3.1 Databases
data·base
noun 1. A collection of data arranged for ease and speed of search
and retrieval.
--The American
Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000.
This quality of being " ... arranged for ease and speed of search and
retrieval" is what distinguishes a database from a computer network like
the Internet, which has no standardized organization principle.
Databases may sometimes be accessed through the Internet, but their
contents are not retrieved by search engine services like Google
or Yahoo! Most are available through separate Web sites that
charge a fee for use, normally paid by libraries on behalf of their
users. |