All resources covered in the database are regularly checked for availability and for changes in content. NetFirst is produced using both computer-assisted automation and human involvement. The resource selection process, performed by a staff of editors, assures that NetFirst only indexes significant resources. Users won t wade through long lists of extraneous objects. Each resource is described with a detailed bibliographic record, which includes an original abstract.
Users can determine the relevance of a resource without leaving the database.
This makes Internet resource discovery far more efficient than is possible with indexes that contain only an address, title, and the first few words or sentences contained in the resource. Each record includes both subject headings and classification codes. These fields allow users to search or browse the database by subject area. All major Internet resource types are covered, including those that are outside the reach of worms, robots, spiders, etc. Automated techniques are used to identify and collect new resources for evaluation by the editorial staff.