Tap the Power of AVS

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Tap the Power of AVS

• by
• Jerry V. Caswell
• John Wynstra
• University of Northern Iowa
• http//www.uni.edu/caswell/avs/

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• A library is a growing organism.
• -Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan

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• Save the time of the reader.
• -Shiyali Ramamrita Ranganathan

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AVS Advanced Searching

• What is AVS
• AltaVista Search Engine Technology
• Extra purchase from Innovative
• Pricing Staggered by library size

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AVS - 3 Modes

• X - Advanced Boolean (AND OR NOT Limits Sorts)
• AltaVista Advanced Search Syntax
• Y - Simple Boolean (AND OR NOT )
• AltaVista Advanced Search Syntax
• Z - Altavista simple ( -)
• AltaVista Basic Search Syntax -

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Boolean Search Syntax

• AND OR NOT !
• BEFORE AFTER NEAR WITHIN
• Example Searches
• Xml and html
• Xml and not html
• Xml within 3 html
• Xml near html

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AltaVista Simple Search Syntax

• Include
• - Exclude
• Example Searches
• Xml html
• Xml -html

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AVS WildCards

• ? 1 character
• 1-5 characters
• unlimited characters
• Note Must have at least 3 stem characters

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Sample Wildcard Searches

• Wom?n (women and woman)
• Trans (transport not transportation)
• Trans (transportation)

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AVS and Punctuation

• These all become spaces in an AVS search
• \ _at_ , _ /

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AVS Search Tags

• a (author)
• t (title)
• d (subject)
• w n (notes)
• genre
• Mattypemattype?
• LangLang???
• Branchbranch???

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Sample Tagged Searches

• aBeethoven and gcompact discs
• gvideocassettes

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Understanding the AVS URL

• http//innovative.server.edu/search/X?
• searchString
• limitString

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AVS URL Example

• http//unistar.uni.edu/search/X?SEARCH
• search
• abeethovengcompact20discs
• limit
• mjlgerbsearchscope1SORTADaDb

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AVS Configuration options

• 37 Alta-Vista Searching Ranking
  Options.........DAR
• Type any combination of the below "Search and
  Sort" options.
• First code entered is the default option.
• A Alphabetical D Date R Relevance
• Current Fields DAR

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AVS Configuration options

• 41 AVS automatic quote insertion......CALL
  Innov.

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Four Configuration options

• 42 AVS performs adjacency search.......YES
• AVS performs adjacency search
• Current Setting YES
• Change setting to NO? (y/n)

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Four Configuration options

• 44 AVS performs OR search.......................
  ..........................NO
• AVS performs OR search
• Current Setting NO
• Change setting to YES? (y/n)

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Begin Search
term1 term2
Adjacency to Yes
Results?
yes
no
term1AND term2
Results?
yes
no
term1 OR term2
Or to Yes
Results?
yes
no
Sorry
Display Results
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Indexing Concepts

• Advanced Keyword Index is broken down into
  segments.
• Title
• Subject
• Author
• Note
• We added an additional segments such as
• Genre

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Some Local Practices

• Catalog e-journals
• Added author entry for e-journal providers
• 710 2\aLexisNexis Academic
• Forms in genre index
• 655 \7aElectronic Journals2local
• Special location code for internet resources
• 1intr

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AVS Applied

• Modifying the User Interface
• Canned Searching
• Library Gateway

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Modifying the User Interface

• Phase 3
• Integrates keyword with phrase searches in a
  single form
• Before Phase 3
• Dropdown field selection
• Additional qualification resource types
  (dictionaries, encyclopedias)

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Dropdown Field Selection
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Resource Types
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Modifying the User Interface

• Post Phase 3
• Integrate pre-qualified AVS searches with phrase
  searches in a single form

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Fully Integrated Interface
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Fully Integrated Interface 2
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Canned Searching

• Place search forms outside of vendor interface
• Taming the complexity while tapping the power
• Available at point of need
• Tailored to context

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Predefined Searches

• All parameters hard coded into URL
• Both search terms and qualifiers

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Predefined Searches

• Browse a List of Print and Electronic Newspapers
  by Title
• http//unistar.uni.edu/search/X?SEARCHgenrenewsp
  aperssearchscope1SORTA

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Guided Searches

• Users enter query in search form
• Hidden qualifiers provide limits

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Guided Search
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Rod Library Gateway

• Gateway as a structured means of organizing
  information
• Process centered categories Find articles
• Action oriented
• Melding the catalog into the Gateway
• Continuity of look and feel
• Specialized retrieval forms

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Gateway Major Category
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Gateway Subcategory
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Gateway Major Category
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Gateway Subcategory
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Quote of the Day

• Information finding for users is a series of
  approximations rather than a series of
  certainties.

-- Jerry Caswell
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Thank You

• Have a nice day
• Good Luck
• Jerry.Caswell_at_uni.edu
• John.Wynstra_at_uni.edu