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Default searches in Wiley Online Library and how not to help

In Eresources on January 20, 2012 by africker Tagged: , , ,

We recently bought some oBooks from Wiley (do other companies call online ebooks obooks?).

One of these is “Enabling learning in nursing and midwifery practice” – a popular text with our users (in paper form – look forward to seeing if they use the oBook).

Sorting out the linking for this item I tried to retrieve it on Wiley Online Library.

I searched for – enabling learning nursing – seems a fair search to me.

Result – “No results found for: enabling learning nursing.”

A search for – enabling learning – works fine.

A search for – enabling learning in – works fine to.

Clearly this is an issue.  Being a helpful customer I report this via the online form spelling out the series of search strings, location of search and so on.

Response – “Please send us screen shots”

This is not a hard to replicate fault – I have replicated it several times to check it really was an issue before logging it.  I click the link to update the enquiry – it fails.

I start a new enquiry (I am a helpful and determined customer) including the reference from last time and spend quality time preparing a document that includes all the screen shots you might want to see.

Response – ” Thank you for your reply and screen shots to 120117-000375

You may use the “Advanced Search” functions to search for the journal you are interested of.

Attached is the User Guide for your reference in using Advanced Search function.

Hope this information helps.”

So a report that your main front page search function is at some level broken draws the suggestion I need to read the manual and /or use an alternative search option?  Of course the link to respond to the enquiry fails so I cannot easily continue the discussion but why bother?

5 Responses to “Default searches in Wiley Online Library and how not to help”

  1. *Headdesk*

  2. *eye roll*

  3. This type of apathy seems typical at many non-help encounters, africker. It is as though they use their facelessness and disabled dialogs as part of their acceptance of mediocrity. They chose least-response because their organization (using the term tongue firmly pressed in-cheek) ascribe no value to “help” efforts. Worse, the individuals in “help” are not self-motivated to take measures that improve the search experience, mired in the “that’s not my job” pigeonhole.

    (the) health informaticist is a delightful, exquisite site and breathe life into managing “info-overload.”

    Kel
    HIT concierge and roustabout

  4. You need to click on “Publication titles” before you hit the “Go” arrow because, well, it’s a publication you’re looking for, isn’t it.

    A search on “Enabling learning” will find it no worries if you do this.

    • Ta for the thought – but the problem remains the same. A search for enabling learning does return the correct record. A search for enabling learning nursing does not. Skip a word at your peril.

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