Why pay for value-added information?

The article explores the nature of value-added information in the scientific, technical and patent information fields, in particular in the context of a multinational company needing high quality searches. The article looks at what in author's opinion constitutes added value in this field, how useful they are, how they compare with the use of Internet 'free' information sources and what additional value-added features are most required. Topics covered include: content, time-span, timeliness, coding, indexing, training and customer support and pricing. The author concludes that, for the comprehensive searches required, Internet 'free' offerings are very costly when the true costs are considered and cannot deliver the quality required. The use of commercial value-added databases is thus essential, although many of these still need significant improvements. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.