Repository Search - How are Results Sorted (Ranked)?

Question

When doing any repository search the results are seemingly randomly ordered. For example, an author search doesn't display the results alphabetically. The same is true for a title search, Call Number, etc.

Answer

The Alma repository search is based on the Apache Lucene(TM) search mechanism (http://lucene.apache.org/core/)

Looking at a title search as an example:

* A Repository search checks first the Title index before any other
* It prefers an exact match
* The search calculates the weight, or percentage, of the searched words within the title

For example, a search on “history” will retrieve these records, and order them thus:

* The study of history
* History and the study of chemistry

Fields and subfields, indexed for the Title, please find in the Online Help > Available Search Indexes then choose the relevant format, for example, MARC 21 Search Indexes

Category: Repository search

• Article last edited: 10/8/2013