Databases are simply collections of information. The type of database differs according to the type of works it contains - whether those works are copyrighted and/or freely accessible.
Database Type
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Example
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Characteristics
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Web Search Engines
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Google
Bing
Yahoo
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Appear to be free (no paywall) to use
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Access is paid for for by advertisements: the company that produces the search engine collects the user's search history data and sells it to companies who then target the user with specific advertisements
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Cannot retrieve copyrighted publications
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Search results are governed by algorithms, which can be configured to promote specific results (advertisements, the most popular websites, etc.)
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Subscription (aka Commercial or Licensed) Databases
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Burgess Library Databases |
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Password-protected (paywall)
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Fee-based: Access is paid for by student tuition/fees and/or state taxes (for public universities)
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Provide access to full-text copyrighted material via sophisticated search systems and user-friendly interfaces
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The companies that produce subscription databases pay licensing fees to copyright holders (so their material can be legally included), database publishers, and database creators
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Open Access (OA) Repositories
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Institutional Repositories (IR; Example: Clemson University's Tiger Prints IR)
Digital Libraries (Example: Digital Public Library of America, DPLA)
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Free to use (no paywall)
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Contains some copyrighted work that copyright holders have made openly accessible by waiving restrictions
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Access is paid for by organizations such as universities or libraries that wish to make certain materials available to the public
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OA works are often discoverable via Google Scholar or Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)
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