Access to scientific literature and political developments in the US

Recent political developments in the United States and new US government budget cuts have raised concerns about the continued accessibility of scientific information in databases. In fact, many databases use a controlled vocabulary for indexing articles, this is important for the findability of the information. Reports of a so-called ‘list of banned words’ - see, for example, the list at PEN America - raise concerns that certain terms are being removed from that controlled vocabulary. This could seriously hamper the findability of relevant scientific publications.

The concerns mainly relate to databases in the fields of medicine, environment and education such as PubMed, Medline, GreenFILE and ERIC.

The editors of ERIC did indicate that due to new US government cuts, 45% fewer sources will be included in the database from the end of April 2025. The selection of these sources does not consider subject matter. All sources currently in ERIC will remain available.

No concrete indications yet, UB monitors situation

There are no concrete indications yet that the findability of articles has been affected. The databases in our Library Guides are still the best way to find academic articles for the various subject areas.

Information specialists at the UB are monitoring the situation closely. They also closely monitor the accessibility and completeness of information from the various databases. They do this through regular spot checks.

Researchers are informed immediately if there are concrete changes in the content or access of the databases or if sensitive keywords have been removed.

Do you have any questions or concerns? Contact eduteam-library rug.nl