you understand by Intef!1et information resources? Discuss the nature of electronic resources. 2) Who are publishers of e-resources on the Internet? Discuss giving suitable examples wherever possible. 439 Internet Resources 3) Explain various ways of subscription of e-resources with special reference to journal and Services subscription. Note: i) Write your answers in the space given below. ii)Check your answers with the answers given at the end of the Unit 15.3 TYPES OF INTERNET RESOURCES The vast resources available on Internet have been broadly categorised type-wise for better understanding of them. However, since various services and resources provide for various facilities that are common, overlap of resources under various types is inevitable. It may be mentioned that only selected resources are given as examples for reference purposes, as it is neither feasible nor possible to include a complete list of them. The resources have been subjected to broad categorisation in order to make it comprehendible. The resources can be grouped under two broad categories as follows: i) General, and ii)Specific 15.3.1 General Information Resource In the changing electronic environment, libraries, which are the main facilitators of the scholarly communication, are caught in between the producers and the end-users. Though .the researchers and information seekers usually tap the Internet resources from their desktops, yet many seek librarians' I information scientists' help for research information in the networked digital information environment. Users demand on librarians for more specific and relevant information is increasing in spite of librarian's and computer professionals' efforts for continuous improving the ease of access to information. To meet such increasing demands, library professionals have to keep on devising new strategies, methods and techniques