OpenEdition Search gets a makeover

A new version of our search engine OpenEdition Search is now online! We have significantly improved the user interface, added new features and considerably enhanced the user experience. The makeover draws on insights into user expectations, gathered via a survey sent to partner institutions.

The first phase involved tweaking existing code to improve the relevance of the results generated by Search. We worked on Boolean operators, making searches swifter and more accurate, improving filter performance, making acquisitions more visible, etc. 

The second phase involved developing new features and creating a new, more user-friendly experience.

Key updates

Some features have been improved:

• Quick search – you can now do a search for all words entered in the search bar
• Keyword search – you can now define the type of search to apply: ‘All words’, ‘At least one word’, ‘Exact phrase’ or ‘Expert search’
• Expert search – although this feature existed before, it is now automatically activated if you use inverted commas or Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT) in the search bar
• ‘Types of Access’ filter – it now adapts to the user profile and, for logged-in library users, includes an ‘Available at (library short name)’ filter, which combines results for open access content and books acquired at the library in question. It also now includes an ‘All’ (types of access) option.
• Formats available – the results window now shows the formats in which the results displayed can be viewed
• Help window – pops up when you do a quick search
• Filters – we have improved filter layout and performance
• Search criteria – it’s now easier to modify them as you search

The user experience has been redesigned:

• Search engine home page – you can now do a ‘quick’ search using keywords only
• ‘Advanced search’ page – all the search filters are displayed and the search interface has been given a complete makeover

New features have been added:

• Document count – the Search home page displays the total number of documents available across all OpenEdition platforms
• Results count – the advanced search page displays the number of results obtained
• CSV export – you can export results in CSV format (page by page)
• RSS feeds (being finalized) – you will be able to subscribe to an RSS feed linked to your search

Any questions?

Please send us your feedback!
Contact us: contact[at]openedition.org or access[at]openedition.org (for libraries).
View the guide to searching for content on OpenEdition.

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