1 / 20

The Power of Search Engines in Finding Information: A Library Perspective

This lecture by Eric Sieverts from the University Library Utrecht IT Department explores why people use search engines, their functionality and technology, what people miss with search engines, and why people prefer Google over databases. It also examines the library's perspective on search engines and the challenges they face.

slogan
Download Presentation

The Power of Search Engines in Finding Information: A Library Perspective

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. searching in Eric Sieverts University Library Utrecht IT Department Institute for Media & Information Management (Hogeschool van Amsterdam)

  2. Google and/or/not databases • why people use search engines • search engine functionality & technology • what people miss with search engines • why people prefer google above databases • the library’s perspective Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

  3. success of web search engines • ease of use / simple interface • fast and good results (quality of relevance ranking) • introduction of new technology • very large "collections" Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

  4. search engine technology • improved relevance ranking • probabilistic techniques • use of popularity / quality as a relevance measure • suggestions to use the correct term • automatic categorisation of result sets • boolean -, citation -, similarity - etc. search • ...... Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

  5. what (many) search engines miss • to-be-paid-for or licensed information(bibliographic databases, full-text scientific journals, ....) • all information hidden in searchable databases(spiders cannot fill out database search forms) • non-HTML documents: flash, office-files, pdf (no fundamental problem, as google, fast and others demonstrate) • "real-time" data (too difficult to keep track) • dynamically, database generated pages(fear for spider traps; but some seem to catch also those) • all information not (yet) discovered by the spider • all information not (yet) on the web Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

  6. do users miss so much with google ? • google also indexes .PDF , .DOC , .PPT , .XLS , .RTF • fast-alltheweb also indexes flash • the web also contains preprints, reports, projects etc. that are NOT in databases • many scientists (and others) put copies of their published articles on their personal websites that seems fine, but you still get low recall, because: • the web remains a very fragmented incomplete mess (behind that simple google screen) • it is not indexed consistently and in a controlled way but for many users lousy recall is no problem at all ..... Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

  7. why people wouldn't use professional databases • apparent simplicity of search engine interface • too many separate other search systems to address • overwhelming choice of databases • overwhelming choice of digital primary sources • plethora of different database system interfaces • interfaces crowded with "functionality" • what would you use ? • if you did't know what's the difference • if you did't know what you'd miss Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

  8. the provider's perspective • offer one-stop shopping / single interface • ovid/silverplatter/erl • elsevier sciencedirect / scirus • highwire / ebsco / ..... • integration with customer's information landscape • factiva • lexis/nexis • .... Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

  9. the library's perspective • realise integrated access & single interface to all its precious (and expensive) professional information resources • realise more advanced retrieval possibilities while keeping the advances of controlled indexing as well central index solution • own choice of advanced local search engine / retrieval software • problems with indexing remotely stored data • problems with non-uniform controlled indexing meta-search / portal solution • many remote and locally available retrieval systems addressed in a single query (via Z39.50, http, etc.) • restricted to common denominator of classical boolean functionality • problems with non-uniformity of fields & controlled indexing Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

  10. integrated system: local central index solution search central index indexer indexing- rules for targets internet full-text links document text files document text files

  11. integrated system: metasearch / portal solution search query-generator / result-collector configuration data for targets Z39.50 http Z39.50 internal api internet Z39.50 http http xml Z39.50 search search search search search search index index index index index index files files files files files files

  12. .... and how about the future .... competition between “ “ and "our databases" will continue Eric Sieverts | e.sieverts@library.uu.nl | http://www.library.uu.nl/medew/it/eric | IP-lezing 3 october 2002

More Related