Illustrata™: Natural Sciences offers deep indexing for over 4.7 million images from more than 3,460 journals. It is also the first in a series of llustrata databases of searchable tables, figures, graphs, charts and other illustrations from the scholarly research and technical literature.

CSA employs what it calls “deep indexing” to categorise data, variables and other content represented in tables, maps, photographs and other figures. By going deeper and specifically indexing the content associated with all the individual tables and figures, Illustrata enables the researcher to find information that otherwise would not be retrievable in traditional, article-level indexing systems.

Search results – ‘the objects’ – can be viewed in full along with the caption, author and source information and additional index terms that can be used for further searching. A link back to the parent record provides a summary view of all the objects associated with that paper.

The researcher can find relevant data faster and, because of the visual impact of the results, can quickly determine whether or not to spend time reading the source documents.

The visualisation of data and the interdisciplinary nature of Illustrata: Natural Sciences can also lead to unexpected discoveries or connections between seemingly disparate pieces of work.

Accolades for Illustrata™: Natural Sciences

• 2007 CODiE Award finalist
• CHOICE 2007 Outstanding Academic Title
• A Library Journal Best Reference Pick of 2007
• "...one of the most important products of the year (2007)..." - Information Today