Chemical Literature Databases: Conflict of Interest?

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HurleyB_DatabaseBias_LPP_2014.pdf (711.96 KB)

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2014-04

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Library Philosophy and Practice

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Abstract

A publisher of a research database controls the search algorithms of its database and, at a minimum, partially controls the indexing metadata attached to journal articles indexed in its database. A publisher of a journal partially controls the indexing metadata attached to articles in that journal. A publisher who publishes both a research database and journals that are indexed in that database has significant control over two major aspects of the discovery process. This allows the possibility for a publisher to introduce a bias into its algorithm that could favor discovery of its own articles. This work looks at search results from three scientific databases and discusses this possible conflict of interest.

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chemistry, database, bias

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Hurley, Belinda L., "Chemical Literature Databases: Conflict of Interest?," Library Philosophy and Practice (2014), http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/1116/

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http://hdl.handle.net/1811/61512

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Research, Publications, and Presentations (The Ohio State University Libraries)