[Sigia-l] multiple search index usability/conceptual model

[Tanya Rabourn]

Charles Hanson wrote:
> I would think that it's fair to say that end-users
> (and librarians, for that matter) would *like* to be able to search
> multiple databases simultaneously, since it does save tremendous amounts
> of time.  The data integration difficulties you allude to tend to

I know it's technically possible. But you would still need to build some
sort of crosswalk for all controlled vocabulary that *all* of the
databases use. Keep in mind most of these are very specialized and one
term or acronym may be common to several but used very differently. I
agree that this would be useful to search databases that index material
for the same or related disciplines -- but having to go through results
from completely unrelated subjects will just slow you down, not save you
time. In this case, choosing a particular database (or set of databases)
to search is actually serving as a refining mechanism.

A good example of this is Dialog. You can search multiple databases, but
you first need to know something about each of them so you can select the
ones that index the subject you're researching.

So, in this case, I don't think it's especially anti-UCD to have the
library patrons learn which databases they need to choose for their
search. An interface that facilitates that would be better than just
sending their query to all possible databases.

Now, sending the query to *descriptions* of each database like UT does is
a pretty good solution for someone unfamiliar with which ones index the
subject they are beginning to study.

-Tanya
___________________________________
Tanya Rabourn <rabourn at columbia.edu>
[User Services Consultant]
AcIS R & D <www.columbia.edu/acis/rad>
tel: 212.854.0295