Internet Resources: November 2018 Edition

Selected reviews of digital reference resources from the November issue of Choice.

Posted on November 1, 2018 in Internet Resources

Computers & Applied Sciences Complete. EBSCO, 2018. Contact publisher for pricing.
ebsco.com/products/research-databases/computers-applied-sciences-complete

[Visited Aug’2018] “As a technology and technology-related database, EBSCO’s Computers & Applied Sciences Complete (CASC) serves a variety of disciplines, including the humanities and the sciences, and allows users to explore the intersections of technology, its use, and its applications through an interdisciplinary approach” wrote Lizah Ismail for ccAdvisor. Overall, CASC serves the research interests of undergraduates and professionals.

CASC covers subject areas in computer science and many other applied science disciplines, including telecommunications, business, education, science, law, engineering, and philosophy. As an aggregate database, CASC indexes more than 1,770 academic journals, more than 340 trade publications, more than 260 magazines, and more than 760 books, plus a small number of industry reports and conference proceedings. Coverage extends from 1958 to the present. According to its website, CASC to date provides access to more than 650 active full-text titles, nearly 520 of which are from peer-reviewed journals. Current full-text access to the core publication of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) is available. As a technology and technology-related database, CASC serves a variety of disciplines, including the humanities and the sciences, and allows users to explore the intersections of technology, its use, and its applications through an interdisciplinary approach. A welcome feature in CASC is PlumX Metrics, which is incorporated in all EBSCO databases. This tool measures the metrics of “usage” (such as “type of views”—full-text views versus number of abstract views) and “captures” (exports) of a journal article or source. It also draws from resources such as Scopus for retrieving “cited by” information from a journal article or source found in CASC. Arguably, one disadvantage CASC has as a research resource could be its lack of content from dissertations/theses, government documents, and working papers, which its competitors such as ProQuest’s Technology Collection do provide. “Interestingly,” Ismail wrote, ”where other research databases increasingly include media sources such as podcasts and videos, CASC does not.” Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty. —J. Stoehr, CHOICE

EMIS University. Emis, 2018. Contact publisher for pricing.
emis.com/university

[Visited Aug’18] “Formerly known as ISI Emerging Markets, EMIS University is a comprehensive database of reports, statistics, and media focusing on companies and industries in over 125 developing countries,” wrote Christopher W. Nolan for ccAdvisor. Macroeconomic trends and country risk reports are also included in this large collection of EMIS analyses and external sources. EMIS University targets academic libraries and departments, while EMIS Professional contains additional material for those researching mergers and acquisitions activities. The site is especially valuable for researching industries outside of North America and western Europe. The content is extensive. It includes over 500,000 research reports added yearly, 2.3 million private and public company profiles, over 50,000 new stories published every day, and nearly 10,000 proprietary reports. The news section contains articles from nearly 100 countries, written in 15 languages; the Editor’s Choice category links to those articles considered most newsworthy by EMIS staff. Regionally, there are over 5,500 publications each from Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia, over 4,000 for emerging Asia, and 800 for Africa and the Middle East. Reports and data from a variety of highly respected publishers are included: Dun & Bradstreet, Oxford Economics, Business Monitor International, Standard & Poor’s MarketLine, and The Economist are just some of the external sources. EMIS also provides its own Insight reports. “Analytical reports are consistently well written and well researched,” Nolan wrote. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty. —J. Stoehr, CHOICE

Mintel Reports. Mintel Group Ltd., 2018. Contact publisher for pricing.
mintel.com

[Visited Aug’18] “Mintel Reports specializes in market intelligence and the analysis of consumer and market demographics and trends,” wrote Jennifer A. DeVito for ccAdvisor. The reports contain market overviews, insights, and statistics. The Interactive Databook is a welcome new feature. It allows users to customize data from reports and easily present it in a visually appealing way. Mintel Group Ltd. is a market research company specializing in analysis, consumer demographics, and trends. Mintel Reports provides online, full-text reports on consumer and market research for the US, Canada, the UK, and international regions. With more than 100 analysts working globally, Mintel produces hundreds of reports each year analyzing point-of-sale market data, consumer behaviors, company strategy, market size and segmentation, demographic breakdown, and product innovation. These reports are written for an audience of professionals and researchers in marketing, advertising, sales, product development, law, mergers and acquisitions, and business development. The reports include an overview, executive summary, analysis of the market, key players and consumer attitudes, and data. “At the outset, the Conditions of Use page can be off-putting to users because it has the appearance of fine print legalese,” DeVito wrote. Depending on the size of the browser window in use, the “I Agree” button may not be visible without scrolling. If the user is not accustomed to using Mintel and not prone to reading through the text and scrolling down, “this page may look prohibitive and may be the end of the user’s visit to Mintel,” according to DeVito. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through professionals. —J. Stoehr, CHOICE

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