ABSTRACT
Some of the differences between manual and online searches of literature are obvious; after all, with one, printed volumes are consulted and with the other, a computer terminal is employed. Other aspects of the new technology for literature searching are more subtle, but their impact on the way one carries out a library research project is significant. The improvements in library research made possible by computer systems are not without their concomitant costs. The limitations and drawbacks to computer literature searching fall into the categories of coverage, economics, and structure. The first two categories are fairly straightforward problems. Insofar as costs are concerned, a researcher's economic situation—either organizational or personal—may bear on his decision to use a computer search service. The pricing of computer literature searches is typically based on interaction time, the amount of time one's terminal is physically in connection with the search service computer.
