SLA Global 2000 Conference, Brighton, UK, 16-19 October 2000

Xiumei Wang, Documentation and Information Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

Online academic journals--the most typical electronic publication

Scientific journal plays an important role in the scientific information exchange system and is an effective way to disseminate information. Although they have made gigantic contribution to the scientific research, the traditional printed journals face crisis: (1) Increasing cost and time lag limit the development of printed journals; (2) Explosively increasing information demand in the modern electronic, information and knowledge dominated society force the innovation of the traditional journal publishing style. With the development of the computer networking, high-density data storage and the telecommunication technology, the conversion from paper medium to the electronic world become possible. Online academic journals become the solution to the conflicts between the long publishing cycle and the explosive diversified information demands. According to the statistical data, there are over 2000 online journals on Internet. They have advantages of fast dissemination, flexible issue, most up to date information, vivid pictures and friend interfaces over traditional journals.

Brief introduction of DICCAS

DICCAS is the largest comprehensive sci-tech library and one of the largest scientific information centers in China with various functions. The holdings of DICCAS have approached to 5.8 million items. It is characterized by its systematic and abundant collections of periodicals, books, proceedings and sci-tech research reports in the fields of basic disciplines of natural sciences and high new technologies. DICCAS has also imported many famous foreign online database and E-journals such as EBSCO, OCLC, UMI, DOLOG, etc. It pays close attention to the processing and description of all materials and offers patrons various ways of searching. In cooperation with related CAS institutions, DICCAS sponsors the establishment of 13 Chinese Sci-Tech Documents Database, and the printed form as well as CD-ROM form products of them are also produced. DICCAS operated the TOTALS integrated automation System in 1993. On the base of Sci-Tech Network and the NCFC, DICCAS established the online documents searching system. It provides bibliography searching, booking in advance, database retrieval, mirror database, book news, current contents, online SDI and interlibrary loan by use of WWW.

Electronic ways of accessing to the printed publications

DICCAS is almost the best scientific research institute in library and information science. Its service style typifies the way of accessing the publications electronically in China.

How to search the books

People all over the world can access the collected books of DICC, Library of Beijing University and Library of Tsinghua University by Online Public Access Catalogue System at http://www.las.ac.cn.

Electronic way to access to the printed journals

(1) Union Catalogue of Chinese & Western Language Journals: It reports the Chinese and Western Journal collection of national public libraries, research libraries, academic libraries and university libraries. The Chinese database collects over 13,000 journals and has an accumulation of 50,000 items. The western language database collects over 37,000 journals and has an accumulation of 190,000 items.

(2) Journal Contents System: DICC, Chinese National Library, Jiangsu Academic Library Service Committee and National Geology Library co-bought the Current Citations Database 1999 of American EBSCO company which includes 15,000 foreign periodicals. Based on that, DICCAS exploits the database and offers patrons the periodical title service. The EBSCO also friendly bestowed the data of 1998 and 1997 to us.

(3) Online Chinese Science Documentation Database

• Physics Database: An abstract database. The collection of physics documentation of over 200 Chinese periodicals published since 1987, It includes 60,000 items.
• Mathematics Database: The collection of mathematical documentation of over 280 periodicals published in China and the research papers written by Chinese scholars published on about 80 core foreign mathematical periodicals. It accumulates approximately 60,000 records.
• Achievement Database: It collects Science and Technology achievements of over 100 institutes affiliated to CAS and 300 companies. It has an accumulation of over 10,000 items and supports full text search.

Chinese Science Citation Database

It is a comprehensive scientific databases with the collection of 582 Chinese and English periodicals published in China since 1989. It accumulates 420,000 records and has 1,200,000 citation data.

Documentation Supply Service

The Documentation Supply Center in DICCAS can search, copy the required various types of documentation for the users by letter, fax, E-mail. By using Ariel software, It can request UMI (University Microfilm International), National Library of UK and other many foreign libraries to search and copy the documents for the users. The center can not only copy the contents of specific periodical according to the request of users but also offer SDI service for users all over the country.

Basic ways of accessing to the electronic Publications

Online Information Resources Services

• Elsevier Database: It was well known that the Elsevier Company publishes excellent academic journals. We have bought the permission of Elsevier Database, so the patrons can search the data of 1100 journals since 1998 in the database.
• PQDDB Database: DICC bought the permission of Bell & Howell company. The users on CASnet can retrieve the PQDDB database and they can access the full text at the wdb site.
• Cambridge Science Abstract Database: DICC participated in a group to buy the database. Welcome the users to use it.
• Ei Compendex Web: DICC signed a contract for the use of The Engineering Index (produced by Engineering Information Inc.). It has opened to us the Engineering Information Village and Ei Compendex * Web.
• American «Science»Magazine Chinese Server: The electronic American «Science»Magazine Chinese Server was Supported and invited by NNSFC, National Science & Technology Ministry, National Education Ministry and Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is located at the Web of Library of Beijing University and is opened to the public.
• ChIn Web Page (International Chemical Information Network): Important Chemistry information Resources Navigation System which is supported by UNESCO, NNSFC, Chemical & Metallurgical Institute of CAS, Built by Chemical & Metallurgical Institute of CAS. It contains many significant chemistry information resources.

Internet Navigation to the electronic journals

By online navigation, DICCAS hyperlinks over 2000 online foreign journals for people to access them conveniently, which was sorted by the first letter of journal.

Electronic information retrieval

The Electronic Information Retrieval Department of DICCAS can connect to the three world famous online retrieval system: Dialogue, STN and Data-star. It also owns about 20 kinds of CD-ROM produced in China or abroad, which includes OCLC database products. Based on above, it can serve the diversified information demand of the users all over the country.

Some Disadvantages in Access to the Electronic Publication

As promoting the wide dissemination of information is the sacred goals of all the libraries, almost all the products build by my institute are open and free to online patrons throughout the country. However, some disadvantages in access to the electronic publication still exist: (1) although e-mail and connection to Internet is very common in China, lots of people in many fields (such as industry, agriculture, hospitals, mechanic designing, and banking) and areas (backward provinces, and poor areas) can't access to the internet. (2) The older people are not adaptive to the electronic search and browse. (3) Communication speed of connection to Internet through modem is slow. (4) Financial deficiency limited the permission range of database we bought from abroad. They are open and free to only the online persons of or in the vicinity of our institute, and open to patrons coming to the electronic reading room in our institute but they must pay charges, every 4 yuan/1hour. In first 1-month free experimental operation period, people swarmed into our e-reading room, but now there are always empty seats. Ironically, we invest large amount of money to buy these precious information resources but the patrons are excluded because of the unsolved little communication fees compared to the investment. I believe leaders will coordinate to overcome the problem to avoid the waste. In addition, the permission will be expired 1 year later; we must make efforts to renew them.

Page last updated: October 13, 2000