OECD.Stat, Astrophysics Data System, Wiley-Blackwell.(peter's picks & pans)

The picks include the new, promising OECD.Stat, which functions not merely as a portal but as a sophisticated, state-of-the-art federated search engine for the many statistical data sets created by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development. My second pick is the splendidly enhanced Astrophysics Data System (ADS), one of the pioneers of open access bibliographic databases. ADS covers all branches of physics, not just astrophysics as its name suggests. It is a model of how to develop and enhance, with great competence, traditional databases through cited references.

The pan is the very unpromising Wiley-Blackwell database with the serious, long-standing software deficiencies of Wiley InterScience that will also affect Synergy, the far better digital library of Blackwell. Synergy is to cease operations in July 2008--unless librarians mount a campaign to retain it in order to avoid the chaos that they have witnessed with their print subscription since the acquisition of Blackwell by Wiley last year. There should be a moratorium, at least until Wiley-Blackwell releases a well-tested, state-of-the-art service, which it promises to do only in 2009.

the picks

OECD.STAT

I tested the free beta version of OECD.Stat (http://stats.oecd.org/wbos), which is destined to replace the current browser (Beyond 20/20) for SourceOECD in 2009. Some functions were not yet operational, but the key functions were there. It is interesting and encouraging to see the extension of the concept of federated searching from the bibliographic sphere to the factographic area. The United Nations and World Bank have been doing it, and now OECD is following suit.

OECD.Stat allows searching across 50 statistical databases compiled by OECD. They cover the traditional demographic, economic, labor, health, educational indicators, and then…