Metasearch Jenny Walker Co-chair NISO Metasearch Initiative

metasearch = integrated searching cross database searching = parallel searching = broadcast searching = federated searching = … Query form ? Diverse information resources CNI Spring Forum April 16 th 2004

Query form ? Diverse information resources Metasearch transformations CNI Spring Forum April 16 th 2004

Z39.50 Library of Congress Z39.50 Library of Congress HTTP PubMed HTTP PubMed Z39.50 MEDLINE Z39.50 MEDLINEKOBV ALEPH Boston College Title: 1=Kryger, Meir AND 4=sleepWAU=Kryger, Meir AND WTI=sleep (%20sleep[TITL]%20)%20AND%20(%20 Kryger[AUTH]%20Meir[AUTH]%20) Author: 1003=Kryger-M? AND 4=sleepWAU=Kryger, Meir AND WTI=sleep sleep Kryger, Meir Z39.50 Library of Congress Z39.50 Library of Congress Z39.50 MEDLINE Z39.50 MEDLINE HTTP PubMed HTTP PubMedKOBV ALEPH Boston College CNI Spring Forum April 16 th 2004

CNI Spring Forum Why Metasearch? Only librarians like to search, everyone else likes to find. All things being equal, one place to search is better than more. "Good enough" is the sum of gain minus pain; users aren't lazy, they are human The size of a result set isn't as important as how it is presented ( the Google lesson) Roy Tennant, CDL. January 2004

April 16 th 2004 CNI Spring Forum Many homegrown and commercial products now available for Metasearch Library of Congress portals page:

April 16 th 2004 CNI Spring Forum Metasearch and Standards Most prominent standard deployed is Z39.50 Standards are required beyond Search and Retrieve Concern from Information Providers re inefficient use of resources with Metasearch  lead to NISO Metasearch Inititiave

April 16 th 2004 CNI Spring Forum NISO Metasearch Initiative 3 Task Groups 1. Access Management 2. Collection Description 3. Search and Retrieve See

April 16 th 2004 CNI Spring Forum TG3: Search and Retrieve A description of the current practice in Metasearch search and retrieval Inventorying proprietary XML interfaces and best practices for Metasearch search and retrieval Defining a standard vocabulary and terms Defining a template for exchange of search and retrieval functionality Recommend the data elements to describe a Result Set and a record within a Result Set Review SRW/SRU and recommend modifications for use as the basis of a Metasearch search and retrieval standard.

April 16 th 2004 CNI Spring Forum Search/Retrieve Requirements Near stateless access Lightweight identification, authentication and authorization eg a token Search in a Standard Query syntax Allow several resources to be searched by one request

April 16 th 2004 CNI Spring Forum Possible options: Z39.50 Proprietary APIs Screen scraping SRU/SRW