Lesson 14. Search Profile
Search profile is a set of data formed by a user for the purpose to obtain required information. The most precise result will be achieved if a search profile coincides with a search pattern of a document created by specialists of an information institution or a library.
In address search, search profile is the name of an author, compiler or editor, affiliation, a title of a document or its part.
The starting point of this type model may be either a list of sources recommended by an academic adviser or colleagues, or lists in previously found sources, references in publications (tracking another researcher). Particularly comprehensive references can be found in monographs, dissertations, and reviews.
The address search can be advanced by following from the name of one author to other authorities in this field, or to the list of research teams, and institutes investigating this topic or related ones.
In thematic search, search profile is built of keywords indicating semantic limits of the topic. Of great importance is to describe the topic, and research object and subject. For example, keywords describing research object are required if the topic is too narrow for the purpose to extend the retrieval limits. On the contrary, keywords characterizing research subject are more important when a search results in a great number of items. In this case the keywords are used for refinement.
Apart from semantic limits, it is necessary to determine document type, geographical and language limits, and timespan. Document types can include textbooks, articles (reviews), monographs, conference proceedings, etc. Geographical and language limits refine the country of research and the language of publications. Publication years depend on a specific topic. For example, it may be 2-3 years for economic categories, 5 years for humanities, and 10 and more years for technical categories. In some cases, a particular interest can be focused just on the origins.
The following lessons will treat the rules of making a search profile in more details.