RESOURCE CENTRE MANUAL
HEALTHLINK WORLDWIDE
field structure will depend how the information is to be used. A database that
will be used to develop a resource list could have fields for both abstracts and
distributors, but an ordinary catalogue database would not need these. For the
resource centre database, the distributor information could all be in one field.
However, for a mailing list database each line of the address would either have to
be in a separate repeat of the field or in a separate field, in order to print mailing
labels and add the address to letters.
In a bibliographic database, an author’s name is entered surname first, then first
name, as this is the order recognised for catalogues and bibliographies. The field
for names would be repeatable to include up to three authors. In a mailing list
database, the name is entered either first name first, then surname (as this is the
way that a letter or envelope is addressed) or put into two separate fields. You
can work out the number of fields required by writing down the list of fields, and
assigning numbers to them (or names, depending on the software).
The structure is easier to remember if related fields are grouped together as
follows:
• resource centre information, such as accession number and location
• title information, such as title and edition
• responsibility for the item, such as author, editor or meeting name
• descriptive information, such as where published, who published by, date
published, number of pages and number of illustrations
• subject and content information, such as keywords, geographical coverage
and abstract
• acquisition information, such as price, whether donation or purchase, and
where obtained from.
You will need to know which fields will be used for searching. Fields that will be
searched will need to be indexed. An index is similar to the index at the back of a
book, and provides much more access to information on the records than a
manual catalogue.
Before finalising the structure, you should test it to ensure that the database can
do what it is intended to do. This can only be done after the software is selected
and installed. However, the initial design process can help to decide which is the
most appropriate software.
Once the software is selected, you can test the structure by entering about 20
sample records (at least five records of each material type that the database will
need to handle) and noting how easy it is to enter records for the various types of
material. You can use these records to carry out functions that the database will
be used for, such as searching, sorting and printing.
SECTION 6: COMPUTERS, ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND DATABASES
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