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EBSCOHost

NOTE: All details are shown as provided by the database platform. Please visit our About ADAT page for more information on our data sourcing and comparison method.

Address

EBSCO Publishing
10 Estes Street,
Ipswich,
MA (USA) 01938

URL

http://www.ebsco.com

Contact Email

garethsmith@ebscohost.com

Contact Tel

020 8447 4200

Databases

Abstracts in Social Gerontology
Academic Search Complete
Academic Search Elite
Academic Search Premier
AgeLine
AGRICOLA
Alt HealthWatch
AMED
America: History and Life
American Bibliography of Slavic & Eastern European Studies
Applied Science & Technology Abstracts
Arctic & Antarctic Regions
Art Abstracts
Art Index Retrospective
Associates Programs Source
Associates Programs Source Plus
ATLA Religion Database
ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
Auto Repair Reference Center
Avery Index to Architectural Periodicals
Bibliography of Native North Americans
Biography Collection Complete
Biological & Agricultural Index
Biological Abstracts
Biological Abstracts Archive 1926 - 1968
Blackwell Encyclopedia of Management Library
Book Index with Reviews
Book Review Digest
British Nursing Index
Business Book Summaries
Business Source Alumni Edition
Business Source Complete
Business Source Elite
Business Source Premier
CAB Abstracts
CAB Abstracts Archive
Canadian Literary Centre
Canadian Points of View Reference Centre
Canadian Reference Centre
Career Guidance System
Career Library
Catholic Periodical and Literature Index Online
Child Development & Adolescent Studies
Christian Periodical Index
CINAHL Plus
CINAHL Plus with Full Text
CINAHL with Full Text
Cochrane Collection Plus
Columbia Granger's Poetry Database
Communication & Mass Media Complete
Computer Science Index
Computer Source
Computers & Applied Sciences Complete
Consumer Health Complete
Current Abstracts
Current Biography Illustrated
DynaMed
EconLit
EconLit with Full Text
Economía y Negocios
Education Abstracts
Education Research Complete
Educational Administration Abstracts
Environment Complete
Environment Index
ERIC
Essay and General Literature Index
Family & Society Studies Worldwide
Family Studies Abstracts
Film & Television Literature Index
Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text
Fish & Fisheries Worldwide
FSTA - Food Science and Technology Abstracts
Fuente Académica
GalleryWatch CRS Reports
Garden, Landscape & Horticulture Index
Gender Studies Database
General Science Abstracts
GeoRef
GIDEON
Global Health
Global Health Archive
GreenFILE
Health and Psychosocial Instruments
Health Library
Health Source: Consumer Edition
Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition
Historical Abstracts
History Reference Center
History Reference Online Complete
History Reference Online Elite
History Reference Online International Collection
History Reference Online Premier
Hospitality & Tourism Complete
Hospitality & Tourism Index
Human Resources Abstracts
Humanities Abstracts
Humanities International Complete
Humanities International Index
ICON Global Intelligence
Index Islamicus
Index to Jewish Periodicals
Index to Legal Periodicals & Books
Information Science & Technology Abstracts
Inspec
Inspec Archive - Science Abstracts 1898-1968
Insurance Periodicals Index
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance
International Bibliography of Theatre & Dance with Full Text
International Pharmaceutical Abstracts
International Political Science Abstracts
International Security & Counter-Terrorism Reference Center
Internet & Personal Computing Abstracts
Legal Collection
LGBT Life
LGBT Life with Full Text
Library Literature & Information Science
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts (LISTA)
Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts with Full Text
Literary Reference Center
MagillOnLiterature Plus
MedicLatina
MEDLINE
MEDLINE with Full Text
Mental Measurements Yearbook
Middle Eastern & Central Asian Studies
MLA International Bibliography
National Criminal Justice Reference Service Abstracts
Natural & Alternative Treatments
New Scientist Archive
New Testament Abstracts Online
Newspaper Source
Newspaper Source Plus
NoveList
NoveList Plus
NTIS
Nursing Reference Center
Old Testament Abstracts Online
Peace Research Abstracts
PEP Archive
Points of View Reference Center
Pregnancy & Birthing Center of Excellence
Professional Development Collection
PsycARTICLES
PsycBOOKS
PsycCRITIQUES
PsycEXTRA
Psychology & Behavioral Sciences Collection
PsycINFO
Public Administration Abstracts
Race Relations Abstracts
Readers' Guide Abstracts
Regional Business News
Religion & Philosophy Collection
Research Starters - Business
Research Starters - Education
RILM Abstracts of Music Literature
RIPM Retrospective Index to Music Periodicals
Risk Management Reference Center
Scientific American Archive Online
Shock & Vibration Digest
Short Story Index
Small Engine Repair Reference Center
Social Sciences Abstracts
Social Work Abstracts
SocINDEX
SocINDEX with Full Text
SPORTDiscus
SPORTDiscus with Full Text
Tests in Print
Textile Technology Complete
Textile Technology Index
The CINAHL Database
The Left Index
The Music Index Online
The Nation Digital Archive
The National Review Archive
The New Republic Archive
The Philosopher's Index
The Scientific & Medical ART Imagebase
The Serials Directory
TOC Premier
Urban Studies Abstracts
Vente et Gestion
Violence & Abuse Abstracts
Vocational Studies Complete
Vocational Studies Premier
Water Resources Worldwide
Wildlife & Ecology Studies Worldwide
Wilson Biographies Illustrated
Women's Studies International
World History Collection

Summary

Approximately 200 full text and secondary databases are made available via EBSCOhost for the academic community. According to Library Journal (February 15, 2005), "The EBSCOhost system continues to be one of the best interfaces on the market because it is so simple yet so powerful." It is this premise that makes EBSCOhost the most used reference resource around the world. A customizable, intuitive search experience, EBSCOhost is designed to cater to various user needs and preferences at every level of research

Content

Restrictions

All databases are included in full where appropriate.

Embargo Rules

Embargos are subject to Publisher restrictions and vary according to Publisher agreements.

EBSCO have excellent relations with over 79,000 publishers and maximise the availability of Full text content as outlined on our website:

EBSCO offers many benefits to publisher partners. EBSCO is the only database aggregator that is also a subscription agent. As a result, the company has a unique understanding of the needs and concerns of publishers, and offers various ways for publishers to gain exposure for their publications and explore options for supplemental revenue streams.

Embargoes are part of the landscape when it comes to academic aggregated databases. These publisher-imposed delays are applied to preserve print and e-journal subscriptions against possible cancellation at the discretion of the individual publisher. As such, embargoes are almost always identical across competing databases - unless one database does not provide full text access to a given journal at all. Although embargoes are sometime viewed as a hindrance to full text access, the fact is that if not for embargoes, full text for many journals would not be available in databases at all. The question to consider is: Is a researcher better off having deep indexing, abstracts and full text coverage of a journal, including current indexing and abstracts, but with a delay on the current full text - or is the same researcher better off having no full text at all for said journal?

In terms of embargoes in EBSCO databases, please refer to EBSCO's coverage list for specific titles with an embargo, including the length of said embargo. All embargoed content in EBSCO databases provides current indexing and abstracts to enable linking to current full text in an e-journal under subscription, etc. EBSCO full text databases provides full text coverage for more sources than any other competing academic database. As a result, EBSCO offers more current full text than competing databases, and more titles with embargoes. EBSCO is constantly working with publishers to not only add new current content to databases, but also reduce embargo periods where applicable.

(Please note: When conducting comparisons regarding embargoes, databases should be compared based on total numbers, not on percentages. For example, if a database has 2,000 titles in full text, with 500 having an embargo, while another database provides full text for 1,000 titles with 200 having an embargo, the latter has a lesser percentage of embargoed titles, but fewer full text titles overall.)

Update Frequency

Daily

Content Classification

Searching EBSCOhost

EBSCOhost offers a number of search options for users to find the exact information they seek. EBSCOhost supports the following search methods:

Keyword Searching
Field Code Searching
Subject Searching
Boolean Searching
Proximity Searching
Phrase Searching
Source Type Searching
Index Browsing
Searchable Cited References

EBSCOhost also supports the use of Wildcards and Truncation.

In addition to searching techniques, EBSCOhost offers the ability to search within various fields such as:

Article Title
Subject Heading
Author
Journal Title
Abstract
Language
Date/Date Range

In order to further develop a search query, EBSCOhost offers many limiters and expanders. Some common options include the following:

Limiters

Full Text
Subject
Author
Scholarly (Peer-Reviewed) Journals
Publication
Published Date
Cover Story
Articles with Images
Local Titles
Number of Pages
Publication Type

*Please note that the use of limiters may vary by database.

Expanders

Also search for related words
Also search within the full text of the articles
Automatically 'And' search terms

Access Control

Authentication

Username/Password
IP Address
Classic Athens
SAML Compliant (e.g. Shibboleth)

Notes

Also supports: Library Card, Referring URL, CPID

Concurrency Limit

Yes, Dependent upon the database chosen.

Restrictions

No.

Free Trials

Trials are available for all products for 30 days complimentary and all access methods are supported.

Search

Features

Advanced Search
Boolean AND
Boolean NOT
Boolean OR
Exact Phrase
Keywords
Search by Author
Search by Citation
Search by Content Type
Search by Date
Search by Language
Search by Subject
Search by Title
Search by Series Title
Simple Search
Spell Check
Wildcards

Notes

In addition EBSCO has launched "Visual Search" as an additional graphical search option to enhance the user experience. for more information please see: http://www.ebscohost.com/thisTopic.php?marketID=1&topicID=976

Also "Smart Text Searching" has also been added to allow the user to import entire articles into the search box and using propietary software which analyzes the content and words, applies weighting to the content and delivers appropriate results to the results page.

Indexing

Dependent upon the database the keyword and indexing systems vary.

Cross Database Search

EBSCOhost Linking Options

"Linking" can be described as the ability to interconnect various library resources. The objective is to enhance the research process for end-users such that a single point of entry into library resources allows for unhindered access to virtually all other library resources. EBSCOhost has been on the cutting edge of linking technology, and continues to be the leader among database services. Because EBSCOhost is the most widely used electronic service in libraries worldwide, and includes approximately 200 available databases, it is also an obvious choice as the starting point for research. EBSCO understands that libraries want their users to be aware of all the options available to them through their online resources and be able to use these options in the most efficient and effective way.

EBSCOhost allows for a myriad of customizable, bi-directional linking. Some of the common EBSCOhost linking options used in libraries include:

Links to full text databases

Users may link directly from an EBSCOhost citation-only search result to the corresponding full text in another databases (e.g. - Linking from a PsycINFO record to the full text article in Academic Search Premier).

Links to e-journals in the library's collection

Users may link directly from an EBSCOhost citation-only search result to the corresponding full text of an e-journal (e.g. - direct to publisher site, or EBSCOhost Electronic Journals Service or via CrossRef to contributing publishers).

OPACs and A-Z Lists of E-Resources

Seamless linking is available from EBSCOhost to more than 30 Integrated Library Systems, OPACs, and union catalogs, providing instant access to library holdings information. End-users may also link from a journal record in the library catalog to full text articles from that journal in EBSCOhost full text databases. To enable this feature, EBSCO provides MARC records for journals in EBSCOhost full text databases for loading into the library ILS system. These records, which conform to industry guidelines, include a URL to EBSCOhost in the 856 field as well as coverage dates and embargo information when applicable. HTML and Tab-delimited versions of these files are also available to simplify updating of a library's A-Z lists of journals. This allows libraries to link to external sources of local library holdings data. Holdings information would be displayed in the context of the catalog or finding-list in which they are maintained.

Document Delivery Systems

Linking is available to major document delivery services, including Infotrieve, CISTI, and the British Library. Depending on the service accessed, content can be delivered in a PDF file directly to the end-user's desktop, or via mail, fax, or courier.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Services

An Interlibrary Loan request module can be configured to allow a user to e-mail requests for articles to the library's ILL system. Libraries with Web-based Interlibrary Loan Systems can configure links from EBSCOhost search results to the library's own ILL system.

Book Vendors

Libraries can set up links from books and book review records in EBSCOhost databases to relevant results in various online book vendor services.

Linking Servers

EBSCOhost is compatible with all existing commercial linking servers. Not only can users link from EBSCOhost to a linking server, but linking servers can also provide links to full text on EBSCOhost databases or e-journals managed by EBSCO. This interoperability allows EBSCOhost customers who search non-EBSCO reference sources to be able to link to full text in their EBSCOhost databases and e-journals.

Federated Search Tools

Systems like MetaLib from Ex Libris, that offer standardized interfaces and portals for users of hybrid information systems, can now provide their users with simultaneous searching of various library resources, including EBSCOhost databases. Search results can seamlessly link to full text from EBSCOhost full text databases or e-journals available through the EBSCOhost Electronic Journals Service.

Bibliographic Databases

With its OpenURL interface to articles, EBSCOhost has become a provider of full text for external bibliographic services including PubMed from NCBI. As a result, eligible users can link from PubMed records to corresponding full text in EBSCOhost biomedical databases as well as e-journals available through the EBSCOhost Electronic Journals Service.

Linking and other customization options are established using EBSCO's administrative tool, EBSCOadmin.

Web Search

Various search engines, including Yahoo! and Google can be easily set up as linking targets. When such links are activated, search engines launch their own searches behind the scenes, and end users are presented with a list of relevant results.

Saved Searches

My EBSCOhost

Not only does EBSCOhost offer a myriad of customization options for a site administrator, but it also provides each end user with the ability to establish personalized EBSCOhost accounts using "My EBSCOhost."

Once a personalized account has been created using "My EBSCOhost", end users can save individual search results, search histories, persistent links to searches, search alerts and journal alerts across multiple sessions, and can retrieve that information at a later time.

Saved Searches can be flagged as alerts (or SDI's- Selective Dissemination of Information). If a user had to be kept abreast of articles published on a specific subject or subjects, the user could create searches in EBSCOhost from the Advanced Search window and save the search strategy. The most recent line in the strategy can be saved as an alert to run once a month, with any results to be sent to the user via e-mail. The alert e-mail will include a list of all articles found along with a persistent link for each one of the articles.

EBSCOhost allows users to create an alert notification via e-mail each time a new issue for a selected title is made available in a specific database. EBSCOhost will automatically send an e-mail with an updated list of article titles available for that journal to the e-mail recipient.

EBSCOhost supports search history, which allows users to reselect previous search statements. Via the Advanced Search screen, users can save, retrieve and reuse advanced searches. The Search History available to the user includes only the searches from the current EBSCOhost session using the Advanced Search screen. When the session ends, the Search History is cleared. However, users may establish personalized access which allows access to search history from previous sessions.

By default, the Search History displays a user's most recent six searches. When a user performs more than six searches, there is the option to select Show More Search History to open all the searches a user has performed in an EBSCOhost session.

In addition, users can also save Web pages created using Page Composer, a Web-based application that allows users to create customized HTML pages containing links to content in EBSCOhost databases. This product is a stand-alone wizard that takes input from the user and creates personalized HTML pages.

Search Tips

Yes included in the interface.

Search Results

Features

Deduplication
Include Abstracts
OpenURL linking

Notes

Image Quick View 2.0

Image Quick View puts the power of article images directly onto each Result List, for instant access to the enlarged image.

Image Quick View adds pertinent thumbnail images such as charts, photos, maps and illustrations, from over 3,300 journals, to Result List items.

Full-sized images can be viewed by simply clicking on any thumbnail image in the Result List, without opening the record first, providing users with instant views of the article's image content.

Ordering

By Date
By Relevance
By Author
By Source

Exporting

Endnote
RefWork
Reference Manager

Other Functionality

Citation Linking

Searchable Cited References

Another feature available via EBSCOhost includes the functionality of searchable cited references. This allows users to locate additional information related to an article of interest.

When a user initiates a Basic or Advanced keyword search, any 'Cited References' or 'Times Cited in this Database' links that are available are presented with the search results. If a user clicks the 'Cited References' hyperlink on a result, the 'Cited References' sub-tab will present a list of records cited in the original article. If a user selects one or more references and clicks the 'Related Records' button, then the References sub-tab will present a list of records related to the original article. These records are sorted by relevance, based on the greatest number of shared cited references.

If a user clicks the 'Times Cited in this Database' hyperlink on a result, the 'Citing Articles' sub-tab will present a list of records that cite the original article. 'Cited References' and 'Times Cited in this Database' hyperlinks are also displayed on the article detail page.

Additionally, users can search by Cited References. This functionality can be found on the toolbar button labeled 'Cited References' on the search screen. On the Cited References search screen, users can enter search terms next to Cited Author, Cited Title, Cited Source, Cited Year or All Citation Fields, and conduct a search.

Full Text Linking

Linking Servers

Federated Search Tools

Bibliographic Databases

Links to full text databases

Links to e-journals in the library's collection

OPACs and A-Z Lists of E-Resources

Document Delivery Systems

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Services

Bibliographic Databases

Help Information

Help pages
Contextual help
Training: Online Tutorials, Online Training Courses, Trainer Guides, Custom Training, and Competency-Based Training are available.

Interface Customisation

EBSCOadmin

EBSCO understands that administrators want the ability to customize various aspects of the EBSCOhost service. Via the EBSCOadmin module, an administrator may customize individual workstations with database access and software features. Administrators can modify search tools including search limiters and expanders, print options, linking options, local holdings information, links to library homepage and more. With this tool, administrators can also control the availability of full text, depict on screen notes and other on-screen preferences.

Customization Features

EBSCOadmin provides the ability for the library administrator at the institutional level or the consortium level to customize the EBSCOhost interface in a variety of different ways. Provided below are some of the key administrative features available in EBSCOadmin that are customizable by the local institution:

Branding - The library administrator can choose to add text and graphics to the upper right hand corner of all EBSCOhost pages and choose an image to appear as an exit button.
Default Search Screen - The library administrator can choose to have users default to either the Basic or the Advanced Search Screen.
Style of Advanced Search - The library administrator can choose between three types of Advanced searching that users can choose.
Limiters - The library administrator can change the label for limiters, the order of limiters and when they should or should not appear.
Database Order - The library administrator can choose the order and availability of subscribed databases.
Result List View - The library administrator can choose the total number of items that will appear on each page of results and the amount of detail that is provided on the Result List. This can include a brief description, the title only or a brief description with the abstract.
Delivery Options - The library administrator can choose to allow users to print or e-mail and the total number of items that can be printed, e-mailed or saved at one time.
Multilingual Options - The library administrator can choose to allow users to change the EBSCOhost login screen and interface from English to Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean or Russian.

Alerting

My EBSCOhost

Usage Stats

Available Online
COUNTER Compliant Vendor
Available in SUSHI format

Usage Reports and Statistics
EBSCOadmin provides administrators with a wide variety of statistical report formats, most of which can be customized to include mutliple categories of usage information. For example, standard reports can be formatted to show activity by: session, session by hour, database, journal title, originating IP address or interface, at the site, group or profile level.

EBSCOadmin automatically collects usage statistics from within a single location or library, a library system or a consortia/consortium. The following report formats are available to all EBSCOhost administrators, from within EBSCOadmin:

Standard or Link Activity: These reports can be customized and instantly viewed within EBSCOadmin, sent to designated email addresses or scheduled for automatic delivery to specified email addresses.
COUNTER Reports: The most popular four (4) COUNTER Report formats are available.
Personalization Activity: Administrators can see how many of their users have set up personalized folders, e.g., My EBSCOhost, as well as how many Search and Journal Alerts have been created within those folders.
Graphical Reports: These reports provide colorful charts and graphs comprised of total searches by month, database, interface, or a combination of all three, and are suitable for presentation use.
EBSCOadmin allows administrators to establish bi-directional linking options in EBSCOhost

Technical Integration

EBSCOhost® Linking Options

EBSCOhost linking facilitates an enhanced search experience via a single access to virtually all library e-resources. EBSCO understands that libraries need to promote all of their e-resources, to enable users to get the most from what is available. EBSCOhost features many customizable, bi-directional linking options, such as:

Links to full text databases - Users can link from an EBSCOhost citation to its full text in another subscribed database.

Links to e-journals in a library's collection - Link from an EBSCOhost citation to the full text in an e-journal, e.g., on the publisher's site, EBSCOhost Electronic Journals Service (EJS) or via CrossRef to participating publishers).

OPACs and A-Z Lists of E-Resources - EBSCOhost links to over 30 Integrated Library Systems, OPACs and union catalogs, and from a library catalog to EBSCOhost full text. Upload EBSCO's MARC records to the library's ILS system, with HTML and Tab-delimited versions to simplify updating a library's A-to-Z lists of journals.

Document Delivery Systems - Linking is available to major document delivery services, such as Infotrieve®, CISTI, and the British Library.

Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Services - An ILL request can be set up to to allow users to e-mail article requests to the library's ILL system. Libraries with web-based ILL systems can configure links from EBSCOhost to their ILL system.

Book Vendors - Administrators can create links from books and book review records in EBSCOhost to relevant results in online book vendor services.

Search Engines - Search engines such as Yahoo!®; and Google can be set up as linking targets. When clicked, search engines launch their own searches and present users with relevant results.

Linking Servers - EBSCOhost is compatible with all commercial linking servers. Users can link from EBSCOhost to a linking server, which can connect to full text on EBSCOhost databases, or EJS.

Federated Search Tools - Systems (e.g., MetaLib from Ex Libris) that offer standard interfaces and portals for users of hybrid information systems can provide simultaneous searching of library resources, e.g., EBSCOhost databases. Results can link to full text from EBSCOhost databases or EJS.

Bibliographic Databases - With its OpenURL interface to articles, EBSCOhost has become a provider of full text for external bibliographic services including PubMed from NCBI. As a result, eligible users can link from PubMed records to full text in EBSCOhost databases, or EJS.

VLE Integration

Information not provided

Social Bookmarking

EBSCOhost Search, Journal, One-Step RSS Feed Alerts

EBSCOhost users can save valuable time with Search Alerts, by creating automatic email deliveries to designated recipients, such as coworkers, faculty or students, of new results for their most recently-conducted search. Alerts emails include links to new articles, and are generated at user-customizable intervals.

EBSCOhost users can also create Journal Alerts. Once set, a Journal Alert will provide automatic email notification whenever a new issue of the designated journal has been added to a specified database(s). Users can customize the duration of the Journal Alert process, and determine with whom they wish to automatically share the new information.

EBSCO's One-Step RSS Feed Alerts allow users who wish to receive updated EBSCOhost search results on a news reader or web page to capture a syndicated RSS feed URL instantly, whenever they conduct a search in EBSCOhost. As RSS (Really Simple Syndication) technology becomes more widely used, EBSCOhost users will find more ways to incorporate this simple and convenient alert functionality.

Language Support

Multilingual Options - The administrator can allow users to dynamically translate the EBSCOhost user interface screens from English to Spanish, French, German, Italian, Brazilian, Portuguese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Russian, Turkish, Greek, Polish, Hungarian, Arabic, and Thai. A separate option can be enabled to allow users to translate HTML Full Text articles into French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Norwegian, Russian, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.

Other

Visual Searching

More and more diversified users around the world connect with EBSCOhost databases on a daily basis, and individual research needs continue to evolve and change. As a result, EBSCO offers an expanding myriad of databases, and the powerful tools to efficiently and effectively search these vast resources. The most recent evolution in the EBSCOhost software is the availability of a Visual Search.

With a Visual Search, users can gain an overall understanding of the depth and breadth of a result set without having to page through hundreds of individual results. With traditional searching, more often than not, users find their articles on the first page of a result set, despite the fact that the "best" result might not be on the first page. Now, large data sets can be explored in a single encompassing visual map. Further still, EBSCO's Visual Search lets users refine their searching in real time "on the fly" with a simple click and drag of a mouse.

EBSCO continues to lead the way in providing options to maximize success in searching, and is doing so at no additional cost to database subscribers. Each EBSCOhost user has specific preferences and research needs, and EBSCO is driven to provide the most robust, customizable search experience to meet those unique needs. EBSCO's new Visual Search is seamlessly integrated with EBSCOhost, providing a powerful complement to the more traditional search options. EBSCO is excited to bring this new visual research approach to our user community.

Seamlessly integrated as part of EBSCOhost
Displays results in an intuitive graphical map
Lets users understand large data sets in a single view
Complements traditional search options (basic & advanced)

Accessibility

W3C Compliance

Full 508 Accessibility

EBSCO Publishing (EBSCO) has teamed with accessibility experts to make it easier to search EBSCOhost® and NoveList products using screen readers and keyboard controls. Working with the EBSCO Accessibility Interest Group, led by the Illinois Center for Instructional Technology Accessibility (iCITA) at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign (http://cita.uiuc.edu), EBSCO was able to determine that Text Only interfaces, the industry standard for Web accessibility, referred to as 508 compliance in the United States, were no longer enough.

The EBSCOhost Text Only interface met the standards for 508 compliance, as outlined within the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards. However, the Text Only interface still incorporated various elements that presented roadblocks to functional usability for impaired researchers using screen readers. By working with the EBSCO Accessibility Interest Group, changes have been made, making the full features of EBSCOhost available to all users, including those with various physical and visual disabilities.

An after video dramatically shows the difference the improvements have made to their EBSCOhost experiences. Ron Burns, Director of Software Product Management at EBSCO, says that being able to see first-hand how users of screen readers struggled to navigate through searches and results prompted EBSCO to make the changes. "The difference between simply being 'compliant,' and creating fruitful search experiences for impaired users is quite dramatic. For example, seeing how screen readers got caught up on tables helped us to see that the coding was a barrier to searching."

The changes made for impaired users have provided significant benefits for all users. Improving navigability for screen readers and keyboard controls dramatically decreased the page sizes which, in turn, improved the overall delivery speed of EBSCOhost for users with low bandwidth connections.

Browser Compatibility

PC

IE
FireFox
Netscape

Mac

IE
Safari
FireFox

Plugins Required

No browser plug ins are required.

Availability & Uptime

24/7 Uptime

Yes

Downtime (as specified in service level agreements)

Performance & Stability

EBSCOhost is available 24 hours per day, 365 days per year. Since its inception, EBSCOhost has been available over 99.9% of the time. Because of our service delivery network's architecture, system-wide failure is almost non-existent.

The systems that make up the EBSCOhost service include network equipment, servers and client machines, all of which are monitored continuously. Each component of the system has been analyzed and redundancy has been designed into the system. EBSCOhost is highly redundant and has the following systems in place to ensure that it is up and running all day, every day: multiple servers with automated redundancy; fault-tolerant network devices; emergency power generation and UPS; 24 hour-a-day on-call staff and continual upgrades to state-of-the-art technology.

EBSCOhost is serviced by multiple T3 connections to multiple providers. Our policy is to upgrade connectivity once peak utilization reaches 80% for combined inbound/outbound traffic. At our present bandwidth levels, customer traffic would have to triple in order to reach 80% utilization. EBSCOhost is a mature product whose usage rate has growth by 20% each year over the last 2 years. The outgoing bandwidth is roughly 4 times the incoming levels.

EBSCO does not schedule routine downtimes or have planned maintenance windows. In the unlikely event that EBSCO does have planned maintenance, EBSCO will supply at least 48 hours advanced notice to our users. This will be immediately communicated via the EBSCOhost listserv. Additionally, in the event of a developed issue pertaining to EBSCOhost performance, an e-mail notification will be conveyed immediately through the EBSCOhost listserv.