Final Search Interface Requirements (amended June 15, 2000)

Searching

• Users should be able to limit searches by repository
• Users should be able to do fielded searching
• **The guidelines group will need to decide which fields should be indexed.**
• Users should be able to restrict searches to specific sections of the finding aids (e.g. front matter, etc.--or sections described in more user comprehensible terms).
• There will be a "keywords" field. This field would contain keywords supplied by the archivists and would enable more efficient searching from the system's point of view...rather than search the entire finding aid we could do a quick search on keywords.
• Important to retain both browse and keyword search capabilities. Browse by repository important.

Results

• Item information to return through the search results page:
  • Finding aid title
  • Repository name
  • File size
  • Inclusive dates of coverage
• Search terms will be highlighted in items returned.
• The Table of Contents will always be visible from a frame on the left side of the window.
• We will display the finding aid in HTML.
• There will be a link to the XML version of each finding aid.
• There will be a "printer safe" version of the finding aid that will drop the frames when printing.

**KeyWord In Context (possible feature). Show a results list containing keywords as they appear in the document. The results would feature item excerpts with keywords highlighted. Excerpt the document in this fashion at each place where the keywords appear (University of Michigan example).**

**Link to first instance (possible feature). Construct search results in such a way that the user is linked to that section of the document in which the search terms first occur.**

**Numerical breakdown of search results (possible feature): list the frequency with which search terms appear in sections of an item (e.g. 3 in front matter, 2 in container list, etc.). Preferred but less possible is placing this numerical info in the Table of Contents frame when viewing an individual search result.**

Access Issues

• The finding aids will be available to Web robots for indexing.

**Multiple document instantiations (possible feature). Password protected "master" version of the document including confidential or donor information which would be absent from versions of the document served to the public. Would allow for easier document management and administration.**