Tracking British and European online business information: A guide to the guides

With the continued growth in online business information provision, database guides can be valuable in helping searchers evaluate and select suitable sources. Studies of business database selection by professional intermediaries indicate a need for detailed descriptions of records as well as for basic, directory‐style information in guides. Less experienced online users need introductions to online, hosts, and business information provision and, most importantly, they need guidance in searching major online sources. Both types of online user would benefit from the inclusion of evaluative comment in database guides. Current guides to British and European business information, both general guides and those dealing specifically with online sources, are reviewed with regard to their suitability for different audiences and to their currency, coverage and overall organisation. The best of these guides are identified. Some guides are inaccurate and many are poorly indexed, with little thought given to how guides are used. Designing guides for specific audiences would increase their effectiveness. They must be quick and easy to use, incorporating evaluative comment to assist selection of databases and record detail to assist searching.