Title:
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Web-Based Bibliographic and Full Text Retrieval:
Which Features/Which Users?
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Author:
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Gary Perlman, Consulting Research Scientist, OCLC,
perlman@acm.org,
www.acm.org/~perlman/
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Location:
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http://www.acm.org/~perlman/patronlib.html
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Modified:
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Contents:
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What is OCLC?
What is FirstSearch?
Examples of Feature Development
How OCLC does Usability Testing
Comparing Librarians and Patrons
Example Features in Progress
Conclusions
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Abstract:
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How do people really use a search system?
How do librarians and library patrons behave differently
when searching Web-based bibliographic and full text information?
What search options requested by librarians are actually used by patrons,
and which are not?
In this talk I will summarize some observations,
both formal and informal of librarians and patrons,
when access ing bibliographic and full text information,
primarily though the OCLC FirstSearch® service.
I will discuss how features in FirstSearch are developed
for both sophisticated and untrained users,
and offer the uncontroversial conclusion
that both have their place in online search systems.
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Disclaimer:
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These notes represent my views, not necessarily those of OCLC.
Any features described may or may not appear in software or services
provided by OCLC.
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Librarians
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Patrons
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Profile
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trained professional wanting full control
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Show me the full text, now!
Here are some terms.
Now, get me there.
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Training
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trained in general, use system help, look at more options first
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webbed mimickers - know some of what what Yahoo does;
if I need to use help, I don't want to use it
See a box and fill it up,
Click on Go! and hope for luck.
See a box not far away,
Check it to work just your way.
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Source Selection
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judicious choice of databases
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"What's a database?"
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Formulation
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Plan searches, concerned about quality of search
and authority of retrieved data
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ad hoc satisficing;
academic interest in peer review
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Index use
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request dozens per database;
use index for phrase index term selection
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95% of searches are keyword, author, title;
do not understand phrase indexes
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Term Selection
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thesaurus, browse index, variants
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use 1-2 terms, natural language;
get lost in any of these tools;
that are "off the path to results";
can not fathom what catalogers do;
do not trust controlled vocabularies
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Query Language
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use Booleans, parentheses, truncation, wildcards, proximity
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free form, +required, -avoided, wildcard*
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Limits
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Set limits in advance
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Huh?
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Relevance
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Don't know how defined
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Don't know it should be defined
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Results Evaluation
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Compare results to previous search results (more/less, better/worse)
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Begin looking at records, even if millions (assume relevance ranking);
don't know why anyone would want bibliographic records (Web effect)
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Budget
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cost conscious; don't want graphics
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"Hey, where's the full text?"
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Customization
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highlight library resources: YourFirstSearch
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save session history: MyFirstSearch
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Choice
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Make/influence choices
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Use what's provided
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