Bridging the Cognitive Gap: How Inadequate Database Descriptions Hinder Discovery and Use of Electronic Resources in Academic Libraries

Despite substantial investments in electronic resources, academic libraries face a persistent cognitive gap: users struggle to discover and effectively use subscribed databases. This study argues that inadequate database description pages constitute a critical yet underexamined barrier. Integrating Information Quality and Knowledge Organization theories, we construct a three-dimensional framework and apply it to evaluate description pages across 42 leading Chinese academic libraries. Results reveal systematic deficiencies: descriptions rely on promotional language lacking objectivity; pages function as information silos with minimal links to help services or related resources; and maintenance metadata is largely absent, compromising timeliness. These flaws violate core information quality principles and directly widen the cognitive gap. The study advocates a user-centered shift from static lists to dynamic knowledge networks and from isolated pages to collaboratively maintained service hubs. It offers both a reusable assessment framework and actionable recommendations for transforming description pages into effective cognitive bridges that enhance resource discovery and support scholarly workflows.