searching, finding, and the information professional marydee ojala editor, online: the leading...

Searching, Finding, and the Searching, Finding, and the Information ProfessionalInformation Professional

Marydee OjalaMarydee Ojala

Editor, Editor, ONLINE: The Leading ONLINE: The Leading Magazine for Information ProfessionalsMagazine for Information Professionals

Computers in Libraries, 2007Computers in Libraries, 2007 22

AgendaAgenda

• Searching

• Finding/Findability

• Search Techniques

• New Search Technologies

• Nontextual information

• The Future


SearchingSearching

• Information professionals enjoy the “thrill of the chase”

• They understand how information is structured and where it is likely to be

• They know the intricacies of search engines, often exchanging tips on what has suddenly stopped working (~synonym on Google)


SearchingSearching

• Information professionals sometimes forget when to stop

• They have problems with information overload: It makes them overlook things

• With more sources, more search engines, more searching possibilities, the process paradoxically takes longer


FindingFinding

• This is what clients want

• A quick answer, no clue about sources

• Find me the data

• Why can’t I put one word in a search box and find what I want

• Non-Boolean mindset

• That’s why they’re not info pros


FindingFinding

• Information professionals want to find answers as well

• They care about finding the correct, accurate, and timely answer

• They think about external sources before internal ones, which can be a mistake


FindabilityFindability

• The flip side of finding

• Webmasters wanting their sites to be found

• How a site is architected

• Optimization, for good or ill

• The race to show up at the top of Web search engine results


Premium Content FindabilityPremium Content Findability

• Expand to other markets (reputation monitoring, sales, back office management)

• Integrate with workflow

• New pricing models (pay per view)

• Become more intuitive, build search strategies behind the scenes

• Look more like Web search


Web FindabilityWeb Findability

• Search is pervasive

• Search is unstable

• Gaming the system

• Quality issues

• Education issues


Search TechniquesSearch Techniques

• Traditional– Boolean– Pearl growing– Building blocks– Successive fractions

• Web– Squishy Boolean– Algorithms taking over


Web Search TechnologiesWeb Search Technologies

• Personalization

• Optimization

• Semantic clustering

• Automatic indexing

• Metadata

• Different databases

• Invisible, hidden web


PersonalizationPersonalization

• Web search engines know who you are and what you want

• Which is great for individuals

• But not so great for information professionals who want non-biased, non-personalized results


OptimizationOptimization

• Web search optimizer (SEO) community

• White hat; black hat

• Information professionals can learn a lot from them

• A good reason to set preferences to 50 or 100 rather than be satisfied with first 10


Semantic ClusteringSemantic Clustering

• Contextual search

• Words that are searched frequently retrieve related words

• Visible clustering– Clusty– Factiva


Automatic IndexingAutomatic Indexing

• Trying to automate the indexing process

• Identify company name

• Context plays a role here as well

• Works best with human oversight


MetadataMetadata

• Discredited as means to drive traffic to web site

• Highly useful in controlled environments


Different DatabasesDifferent Databases

• Each search engine has a different database

• In premium search, is it a database producer or an aggregator

• How does this affect indexing


Invisible, Hidden WebInvisible, Hidden Web

• Isn’t this rather quaint?

• Much more is no longer hidden– Formats– Older stuff

• Some, however, is purposefully gone


Nontextual, Nontraditional Nontextual, Nontraditional InformationInformation

• Audio files

• Video clips

• Images

• Blogs

• Groups

• Second Life


Searching NontextualSearching Nontextual

• An imprecise science, to say the least

• Precision/recall dubious

• Hum a few bars

• Describe your image

• You want a video with that?

• Viral marketing


Displaying Nontextual InformationDisplaying Nontextual Information

• Search versus display

• Delisting of results

• Graphic depictions of results

• Grokker at EBSCO, Gale

• Tag clouds at Factiva


Worst Case ScenarioWorst Case Scenario

• A controlled information environment

• High price doesn’t guarantee quality data

• Industry consolidation diminishes available information

• Consumerism and entertainment trump research


Best Case ScenarioBest Case Scenario

• Intuitive interfaces

• No licensing wars

• Information is accessible, available

• Producers are profitable

• Searchers are satisfied

• Searching and finding coalesce


Contact InformationContact Information

• Marydee Ojala

• Editor, ONLINE: The Leading Magazine for Information Professionals

• www.onlinemag.net

• [email protected]

searching, finding, and the information professional marydee ojala editor, online: the leading...

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