CIL2007: Federated Search

[04/22/2007 -- corrected formatting.]

Frank Cervone and Jeff Wisnewski – Federated Search: State of the Art

Standard features:

• Support for multiple protocols
• Z39.50, SRU/SRW. OAI. Other XML
• Simple and advanced search
• Post processing of results
• Statistics

Advanced search features, e.g., integration with other software

Library Journal Automated System marketplace 2006 lists the competitors in this product space.

• Ex Libris
• WebFeat
• Products based on MuseGlobal
• And others…

However, we need to remove the confusion from having to make choices.

Gone from the marketplace: Endeavor. SirsiDynix’s solution is going away.

Database vendors are enhancing their market share by offering federated search. (e.g., ProQuest CSA Illumina/MultiSearch). But do our users understand the categories, for example, that are in MultiSearch?

Will ProQuest CSA kill MultiSearch in favor of Serial Solutions?

Ovid SearchSolver:

• Based on Muse technology
• Hosted
• Results post-processing
• Customizable, brandable
• Integrates faceted browsing

Ex Libris – Endeavor: all of the Endeavor federated search is being integrated into the Ex Libris product line.

• MetaLib
• SFX
• Primo

Metalib 4.0:

• Now with faceted browsing
• Interface with eventually be supplanted by Primo

Aquabrowser:

• Visual navigation
• Different way of information discovery

Grokker in EBSCO:

• Visual navigation
• Exposes relationships between pieces of data that may not be apparent in a text environment
• A pleasant experience for the user

Encore (by Innovative):

• Includes tag clouds – associates works with LCSH (Library of Congress Subject Headings) and then associates those LCSH with phrases and creates a phrase cloud

Fretwell-Downing (OCLC PICA):

• FDI Portal
• OL2
• Sounds like there were in the forefront at one point but no more. Frank showed a cartoon of a man yawning.

WebFeat Express:

• Hosted version of WebFeat Prism
• $7950 for an annual subscription
• Several interface choices – brandable
• OpenURL compliant
• ProCite/EndNote compatible
• EBSCO A-Z Integration
• Trying to make it plug-n-play as much as possible

Who else is in the game?

• Agent
• Carlweb
• Cameleon
• DOM2
• Millennium Access Plus
• Encore
• Explorit
• Keystone
• MetaSearch Solution
• Muse
• OpenSiteSearch
• Polaris
• Serials Solution
• Searcher Analyzer
• WebClarity

Looking outside of libraryland:

• Autonomy -- with Universal Repository Interfacing
• Endeca
• Siderian -- Take Guided Navigation a step further…

Trends:

• Number of vendors is shrinking
• Migration to XML information feeds
• Integration of content with external systems
• Organizational portals
• Bibliographic management software
• Course management/ learning management systems
• Increased use of visualization and clustering
• Greater possibilities for off-site hosting
• Data pre-processing options
• Google Scholar / Microsoft Academic Live

They skimmed through a lot of information. I wish they had gone more in-depth and perhaps covered less (deeper information on fewer topics, rather than a small bit of information on a lot of topics).

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