Appendix B
Advanced Search Screen
Related Text from the Report

Header
 Expanded Keyword Search Click for Expanded Keyword Search Tips
 
Select field(s) to search: Enter word(s) to be searched: Exact phrase?
No  Yes
No  Yes
No  Yes
Limit Search by: (Optional)
Format:
Language:
Date: to   Example:  1990 to 1995


 Command Language Search Click for a List of Command Codes

        
         Command Language Examples
Click for Other Examples and Tips

 
Footer

 

 

 

Advanced Search Screen -- Text from the Report
  1. Expanded Keyword Search Form
    The Advanced Search screen will feature an Expanded Keyword Search form permitting keyword searching of multiple fields combined with Boolean Operators. NOTE: The recommended 3-box approach with optional limits is quite commonly used in ALEPH OPACS (as well as in LINCC and WebLUIS).

    Each drop-down menu contains the following search options:

    • Keyword(s) Anywhere
    • Subject Keyword(s)
    • Title Keyword(s)
    • Author Keyword(s)
    • Keyword(s) in Notes
    • Keyword(s) in Series
    • Keyword(s) in Publisher

    NOTE: In ALEPH, only keyword searches can be combined for the expanded search (unlike WebLUIS, for example, where users may currently combine keyword and browse search types).

    A different default is presented in each of the three search boxes to help convey to users the ability to create a more specific search.

    Limit drop-down menus should exist in the GUC for FORMAT and LANGUAGE. At this time the Task Force recommends including a short list of the most commonly used limits at the top of each drop-down, followed by a complete list (in the same drop-down). This approach seems to have particular merit for presenting the many language and format options effectively to users.

    Limiting to a publication DATE (or range of dates) should also be possible. A LOCATION limit, while important in many local ALEPH catalogs, does not seem appropriate in the GUC.

    NOTE: An assessment will need to be made about the technical feasibility of including limits in the GUC. The Task Force recommends that this functionality be included in the GUC to as great an extent as possible.

    As the illustration in Appendix B demonstrates, the layout of the Expanded Keyword search form is similar to that of the Basic Keyword Search screen. An I-Ball will link to a screen providing examples and search hints relevant to this more complex search form. Subsequent Task Force members should develop content for those elements once they have access to a working model of the union environment. Examples already developed for use in the local catalogs should be available by that time to assist in this effort.

  2. Command Search Form
    The Advanced Search screen will also feature a Command Search form for staff and experienced users. I-Ball links to a list of valid commands and search examples/hints will be provided. NOTE: While some ALEPH OPACS include a Command Search option as a separate search screen, the Task Force believes that this approach to searching, while important to some people, does not need to be featured persistently in the header along with BASIC and ADVANCED. Simply including it on the ADVANCED Search screen seems adequate.

 

Possible Alternate Advanced Screen Discussion

The Task Force has yet to determine if (or which) numeric searches in the union catalog will be feasible or desirable, and how these should be featured if they are available. For example, will call number searches be useful (or even possible) in this environment? The Task Force feels this is an issue that can wait to be resolved until after the system architecture has been determined, and experience with numeric searching in the local catalogs has been gained. In particular, broader solicitation of ideas about the value of the various numeric searches in the union environment should also occur.

If it is determined that numeric searching of the GUC is desirable, the different numeric search types could be included in the basic Browse drop-down menu (to receive a structured search results, the numeric search would have to be included here, not in Keywords). Another option for the numeric search is a separate search form in the GUC (as now exists in LINCC). If this separate numeric search form is adopted, the Task Force then recommends that the Advanced Search screen contain only the Expanded Keyword Search form with links provided to the separate Command and Numeric search forms. (See Appendix B2)