Yeah, in general I'm not sure the best interface for offering people search modifications. There are least three kinds of search modifications that we could offer as suggestions, in different contexts:
1) Narrowing your search, as in most facetted interfaces, to a subset of what you currently have
2) Expanding your search (adding an 'or' clause onto it) as Jon Gorman suggests.
3) Changing your search to something else, as in "did you mean" or Google's "Searches related to" feature (look at the bottom of a multi-word Google search result if you haven't noticed this before)
If an interface offers all three, how to offer them so it's clear what they do and does not surprise or confuse the user is tricky. But maybe all three don't need to be offered? But I kinda think they do.
________________________________________
From: Next generation catalogs for libraries [NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Jon Gorman [jonathan.gorman_at_GMAIL.COM]
Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 11:30 AM
To: NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU
Subject: Re: [NGC4LIB] Leveraging Authority Data in Keyword Searches
On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 10:20 AM, Dan Matei <dan_at_cimec.ro> wrote:
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> [mailto:NGC4LIB_at_LISTSERV.ND.EDU] On Behalf Of Sharon Foster
>> Sent: 5 mai 2009 23:51
>>
>> So why can't the catalog just say it in plain English?
>>
>> "Here are some items about "Nat Turner's Rebellion."
>> Nat Turner's Rebellion is also know as the "Southampton Insurrection"
>> in some sources.
>> Would you like to see what we have under "Southampton Insurrection"?"
>
> Or even more. In order to save a click, it could offer two columns:
>
> column a: some items about "Nat Turner's Rebellion."
> column b: Nat Turner's Rebellion is also know as the "Southampton Insurrection" in some sources.
> Some items under "Southampton Insurrection".
And a click that simply says 'Add all "Southampton Insurrection"' to
current search results and return the search with the original set +
any materials added due to the additional term.
Just throwing it out there.
Jon Gorman
Received on Wed May 06 2009 - 12:16:35 EDT