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Library Guide on how to use Discovery

What is Discovery?

The Library has replaced SuperSearch with a new and improved search tool. Discovery is a new search interface which you can use to find books, articles and resources located both in the library and beyond.
You can use it to search for exam papers, course readings, books, e-books, journal and newspaper articles, as well as other resources.
It’s simple, fast and easy to use.
To start searching in Discovery click here.

Why is the library introducing a new search?

We want to help you access material more easily and quickly.

Feedback from staff and students has clearly demonstrated the need for a simply designed search interface that is easy to navigate and quickly connects users will full-text content. In the last few years, there have been significant developments in library search technologies with particular focus on usability (consistency, navigability, simplicity) and accessibility issues.

The discovery service will enable the library to improve its scholarly search service and leverage improvements in technology. The discovery service will search quickly across collected electronic content on your key search terms. Once you have your initial search set the left hand menu box offers facets/limitors to refine your search easily.

Other libraries have offered discovery services because:

with EDS we were offering our students what they were looking for from the library—a single search box that is easy to use which points the novice in the right direction while incorporating the premium resources that graduate students and faculty have come to rely on

Diane Dallis-Associate Dean of Library Academic Service Indiana University

EDS brings our resources to students with the Google-like quality that students seem to want while giving faculty members the rich searching capability they require.

Anita Foster -Electronic Resources Librarian Illinois State University

Why did the library select the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS)?

We think this is the product that offers the easiest initial search experience.

Three market leading discovery products were trialled in the second half of 2010. During the trial period, a user preference evaluation was undertaken using student focus groups; a comparative analysis was prepared by an external consultant and an internal review based on library staff and end-user feedback was documented. Of critical importance to users was ease of use, ability to quickly and seamlessly access full-text content, and confidence in the quality of search results. Support staff sought a product that was robust, maximised access to library subscribed content, and supported web standards. Following a thorough tender and evaluation process EDS was selected as the preferred service.

“If [discovery] didn’t exist, it would be necessary to invent it,” says Sykes. “More and more you find people bypassing library systems and going straight to Google. Maybe we would be kept in business for old time’s sake, but we wouldn’t be providing a vital function. Discovery keeps us in the game.”
Phil Sykes, University Librarian, University of Liverpool, LibraryJournal.Com 15 Feb, 2011
http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/communityacademiclibraries/888965-419/liverpools_discovery.html.csp

Will the Library catalogue be replaced?

Discovery searches across content from the Library catalogue and the University Digital Repository. You can limit to catalogue or repository only within Discovery.
However if you prefer to use the existing library or digital repository catalogues they remain available.

Can I still go directly to a list of databases, or find a specific journal title?

Yes. The same A-Z lists called Find Ejournal and Find Database that existed with SuperSearch will be available from Discovery, and will continue to be so in the future. Choose the link from the top left menu bar of any Discovery webpage.

Some aspects of the old SuperSearch will not be supported after Dec 10th, 2011 - the My Stuff tab and the search features.

How do I use Discovery?

See the Library Guide about Discovery, use online help when in Discovery, attend a library class or contact the Library.

How do I create a reading list from my set of saved records?

You can continue to use SuperSearch
You can copy and paste the "Permalink" from each Discovery record into a html file

How do I transfer My Stuff from SuperSearch to Discovery ?

If you have saved citations, preferred databases or e-journals and saved searches in SuperSearch, you will need to transfer them to the new Discovery service. Unfortunately, there is no automated method that can be used for this transfer, so you will need to carry out the steps described below to move your saved information to the new service.

My Marked Records

Any citations that you have saved in SuperSearch cannot be transferred to your Discovery account. If you do require the same set of records to be available in Discovery, you will need to replicate your previous searches and save them into the Discovery My Stuff account.

To save your SuperSearch citations in a relevant format:

1. Go to the My Marked Records tab and click on Select all to select all the items in your basket.

2. Click on Export Checked Items to save these records to a file.

3. Click on the Save button in the export dialogue window. You will be presented with a number of options to save the records. We recommend that you save these items to the format that best suits your work habits. If you use personal bibliographic software – EndNote, RefWorks, ProCite or Reference Manager to manage your citations, choose the appropriate format for the export. If you do not use any particular software, choose one of the other output formats according to your tastes.

4. Once you have selected a format, select an Encoding method – UTF-8 is recommended for multilingual or multiscript data and is a good option for pretty much anything.

5. Click on the Save button and follow the steps in the Save dialogue to save the file on your computer.

6. Once you are satisfied that the output is complete, and the records are saved to your preferred format, we recommend that you go back to the SuperSearch My Marked Records tab and clear all the saved records.

My Databases

In SuperSearch, the My Databases feature allowed you to save preferred databases for searching. In Discovery, the concept of ‘databases’ works quite differently, so there is no direct parallel to the SuperSearch My Databases feature. It is therefore not useful to attempt to transfer your list of databases from SuperSearch to Discovery.

In Discovery, it is possible to refine your search to particular sources after the search has been carried out. On the Discovery results screen, you can use the Content Provider facet (in the left column) to limit your results to particular sources.

Note that from within Discovery it is possible to go to specific databases using the Find databases tab on the Discovery search screen. This will allow you to go to individual databases through the publisher’s native interface and conduct database specific searches. However the results of these searches cannot be displayed in the Discovery interface, and the save/export options will depend on the functionality of the particular publisher’s interface.

My e-Journals

In SuperSearch, the My e-Journals feature allowed you to save preferred e-journal titles. In Discovery, the concept of ‘publications’ works quite differently, so there is no direct parallel to the SuperSearch My e-Journals feature. It is therefore not useful to attempt to transfer your list of e-journals from SuperSearch to Discovery.

In Discovery, it is possible to refine your search to particular sources after the search has been carried out. On the Discovery results screen, you can use the Publication facet (in the left column) to limit your results to particular sources.

Note that from within Discovery it is possible to go to specific databases using the Find e-journals tab on the Discovery search screen. This will allow you to go to individual journal titles through the publisher’s native interface and conduct title specific searches. However the results of these searches cannot be displayed in the Discovery interface, and the save/export options will depend on the functionality of the particular publisher’s interface.

My Searches and Alerts

Any searches or alerts that you have saved in SuperSearch cannot be transferred to your Discovery account. If you do require the same searches or alerts to be available in Discovery, you will need to replicate your previous searches and save them into the Discovery My Stuff account.

How can I provide feedback?

Feedback can be provided at any time via the discovery search email: discovery-search@unimelb.edu.au, or through the quick survey.

Who can use Discovery?

University staff and students can access all these resources.

Visitors can search as a "guest" and view library catalogue and repository records; however we cannot provide access to licencesed resources for guests.

Which browsers work with Discovery?

Supported browsers for the Discovery service are:

Internet Explorer 7.0 or later
Firefox 3.0 or later
Safari 3.0 or later

There may be some Discovery functionality which is not available with other browsers and versions. We are working to expand this list of browsers, and an updated list will be posted when new browsers are certified for use with Discovery.

More information is available from the EBSCO Support website at http://support.ebscohost.com/knowledge_base/detail.php?id=25

Who can use this?