Developments in European information issues: Networks and relays – Services – Products, December 1998

Commercial on-line databases

As well as the official databases, a range of commercial resources grew up over the decade. Spearhead, launched in 1988 under the Department of Trade and Industry's campaign 'Europe Open for Business' and originally offered on Financial Times Profile, is now available through a variety of routes and has extended its coverage to include summaries of Single Market and social affairs legislation, as well as proposals, implementing measures and relevant government contacts. Financial Times Profile at the same time offered the text of the relevant legislation in its own limited CELEX file. The then separate Dialog and DataStar hosts offered Europe related databases, while over the years LEXIS/ NEXIS has continued to expand its official EU files and related background files. The command language was the language of the host, and was often more familiar to searchers than Mistral. The language of the content, however, remained that of the original data. Consultancy companies such as Spicers Centre for Europe, now once again the subject of a takeover (more of which in the next issue), created its own database of abstracts in 1987, offering the benefits of currency and more recognisable key terms. It is now available in a variety of different formats from CD-ROM to the client's own intranet.