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FAQ: Gold Rush® Decision Support

Can more than one database be compared at a time?

Yes, users may compare one-to-one, one-to-many, or many-to-many databases at the same time. Just type in multiple database names in each Set and the system will combine them.

Are all reports run in real-time?

Yes, no matter how many databases are compared the system will provide fast real-time comparisons.

Sometimes when I try to run a report I get an error message that says "An error has occurred!What's wrong?

When entering databases into a box you will get a pull-down list which matches the character string you have entered. You must select from this pull-down list for a report to properly run. If you just type in a database or provider and just hit carriage return without selecting from the pull down list you will get the error "An error has occurred!". Remember that the system sometimes takes a few seconds for a pull-down list to appear from which you select databases, so give the system a few moments to catch up to you.

How often are databases updated?

Databases are updated on different intervals depending on issues such as how often the publisher or vendor provide us updates and their level of use. After logging into Gold Rush® Decision Support, a list of database updates is provided. This list can be filtered (searched) by entering words into the search box. It can also be sorted (by tapping on a column header) or downloaded.

A database load appears to be old or a title list is not available in Gold Rush®, how do I get these updated or added?

By sending an email to help@coalliance.org. Staff at the Colorado Alliance will work on getting a new database added or existing databases updated as quickly as possible.

What elements are used in title list comparisons?

Title lists are compared with ISSNs or eISSNs. We recognize that not all journals have these elements and that there are issues with title changes and the way vendors/publishers report these fields. So, Gold Rush® comparisons may not always be perfect or exact but should be considered as just one tool in a broader decision making process.

Are dates used in Gold Rush® comparisons?

Gold Rush® loads dates into title lists (when available) but they are not used in the comparisions. However, any date information that has been loaded will be displayed so that this information can be easily viewed.

I know Gold Rush® compares journals, can it be used to compare books or ebooks?

At the present, Gold Rush® only provides comparisions for journals/periodicals.

Are open access titles included?

Gold Rush® does contain many open access title lists such as the Directory of Open Access Journals, BioMed Central, PubMed Central, publisher-based open access packages, and others.  It is an interesting exercise to compare commercial packages against some of these open access title lists to determine coverage and overlap.

Can I compare indexed-only databases?

When title lists are loaded in Gold Rush® the system retains not only what journals are full-text but also what are indexed-only titles. These are included in the comparison reports. One can even compare citation-only databases to determine overlap.

Why do some title lists not include dates?

Publishers, vendors, and libraries supply the title lists which populate Gold Rush®.  In some cases these entitites provide lists which do not include dates. In these cases, the date fields are left blank.

Why do dates sometimes only appear in the "Notes" field and are not included in the normalized dates for citations or full-text?

Some databases have complex date fields showing gaps, volumes, and other special notes. In these cases, Gold Rush® does not attempt to normalize the data but instead loads these more complex statements into a notes field. This is particularly true for metadata received from library catalogs or shared print archiving metadata sets. 

Can I download results?

You can easily download results in popular formats such as Excel, .csv, and PDF. Just select a particular list (unique, common or all journals) and when the list appears on the screen buttons will provide different options. The system also offers the ability to capture comparison charts in popular image formats.

Can I email results?

Although results are returned in real-time to your Web browser, there is a radio button that can be selected that will allow you to email a spreadsheet of the full results. Results will be sent to your login email address. Because of the size of these spreadsheets, an email will be received with a link to the file since many comparisions are so large they would be rejected by your local email system.

Is there a way to compare all journals in all databases to which I subscribe to other databases?

If your library only subscribes to the Decision Support (Reports) portion of Gold Rush®, please provide an export from your current ERMS/link resolver system and we can load it on your behalf as a new "title list" in Gold Rush® so you can use it for future comparisons. The minium required information in the list is a title and ISSN (and/or eISSN) but dates of coverage are also helpful. It's best to get this list in a delimited (e.g. .csv, xlsx) format. If your library uses Gold Rush® for A-Z and link resolver services, just contact goldrush@coalliance.org and ask that your holdings be added as a separate title list in Gold Rush® for comparison purposes.
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