Metasearch: Selection Considerations

NISO Metasearch WorkshopOctober 30, 2003

Beth Forrest WarnerDirector, Digital Library Initiatives

University of Kansasbwarner@ku.edu

October 30, 2003 NISO Metasearch Workshop Slide #2

First, some background on KU…

Carnegie Research 1 institution, ARL Library Multi-campus: Lawrence, Medical Center, others Approximately 28,000 students Information Services division includes:

Library IT units Digital Library Initiatives

Approximately xxx databases, xxxx e-journals

Vice Provost IS

Library DLI IT Units

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KU’s metasearch environment

Metasearch implemented as part of full digital library system ENCompass from Endeavor Information Systems Production: November 2002 50+ databases (still adding) Multi-protocol: http, Z39.50, XML (soon) OpenURL linking (LinkFinderPlus)

Serials Solutions holdings

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KU’s related systems environment

Integrated library management system: Voyager (Endeavor)

University portal: uPortal Course management system: BlackBoard Institutional repository system: DSpace I/A/A: LDAP, local directory service, EZ-proxy

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Selecting a metasearch system

Key points: Define your audience, needs, & goals Know your local environment Assess integration requirements Assess functionality requirements

Metasearch functions vs. broader portal functions Understand the basic technology involved Understand the range of players involved Know your vendor(s) and their customers Consider an RFI / RFP, take a test run

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Define audience, needs, goals

Define your primary audience(s) Students, faculty/staff, researchers, public, librarians Local, remote

Define your needs & goals Resource discovery / In-depth search Core resources / Specialized resources Commercial resources / Free resources Local resources / Remote resources

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Define local environment

Resources to search Databases, vendors – who provides what A&I databases, full-text, OPAC(s), websites, etc. Licensing arrangements (unlimited, limited, pay per search)

Staff resources available Position(s) / people available Skill-sets

Authentication environment ILMS vendor

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Define integration needs

Stand-alone module vs. search system component

Related system(s) integration: ILMS Institutional portal Specialized portals Course management system Institutional repository system Harvesters

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Define functionality requirements

General Client Searching & search results Knowledge database Authentication Administration & vendor support

Can be somewhat tricky to separate metasearch functions from application portal functions…

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Functionality requirements: GeneralMetasearch application: Supports multiple standard and

non-standard search protocols Enables access for novice and

advanced users to heterogeneous targets with diverse metadata

Supports standard metadata formats whenever possible

Ensures reliable duplication of search results

Links search results to full-text or other content delivery options whenever possible

Unicode supported Provides use statistics

Application portal: Helps users identify and select

one or more targets most useful to their research

Helps user understand choices for specifying search queries, manipulating and exporting search results, and navigating among portal functions

Supports personalized user profiles (for session parameters, target selection, saved queries, etc.)

Respects laws and institutional policies relating to user privacy

Users can begin evaluating partial search results before complete search results are received

Provides use statistics

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Functionality requirements: Client Supports a web client in a browser-neutral environment on a variety

of hardware platforms running various operating systems Complies with Section 508 requirements, if applicable Supports locally-customizable screen displays Supports different user communities and “levels” of searchers

(expert, skilled, novice) Allows local branding, labeling, and search session defaults Interface is modular; underlying system is backwardly compatible to

allow for gradual implementation of new system functionality without losing local customization

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Functionality requirements: Searching & search resultsMetasearch application Search results are viewable by

target and as merged search results. Search results are clearly understandable.

It is clear how search results returned from different targets are ordered, as well as how and when search results from different targets are de-duped

Results (records) are parsed to allow for easy and consistent application manipulation and display

Application portal Users can easily perform

information-seeking tasks in an iterative manner

Various sort options are available

Users can easily save and export selected search result records from one or more queries without additional log-in requirements

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Functionality requirements: Searching & search results (2)Metasearch application Searching options include

more than “keyword anywhere” support. Users can, for example, search keywords in specified fields or browse a “left-match” display of fields in an ordered list.

Searchers can apply “search relationship identifiers” (such as Boolean operators, truncation, wildcards, and nesting) in a single advanced search query

It is clear which search result records are linked to accessible digital content

Application portal Between search sessions,

users can save, modify, and delete both search queries and the targets associated with these queries

Subject-based retrieval tools to enhance queries can be incorporated

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Functionality requirements:Knowledge DatabaseMetasearch application Vendor maintains basic descriptive metadata and configuration

information; translators are maintained / updated frequently; changes to remote targets are monitored, incorporated quickly

Knowledge database is updateable online and through batch processes using update requests expressed in an open format

Contents of the knowledge database are exportable in an open format

Institutions can access vendor-supplied descriptive metadata and configuration information on an ongoing basis

Institutions can add local descriptive metadata and configuration information to knowledge database records; this information is retained when records are refreshed

The knowledge database can integrate metadata from multiple external sources

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Functionality requirements:Authentication

Metasearch application Different authentication

methods to individual targets are supported (IP address, ID/password, specialized URLs, etc.)

Application portal The architecture allows the

use of different methods to authenticate users and recognizes various user roles or classes of users

Proxy services are supported (ex. EZ-proxy)

Allows administrators to configure the set of targets and portal functionalities displayed to an authenticated user based on information about the user and role/class

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Functionality requirements:Administration

Metasearch application Provides access to Z39.50 target

servers and one or more mechanisms for accessing non-Z39.50 target servers.

No effective system limitations on the number of targets or resources within these targets

No effective system limitations on the number of simultaneous active retrieval sessions. The system supports a substantial portion of institutional users

Application portal Web-accessible administrative

interfaces are secure, and private information (such as passwords and user profile data) is stored in an encrypted or secure environment

The application interoperates with related library systems and applications

the application supports secure user logins and enables institutions to determine what session-specific information is stored and purged

The application can control access for different user roles/classes according to target-specific access control agreements

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Functionality requirements:System reliability, vendor support

The application provides for complete and robust recovery in case of operating system failure. Provides less than x% downtime.

Tools and comprehensive machine-readable documentation are available, with permission given to excerpt and adapt documentation for local use

Vendor can clearly define staff skill-sets required to implement / operate system

Vendor provides installation services and training, as requested Vendor is available 24x7 for problem resolution Vendor procedures and response mechanisms for handling bug

reports and enhancement requests are clearly defined

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Understand the basics

Portal vs. Metasearch functionality Differences between search protocols Whose search engine does what Resource translators – who, what, when The reality of de-duping results Is relevance ranking really relevant? Software vs. service

What you are really buying Is a single-vendor solution critical?

Who handles what level of security

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Understand the players: who’s on first…?

Search Portal:Federated Searching, etc.

ResourceTranslators

Resources

Local CommercialRemote

Searching,Authentication

authenticatio

n

OPAC

Z39.50, XML, http

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Know your vendor(s), customer base

Who provides search translators: In-house External partner

Support staff Development staff Stability, financing Look beyond current

functionality – consider development path, upgrade cycle

Track record ILMS vendor?

Mix of customers Types of institutions

Similar sizes, range Similar resource mix User group

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Gathering information: Use an RFI / RFP?

IMLS vendor vs. other federated search vendor

Purchasing / contracting requirements Metasearch vs. portal – define scope Keep it simple, focus on critical points

Don’t forget who your primary audience is (hint: its not really the librarians…)

LC’s requirements list is only 11 pages… Standards are critical

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Gathering Information:Take a test drive

On-site demonstrations, include users Hands-on test environment

Searching, include users Administrative functions

Look at other installations in production Talk to current customers

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Metasearching: final thoughts

Remember: Its a young and rapidly changing technology Its a volatile environment There are multiple players involved The competition is Google Its only one way to get users to your resources Resource discovery vs. in-depth searching Be flexible You are buying a service as well as a system

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Some additional resources The Truth About Federated Searching, Information Today, 20(9), October 2003,

http://www.infotoday.com/it/oct03/hane1.shtml Luther, Judy, Meta Search Engines – The Librarians’ Answer to Google?, The Charleston

Advisor, 4(4), April 2003, http://www.charlestonco.com/features.cfm?id=123&type=np Luther, Judy, Trumping Google? Metasearching’s Promise, Library Journal, October 1,

2003, http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA322627

List of Portal Application Functionalities for the Library of Congress, First Draft for Public Comment, July 15, 2003, issued by the Library of Congress Portals Applications Issues Group, http://www.loc.gov/catdir/lcpaig/portalfunctionalitieslist4publiccomment1st7-22-03revcomp.pdf

Tennant, Roy, The Right Solution: Federated Search Tools, Library Journal, June 15, 2003, http://libraryjournal.reviewsnews.com/index.asp?layout=articlePrint&articleID=CA302427

Blossom, John, Federated Foxholes: Moving Search Beyond Library Science to Content Science, Shore, October 6, 2003, http://shore.com/commentary/newsanal/items/20031006federated.html