1. Digitality and Research: What has Changed
Christopher C. Brown
Associate Professor
Reference Librarian, Penrose Library
Presentation given April 7, 2009
DMST 3010: Digital Noesis
Prof. Frank Dance

2. Information Eras
Orality
Literacy
Digitality

3. Changed: Mode of Access
Users don’t want print journal content
Books are tolerated in print, largely because electronic book technologies are not as advanced and accepted as electronic journal technologies

4. Online Serials have Grown
Source: Osborne, Andrew D. Serial Publications: Their Place and Treatment in Libraries. Third ed. Chicago: American Library Association, 1980, p. 25.

5. E-Journal Growth at DU

6. The Information Access Anomaly: Books vs. Periodicals
Book (average)
Journal Article (average)
Typical Length - full text (FT)
200 pages x 4001 = 80,000 words
15 pages x 4001 = 6,000
Surrogate Record (SR)
words (75 ave.)
words (400 ave.)
SR to FT ratio
1 to 5333
1 to 15
1Ave. 400 pages per book (
Research methodology has changed. Starting point has changed.
1970 research: Books (card catalogs, book reviews)
Journal articles (print indexes, print citation indexes)

7. Changed: Research Starting Point
1970 – Books accessed via card catalogs and book reviews
1970 – Journal articles access via print indexes
2009 – Books accessed via online catalogs, digital repositories, Google Books
2009 – Journal articles accessed via library subscriptions to publisher sites, aggregated journal content, reference linking from online indexes, and Google Scholar

8. Changed: User Expectations
False sense that everything is online.
While over 1,000,000 of the 2,300,000 Peak records contain online content, many of these are historic pre-20th century publications.

9. Changed: Non-Digital Formats Ignored
Users take path of least resistance when doing research
Users stop short of finding research if it is not conveniently online
Users often overlook print or microfiche resources if it is not convenient for them.

10. The Three Googles and Research
Google Scholar
Academic Journal Literature
Google Web
Primary Sources GW GS GB
Google Books
Searchable Books

11. Google Web
Find primary resources by limiting searches to top-level domains (TLDs) or secondary domains.
Top-level: TLD limiting site:cr seafood [Costa Rica] See all countries here:
Second level: site:state.gov china trade
Third level: site:state.co.us adoption

12. Google Scholar
Research Guide

13. Google Books

14. Google Books

15. Google Changes Research
Ratio is 1 to 1 with the Three Googles
Book (average)
Journal Article (average)
Typical Length - full text (FT)
200 pages x 4001 = 80,000 words
15 pages x 4001 = 6,000
Surrogate Record (SR)
words (75 ave.)
words (400 ave.)
SR to FT ratio
1 to 5333
1 to 15