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Abstract:
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Four years ago, RBB featured its first article comparing electronic reference aggregator and publisher interfaces, and a second article followed in the November 1, 2007, issue. Three years later, we are taking another detailed look at the e-book interfaces and offerings from reference publishers. Much
has changed in three years, particularly with the interface features and access to content. Audio, video, Flash animations, Web
2.0 tools like bookmarking and note taking, access to content
through the open web, and mobile devices and applications have
all appeared, and continue to grow. A new word, discoverability,
emerged as well: the ability for users to find and use scholarly
reference content hidden behind firewalls and passwords. Discoverability will continue to drive the future of electronic
reference product development. But for the here and now, we offer this matrix to describe and compare the e-book services and
features of six reference publishers: ABC-CLIO, Credo Reference, Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL), Infobase, Oxford
Reference Online, and Sage Reference Online. Referring to this
chart, reviewers can focus upon what is distinctive about the
content and features of an electronic reference platform. |
