Search Tools
experimentation and the development of innovative search and discovery applications. By using available APIs to build applications that offer the most tailored solutions, researchers can improve their workflow and accelerate science. Ultimately, it is the availability of APIs that will provide the opportunity to meet the demand for delivery of personalised content and collaboration that the qualitative research showed the scientific community is seeking. Interestingly, when asked which type
of applications would be most useful to the scientific community, there was no clear winner. This may reflect the diverse needs of researchers, as well as the interest and potential to develop a myriad of applications. In fact, all of the application options in the survey had similar response rates as follows: applications that facilitate more customised search (18 per cent); those that extract data to elicit more meaningful insight (17 per cent); apps that show content which trusted peers find valuable (16 per cent); those that provide personalised content delivery based on my interests and background (16 per cent); and apps offering analytical tools that are able
to target trends, look at historical research output and text/data mine to create semantic relationships across scientific content (16 per cent). While the exact detail of which applications need to be developed first remains fuzzy, the endgame appears to be coming into focus. Nearly half (47 per cent) of respondents selected ‘collaborative knowledge networks (online groups of
‘Nearly all respondents agreed that open data is important’
trusted peers)’ when asked which search technology trend will have the greatest impact on search and discovery over the next several years. Additionally, more than 80 per cent of respondents agreed that in the next several years researchers will use knowledge networks as a reliable source for filtering and viewing information. The survey also uncovered a current
enthusiasm for making this vision a reality. Almost seven in 10 researchers (68 per cent) expressed personal interest in developing search and discovery-related applications
using scientific content for their institution. In addition, 61 per cent of those interested in developing such applications said their strongest motivation for doing so would be the ‘opportunity to help speed up research among the scientific community as a whole’. A more modest 32 per cent were most motivated by the desire to ‘speed up their own research.’ Even among those who did not express application development interest, two-thirds (66 per cent) said they would be more open to creating applications if there were an opportunity to collaborate with others who would handle the technical aspects of development. As scientific data continues to grow at
a rapid pace, and science itself becomes more and more multidisciplinary and collaborative in nature, one size-fits-all search and discovery is no longer enough. The landscape is changing and the scientific community is more than ready to participate actively in bringing in a new era in discoverability that will help address the specific pain points of researchers across the globe.
Judson Dunham is a senior product manager, Science and Technology at Elsevier
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