Why do Alma Serial Title searches return less than Voyager Journal Title search?

Question

In Advanced Search, why is the search for Serial Title unreliable? The Alma search returns far fewer hits than the Voyager left-anchored journal title search.

Answer

The Serial Title index in Alma searches the bib's 222a and 222b, while the Voyager Journal Title index searches all title tags (130, 210-212, 214, 222, 240, 245, 246, 247, 730, 740, 760, 762, 767, 772-773, 780, 785) and returns records with bibliographic level (leader byte 07) = s.

Additional Information

Example 1: Repository Search type: SERIAL TITLE STARTS WITH in Alma for "Parade" -- results in 0 records. Results in 1 record in Voyager (left-anchored Journal Title search).
Example 2: Repository Search type: SERIAL TITLE STARTS WITH in Alma for "Alamanch" -- results in 2 records. Results in ~130 records in Voyager.

• Article last edited: 08-Oct-2013