Does the portal provide lightbox functionality?
Not all lightboxes are created equal. So whether you plan on using a portal as an extension of your own site or plan to use the portal exclusively, you want to ensure that you like the functionality of the lightbox. How is keywording handled? This is one of the most serious and accurate criticisms of portals from the researcher’s point of view. Only a few portals provide keyword services, even for a fee. But almost all portals will provide guidance on the keywording practices best suited to their sites. How much support does the portal offer contributors? Get down to brass tacks and determine exactly what that portal will do for you during your start up phase and over the long haul. How good is the portal’s customer support for buyers? When assessing a portal’s support services, don’t take the portal’s self-assessment as gospel. Contact the portal on a few different occasions posing as a researcher and see what kind of support you get. Even after you become established on a site, keep
