HighBeam Research

HighBeam Research

Company type	Private
Industry	Digital archive, Search engine
Predecessor	Alacritude, LLC
Founded	August 2002 (2002-08)
Founder	Patrick Spain
Defunct	2018 (2018)
Fate	Services merged into Questia
Headquarters	Chicago , United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Patrick Spain (founder)
Products	Subscription-based full-text digital archive and search engine
Owner	Gale (a division of Cengage)
Parent	Gale (Cengage)

HighBeam Research functioned as a subscription-based search engine and comprehensive full-text digital archive managed by Gale, a division of Cengage. It provided users with access to an extensive collection of English-language newspapers, magazines, academic journals, newswires, trade magazines, and encyclopedia entries. The company was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, and discontinued its services in late 2018.

History

Established in August 2002 by Patrick Spain following the sale of Hoover's, the enterprise—initially known as Alacritude, LLC—expanded its portfolio by acquiring eLibrary and Encyclopedia.com from Tucows. ELibrary offered a repository of 1,200 archives comprising newspapers, magazines, and radio/TV transcripts that were generally not accessible without charge. Early financial backing came from Prism Opportunity Fund and 1 to 1 Ventures. Spain recognized a niche between freely available search tools like Google and high-end platforms such as LexisNexis and Factiva.

In the latter part of 2002, the firm purchased Researchville.com. By 2003, its database had grown to include materials from 2,600 publishers. The rebranding to HighBeam Research occurred in 2004, with the publisher network expanding to 3,500 by the following year. Significant content additions in 2006 featured archives from Oxford University Press, Knight Ridder, and The Washington Post. In 2008, HighBeam Research was acquired by Gale. The platform also incorporated materials from the UK-based Trinity Mirror Group.

After operating for sixteen years, HighBeam Research ceased operations near the end of 2018, with its resources being merged into Questia.

Further reading

• Goldsborough, Reid (2004). "HighBeam can assist research requiring verified information." New Orleans CityBusiness, 24(42), 18–19.
• "HighBeam Adds Archive Access." Library Journal, 1 October 2004, 129(16), 28.
• Misek, Marla (January–February 2004). "HighBeam Research: Surpassing Google." EContent, 27(1/2), 44–45.
• Singh, Shruti Daté (28 November 2005). "HighBeam promotes itself with increased free content." Crain's Chicago Business, 28(48), 18.
• Good, Chris (October 25, 2011). "Chart of the Day: Media Favorability Toward Michelle Obama." The Atlantic.
• Goldsborough, Reid (June–July 2004). "The value of paid research services." Reading Today, 21(6).
• Dochartaigh, Dr Niall O. (February 15, 2007). Internet Research Skills: How To Do Your Literature Search and Find Research Information Online. SAGE, p.54.
• PR Newswire (December 5, 2011). "HighBeam Research Hosts Virtual Open House: Provides Free Access to Research Articles to Celebrate Website Redesign."
• B. B. (2006). "Featured Spotlight." Information Today, 23(3), 42.

External links

• Alacritude (archived July 24, 2002)
• HighBeam Business (archived)