Support - Suggest a Resource

Selection Criteria

CIAP resources are subscribed to annually and are authorised by Committee. In order for the committee to choose the correct resources they require that CIAP users provide information regarding the resources they require.

Please use this table to provide criteria for selection by the Committee.

Selection Criteria	Proposed Resource
Authoritativeness	Is the resource well known? Is the resource of good quality? Does the resource rate well in reviews (e.g. in peer-reviewed literature)? Does the resource rate appear in lists of recommended core resources? Is the publisher/company stable and therefore likely to maintain service long-term?
Impartiality	Are there any indications of vested interests/bias (e.g. corporate sponsorship/advertising etc)?
Accuracy & Currency	How does the resource compare with known resources (if in doubt, check with subject experts)? Is the resource current? Are there frequent/regular updates
Scope & depth of coverage	Does it cover all aspects of the topic/specialty it represents?
Duplication	Does it just duplicate something you already have and, if so, does it do it better/more cheaply? Does it complement or duplicate other resources/collections? Is it already available elsewhere (e.g. are Areas subscribing directly)?
Level & format appropriate to users	Does the collection have a balanced/appropriate mix of different formats and levels of material or is it lacking in a particular area?
Relevance to Australian health-care context?	Is the resource appropriate for local needs/uses? Is/Are there any local content/contributors? Is the focus international (e.g. rather than a USA or UK focus/bias in content/terminology)?
Use & interest	Who is the intended audience? Will CIAP users users use it?
Usability/navigation	Does it have a user-friendly interface? Is it logically organised? Are there cross references and links to assist navigation? Does it have an index, table of contents, bibliography, help function etc? Is it well designed in terms of legibility, reradability, layout etc?
Search functions	Is searching easy/intuitive for inexperienced searchers? Does it provide advanced search facilities for more experienced users?
Technical aspects	Does it work with most commonly available brwosers (e.g. IE, Firefox, Opera for PC & Safari for Mac)? do text & images load at a reasonable speed? are images/sound etc of reasonable quality? Do users have to download/install files/software to use it (e.g. Acrobat Reader, Flash)? Is there ongoing maintenance required?
Print	Can you print, save & email results? can you edit materials prior to printing? Are there printer-friendly versions of pages?
Special features/value adding	Does the license cover provision of marketing, user support, help desk facilities, usage statistics etc? are there extra features unavailable in hard copy version/links to other materials/discussion lists etc?
Copyright/licensing issues	Does licensing preclude printing for interlibrary loan/multiple copies? are you obliged to maintain a print subscription as well?
Cost/pricing	Is it clearly documented what pricing includes (e.g. ownership, printing, information sharing, document delivery and archives)? Does pricing compare well with similar products/different formats of the same product? Are there any hidden costs (e.g. upgrades, maintenance)?
Archives	What will you have left if you cancel your subscription? do you have any legal rights if the provider ceases publication or is bought out by another company?