Using Dialog: Cost Considerations in Searching

Using Dialog: Cost Considerations in Searching

Cost Considerations

It costs a lot of money for database developers and publishers to create, maintain, and update databases.
Similarly, it costs Dialog a lot of money to
- Host and maintain the databases
- Serve the information to the public.
- Market the databases.
Consequently, using commercial databases and database utilities can be very expensive to end-user institutions and individuals whether you are licensing them or paying search-by-search.

Subscriber/end-user costs for accessing and using Dialog include:

There are are variety of subscription and fee structures available for accessing and using Dialog databases. These include:

Subscriptions that are based on connect time (see below)

Subscriptions that are based on the calculation of DialUnits (also see below).

Fixed or flat-fee licensing contracts a la Gale/Ebsco/Proquest, but these are for a limited number of databases, typically 80 to 125.

Finally, organizations that make a significant use of Dialog can usually negotiate fixed and/or lower subscription/connect/DialUnit costs depending the number of expected simultaneous users and the amount the organization expects to spend on Dialog searching.

Subscription costs. These include:

$225 for Sign-up fee.

$17/month for each password

Purchasing publications (printed and CD-ROM)

These are generally from the individual database publishers. They consist of:

Search manuals for individual databases range from free to $50 or more.

Thesauri for individual databases

Connect Time

There are two general choices in pricing when using Dialog: connect time and DialUnits.

Connect time to the Dialog service (varies depening on the kind of communications link)

An idea of the costs can be seen via the documents (.pdf) available through Dialog's General Pricing Information page: http://support.dialog.com/pricing/

Connect time on specific databases

This can run from about $10 per hour to hundreds of dollars per hour depending on the database.

The costs for each database can be found by downloading the Dialog Database Rates Connect Time Price per hour (.pdf or Acrobat) file from the Dialog's General Pricing Information http://support.dialog.com/pricing/

Connection for individual databases can also be found on their respective Dialog Bluesheets. Indices to these are on the Dialog Bluesheets Web page at: http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/. Click on "Rates" in the top index table for each Bluesheet to be taking to that portion of the Bluesheet with the DialUnit, cost-per-minute, alert, and format display rates

DialUnits

Ah, the mysterious DialUnits. Just what are they? The following is Dialog's own description:

"A DialUnit is a measure of system resources used to execute search and display commands. Each command - except administrative commands, such as the help commands - generates some portion of a DialUnit."

In other words, there is a combination of

Hmmm, okay, well, maybe.... Anyway, how do you calculate the cost of a DialUnit? Again, Dialog:

"DialUnits are calculated based on the system resources (commands) that are used from LOGON or a BEGIN command to the next BEGIN command or LOGOFF. DialUnits are tracked as partial units as small as 0.001. [Peanut gallery question: This is a protion of...of what????] DialUnits do not accumulate during "think time" or browsing."

You're totally clear about it now, right? If not, go to to the DialUnit FAQ at: http://support.dialog.com/faq/dialunits.shtml

To get an actual idea of what the cost of a DialUnit is, check the same Dialog Database Rates Connect Time Price per hour (.pdf or Acrobat) file from the Dialog's General Pricing Information page: http://support.dialog.com/pricing/. Notice that the cost of each DialUnit ranges (except for Ontap training databases) from $0.70 to over $30 per hour.

DialUnit costs for individual databases can also be found on their respective Dialog Bluesheets. Indices to these are on the Dialog Bluesheets Web page at: http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/. Click on "Rates" in the top index table for each Bluesheet to be taking to that portion of the Bluesheet with the DialUnit, cost-per-minute, alert, and format display rates.

One thing that you can do is track the DialUnit costs with the online cost estimator during your search sessions.

Document Display Costs

These may be per EACH citation, abstract, and/or full-text record.

Some of the record display costs (Format 9, Keywords in Context, ranking) for each database can be found with the same Dialog Database Rates Connect Time Price per hour (.pdf or Acrobat) file from the Dialog's General Pricing Information page: http://support.dialog.com/pricing/.

Complete record display costs for individual databases can be found on their respective Dialog Bluesheets. Indices to these are on the Dialog Bluesheets Web page at: http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/. Click on "Rates" in the top index table for each Bluesheet to be taking to that portion of the Bluesheet with the DialUnit, cost-per-minute, alert, and format display rates.

Other Document Delivery costs
- Dialog's SourceOne service can provide physical delivery of most documents available in Dialog databases.
- Modes of delivery include:
  - Fax
  - Mail
  - Express delivery services
All of your local costs, including:
- Searching staff
  - Salaries
  - Time
  - Training
- Computer and software for accessing and printing.
  - Acquisition & installation
  - Maintenance
  - Paper & inks
  - Electricity

Means for controlling costs

Carefully conducted reference interviews.
Careful selection of appropriate databases to search.
This includes using the free acccess to Bluesheets at: http://library.dialog.com/bluesheets/
This includes using free DialogWeb searches for:
- Frequency of occurrence of search terms in different databases.
- Availability of journals in various databases.
Thoroughly preparing searches OFF-line (meaning NOT connected to Dialog). Think, apply your creativity, structure multiple, alternative search statements/strategies offline before going on line.
Using such Dialog commands as:
- Pause
- Logoff Hold
- Logout
- Save Temp
- and the Break Key
Use of OnTap training databases.

Again, the Money-Saving Commands

Command Usage Examples, Notes

help rates

help rates <file number>

help rates 415

To find database rates

cost
cost

Checks costs during a search.

Be sure to use periodically to assess the costs of your searching as you are doing it.

pause
pause

You can put your searching on hold for up to 10 minutes.

Basic Dialog connect charges still run on.

logout, disc, off, bye, quit, stop
logout

Exits you out of Dialog.

How much your search costs were will be displayed.

logout hold (also: off hold, bye hold, etc.)
logout hold

Also exits you, but keeps the your search results or "sets" for 30 minutes.

save temp
save temp

Saves a search for 7 days.

Save it as a 1-6 letter name.

Can be executed later with the exs command

Command	Usage	Examples, Notes
help rates	help rates <file number>	help rates 415 To find database rates
cost	cost	Checks costs during a search. Be sure to use periodically to assess the costs of your searching as you are doing it.
pause	pause	You can put your searching on hold for up to 10 minutes. Basic Dialog connect charges still run on.
logout, disc, off, bye, quit, stop	logout	Exits you out of Dialog. How much your search costs were will be displayed.
logout hold (also: off hold, bye hold, etc.)	logout hold	Also exits you, but keeps the your search results or "sets" for 30 minutes.
save temp	save temp	Saves a search for 7 days. Save it as a 1-6 letter name. Can be executed later with the exs command