Presented as part of a panel at the 2015 Charleston Conference by Scott Bernier, EBSCO. http://sched.co/4BpL

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OPTIMIZING DISCOVERY
Charleston, November 2015
SCOTT BERNIER | Senior Vice President

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Discovery Optimization is a
collaborative effort across discovery
providers, content providers &
libraries.
The contributions from each party
have a direct impact on the end
value…and all goals are aligned.

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Collection Usage: the new reality of library
platforms & user behavior
• Direct Usage of Specialized Resources Remains
• Discovery Services are Growing
− Adoption, Usage & Emphasis (focal point of library web sites)
• As libraries we are focused on the user experience
• As a community, we are embracing the new reality
− Moving beyond simple participation…into optimization

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3 Major Areas for Optimization
2. Surfacing THE BEST RESULTS
(Relevance Ranking)
3. Facilitating ACCESS TO CONTENT
(Linking)
RESULT
LIST
CONTENT
1. Exposing ENTIRE COLLECTION
(Data/Records & Resources)
LINKING

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Optimizing Content Exposure
• Partnerships across all content providers
• All publications from every publisher
− Streamline data delivery
− Beyond basic metadata
• Subject Indexing, Book chapter level detail
• As a means for discovering library resources
• Extending discovery value
− Non-textual data, Faculty connections, Facilitate ILL
CONTENT

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Optimizing Content Exposure
Apps & Cloud Services
CONTENT

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Anticipating User Intent Highlighting Content Library Interaction
Sampling of apps hosted for EDS
30+ EBSCO Discovery Field Engineers
equals 100+ customer driven apps and
plugins available

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Curriculum Builder
Instructors stay within
the Course or Learning
Management System,
and can easily add EDS
content into their
courses
Student reading lists in
Moodle, Blackboard,
Sakai, and more

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Item Request

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Optimizing Results (Relevance)
• With billions of potential results, there has never
been a time when precision relevance ranking
has been more important for libraries
− Successful user experience is critical
• Not just a single search of your collection, but a
truly worthy academic research tool
• A combination of factors enables optimal results
for every search query…
RESULT
LIST

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Optimizing Results (Relevance)
Comprehensive coverage
+
Detailed Metadata (including subject indexing)
+
Additional Editorial Value
+
Search Smarts (search technologies to maximize available information)
=
Precision Ranking (best results for every query)
RESULT
LIST

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Optimizing Results (Relevance)
Additional Editorial Value to further
optimize Search Precision
RESULT
LIST
Enhanced Subject Precision
• EBSCO’s professional taxonomy team developed a knowledge base of
topical concepts
• Then mapped vocabulary terms from multiple thesauri to these concepts
• When a user’s search term matches a known concept, the system uses
appropriate mapped terms to precisely search against individual
vocabularies

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Optimizing Results (Relevance)
Additional Editorial Value to further
optimize Search Precision
RESULT
LIST
Enhanced Subject Precision – WHY?
• Because each vocabulary uses its own terminologies to account for
essentially the same concept, we are able to normalize search such that
users don’t have to know how each index might develop its taxonomy
• Searchers use different search terms that are conceptually the same
• Because EBSCO has unique approach to discovery, we can further
maximize the value of these subject indexes for the benefit of the user
• Ultimately, it’s about enhancing precision in search by augmenting
unstructured keyword searches with structured subject index application

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Optimizing Results (Relevance)
Additional Editorial Value to further
optimize Search Precision
RESULT
LIST
Enhanced Subject Precision – Example:
EBSCO Concept Knowledge Base: “Work-related injuries”
Subject Index #1: “occupational injuries”
Subject Index #2: “occupational-related injuries”
Subject Index #3: “work-related injuries”
When the user’s keyword search matches the “Work-related injuries” Concept,
EDS applies a subject heading expansion using the preferred subject heading in
that target database, thus matching highly relevant content.
NOTE: This all occurs IN ADDITION TO our existing detailed relevance ranking

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Optimizing Access to Full Text (Linking)
•Greatest possible accuracy
•A single click to the full text
• Remove potential points of failure
• Ensure common understanding of ideal
scenarios (syntax, data, etc.)
LINKING

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Link optimization
• Link resolvers still flawed (20%+ fail)
• An addition % end in user frustration
• User Research shows that students learn
(what not to do)
• Direct links can be better, but all links are not
created equally

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Full Text Linking - Simplified
DISCOVERY
SERVICE RESULTS
FULL TEXT
CONTENT
DIRECT LINKS
LINK
RESOLVER
CROSS
REF

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Linking Basics (Syntax)
1. Open URL (standard)
2. Various forms of Proprietary
Constructed URL (content
provider “reacts well” to a
specific link construction)
3. Durable URL (Root + Unique Identifier)
http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/abstractAuthors.jsp?arnumber={UniqueID}
(Unique ID could leverage a DOI, for example.)
CONSTRUCTED
OF MULTIPLE
“BITS” OF DATA
• ISSN
• Volume
• Issue
• Page #

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Linking Basics – What EBSCO is
considering as a discovery provider
• Gain an understanding of the link construction
each content provider can readily accept
− Which “Syntax” is OK/IDEAL for that content
provider?
− How Does Data from the Origin (Discovery Service)
Support the Syntax?

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What do we need to know to optimize links?
Syntax
Supported by Content
Provider (Y/N)
Detail (Notes)
Open URL Y
Proprietary Y Specific Construction
Unique ID Y Data

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Example: 3 Records for Same Article
Inspec JSTOR
IEEE
(publisher)
Slightly different value
for a given index field
from these providers
Ideal Syntax can’t be
constructed
• Link may not resolve
• May drop the user at
journal or issue level
We receive data
from IEEE
Ideal link Syntax for
IEEE is known
Generate ideal link for
IEEE to deliver Fulltext
• ISSN
• Vol
• Issue
• Page #
• etc.
Their preferred link
construction
Accurate direct
link

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Ideal links for any record
SmartLinks+
Inspec JSTOR
IEEE
(publisher)
Publisher
data
Ideal
syntax
EBSCO
Subscription
Services
Customers
ONLY
Construct
Ideal Link
DIRECT LINK
IEEE Full
Text

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More Linkouts to
FULL TEXT
• Direct custom links
• SmartLinks+
• Link Resolver

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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Millions
Ehost EDS
EBSCO generates more usage of publisher content than ever before through a combination of platforms -
EBSCOhost and EBSCO Discovery Service
With EBSCO, there is more usage overall
Direct Custom Links, Link Resolver & SmartLinks+

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The link resolver is
NOT A “SOURCE OF TRAFFIC”
• It is simply a “bridge” between the article record in a given platform and
the full text on the publisher sides
• But, many times publishers can only see as far back as the link resolver
− I.E. – can’t see the origin (platform) where the user made request for full text
EDS
PUBLISHERS
Specific
article or
record
Smartlinks plus
Direct custom link
The origin of 40% of the traffic cannot be seen
The most heavily used link resolvers are provided by companies
that also offer a discovery service – adding to the confusion
Link Resolver

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NISO’s D2D Committee Approved Proposal
• Proposal was submitted to D2D to enable consistent
visibility into where requests for full text originate
• When finalized, link resolvers will have guidelines on
how to pass data to content providers in consistent
manner
• Goal is to ensure that publishers (& Libraries) can
accurately identify the levels of traffic from each
platform (link resolvers are not platforms)
• Proposal awaits final NISO approval / member vote

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THANK YOU
SCOTT BERNIER | Senior Vice President
978 356 6500 ext. 2278
sbernier@ebsco.com