Who Is Going to Mine Digital Library Resources? And How?

As use of the Internet grows as a research tool, patrons have become increasingly less dependent on librarians and other expert intermediaries. Examining the quality of on-line searches, this paper argues that researchers and other Internet users do not look for and hence do not find the best resources. For two days in early November 1998, all patrons wanting to search the ERIC database installed at the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation (ERIC/AE) Web site were required to complete a 10-item background questionnaire. For each patron, the following information was tracked: maximum number of "OR's" in their searches as measure of search quality; number of queries per session; whether they used the thesaurus or free-text search engine; number of hits examined; and amount of time devoted to searching the ERIC database per session. The paper concludes that ready access to resources can lead to decreased research quality and ill-informed practice. Digital resources must be developed with expert intermediaries and contain pre-selected resources if they are to be of service. (Contains 11 references.) (AEF) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.