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Trends and challenges of visual search interfaces in digital libraries and repositories

Paul Alonso Gaona-García (Universidad Distrital Francisco Jose de Caldas, Bogota, Colombia)
David Martin-Moncunill (Department of Computer Science, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain)
Carlos Enrique Montenegro-Marin (Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas, Bogotá, Colombia)

The Electronic Library

ISSN: 0264-0473

Article publication date: 6 February 2017

2971

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present an overview of the challenges encountered in integrating visual search interfaces into digital libraries and repositories. These challenges come in various forms, including information visualisation, the use of knowledge organisation systems and metadata quality. The main purpose of this study is the identification of criteria for the evaluation and integration of visual search interfaces, proposing guidelines and recommendations to improve information retrieval tasks with emphasis on the education-al context.

Design/methodology/approach

The information included in this study was collected based on a systematic literature review approach. The main information sources were explored in several digital libraries, including Science Direct, Scopus, ACM and IEEE, and include journal articles, conference proceedings, books, European project reports and deliverables and PhD theses published in an electronic format. A total of 142 studies comprised the review.

Findings

There are several issues that authors did not fully discuss in this literature review study; more specific, aspects associated with access of digital resources in digital libraries and repositories based on human computer interaction, i.e. usability and learnability of user interfaces; design of a suitable navigation method of search based on simple knowledge organisation schemes; and the use of usefulness of visual search interfaces to locate relevant resources.

Research limitations/implications

The main steps for carrying out a systematic review are drawn from health care; this methodology is not commonly used in fields such as digital libraries and repositories. The authors aimed to apply the fundamentals of the systematic literature review methodology considering the context of this study. Additionally, there are several aspects of accessibility that were not considered in the study, such as accessibility to content for disabled people as defined by ISO/IEC 40500:2012.

Originality/value

No other systematic literature reviews have been conducted in this field. The research presents an in-depth analysis of the criteria associated with searching and navigation methods based on the systematic literature review approach. The analysis is relevant for researchers in the field of digital library and repository creation in that it may direct them to considerations in designing and implementing visual search interfaces based on the use of information visualisation.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

This work was partially supported by CIDC at Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas reference number research project 11/2015.

Citation

Gaona-García, P.A., Martin-Moncunill, D. and Montenegro-Marin, C.E. (2017), "Trends and challenges of visual search interfaces in digital libraries and repositories", The Electronic Library, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp. 69-98. https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-03-2015-0046

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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