A step towards designing a Model Academic Search Interface

Abstract

The study makes an endeavor to assess the search interfaces of leading academic databases, viz Cambridge Journals, JSTOR, Sage Journals, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Taylor & Francis, and Wiley Online Library. The purpose of the study is to identify various search features and subsequently determine their relative location, with a view to recommend ideal location of these features based on their utility and users’ ease of mind. Data is harvested by assessing the search interfaces of seven academic databases subscribed by University of Kashmir. The select databases are individually assessed to harvest the required information. The study divulges that uniformity is observed by databases while positioning features like access points, and search box(s). However, no consistent approach is found while positioning other identified features. It is imperative to say that the study is first of its kind where an emphasis is laid on assessing the positioning of search interface features. The study can prove helpful for academic database designers while designing user-friendly academic databases.