DLI Communication Tools - Questions, answers and hopefully, a little demystification!

DLI Communication Tools - Questions, answers and hopefully, a little

demystification!

Monia Bergeron

DLI ACCOLEDS Workshop

Simon Fraser University

December 5, 2006.

Agenda

• DLI listserv

• DLI listserv Archive

• DIGRS

• Recap

DLI listserv

• Primary communication tool for DLI community• Used to pose questions by DLI contacts

– Reference questions - what is the best source for….?

– Collection - can we please have this data set? When will PUMF X be released?

– How to - how do I get the Stata code for this survey?

– Feedback - if I have to fix ONE more of these STC surveys I am going to scream!

– Etc.

• Subscription-based (only registered users can post to the list)

DLI listserv

• Monia’s job is to help answer these questions…– ***and Monia depends on you for a lot of the answers!

• Messages sent as e-mails to list members

• Messages archived ca. every two weeks

Didn’t someone already ask this?

• DLI list Archives

• DIGRS

DLI listserv Archives

• Why such a pretty interface? » Free!

• Why behind lock and key? » Not bilingual - STC standards

» Avoid solicitations

Steps to access the

DLI Listserv Archives

Steps to access the

DLI Listserv Archives

Steps to access the

DLI Listserv Archives

Steps to access the

DLI Listserv Archives

DLI Listserv Archives Homepage

DLI Listserv Archives Homepage

• Defaults to Date Index (messages sorted by date)

Argh!!! Where do I click?

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

Where do I click?

Option 1 - Thread Index

Option 1

Sorts messages by displaying the question followed by the subsequent replies received

Results of Option 1 - Clicking on the Thread Index

Question

Answers

Where do I click?

Option 2 - Click on the message

Option 2

Opens the text of the selected message

Results of Option 2-click on the message

New options!

Results of Option 2- click on the message

Date Prev - previous message posted (not the previous day!)

Date Next - following message posted

Thread Prev - previously posted message related to this message

Thread Next - message posted in answer to the question

Results of Option 2- click on the message

If you scroll to the bottom of message,all these goodies are available for you to preview!

Where do I click?

Option 3 - Search

Option 3

Perform a keyword search

Results of Option 3- Search

Understanding the MHonArc Search Engine

Understanding the MHonArc Search Engine

Search This is the field in which you should enter the words or phrase you wish to search for in the archive

Understanding the MHonArc Search Engine

Find This phrase

Returns messages in which your keywords appear as a literal phrase on

a single line in the message. All of these words

Returns messages which contain ALL of your keywords: a boolean AND

search. Any of these words

Returns messages which contain ANY of your keywords: a boolean OR

search. ***Monia would never expect for words to be adjacent to each other and would use “All of these words” as a search criteria!

Understanding the MHonArc Search Engine

Prefer

New messages Searching starts with the most recent messages and continues toward the

oldest. Old messages

Searching begins with the earliest messages in the archive and continues

toward the newest.

***Monia does not have time to perform her research by reading messages from 1996! Chances are the issue has been addressed more recently :) if not, then 1996 messages will be covered eventually!

Understanding the MHonArc Search Engine

Case Insensitive search

Ignores capitalization in your search

terms. Sensitive search

Respects capitalization in your search terms. For example, a case sensitive search for the word 'MhonArc' would not count the word 'mhonarc' as a

match, and vice versa.

Understanding the MHonArc Search Engine

Match Partial words

Allows successful matches for messages in which your search terms are part of a larger construct. For example, a partial word search for "the" will match "the," but also "these"

and "atheist." Exact words

Returns messages which match your keywords or phrase exactly. An exact word search for the phrase "My love is like a rose" would not match "My love is like a rosebush."

E.g., search results for “mill”

Partial = familles

Exact = millenaire, mill, etc.

Understanding the MHonArc Search Engine

ReturnControls the number -- XX -- of results to return to your Web browser at any one time. If the limit you set is reached before all of the messages in the archive have been searched, you will have the option to continue searching

where you left off.

***Monia is a curious person and would never limit searching to 10 results!

Understanding the MHonArc Search Engine

Search Area

From Searches the message field which contains the

author's name and email address. Subject

Searches the message subject. Date

Searches the date and time field of each message. Note: This field uses the following format: Thu, 6

Jun 1996 14:28:22 -0700 (PDT) Body

Searches the entire body of the message. This is

the default if no other options are selected.

***Monia is an idealist and would try a subject search first :) If no results, return to body search

Defaults of the MHonArc Search Engine

Find - this phrase

Prefer - new messages

Case - insensitive case

Match - partial words

Return - 10 results per page

Search Area - message body?

X

?

Monia would set as her default X Monia would change before searching

? Based on user preference

Search Results

Another useful tool is...

Data Interest Group for Reference Services (DIGRS)

• Train-the-Trainers workshop - March 2004

• Smaller institutions have fewer data and statistical reference questions

• Goal of DIGRS - provide more exposure to the range of reference questions and responses in the areas of data and statistics

http://blogs.library.ualberta.ca/digrs/

DIGRS

• Primarily based on questions and answers from the DLI listserv

• Organises content based on:• date posted

• category

• Allows for a “less complicated” key word search! • Manually intensive to load content - Thank you

Virginia and Amelia!• Hosted at the University of Alberta

DIGRS

DIGRS• Favorite ways of consulting DIGRS

• Search

• Archives

• Categories

Search

Search results - DIGRS

Click on the title to view full question and answer text

Search results - DIGRS

Archives

Starting with the freshest info and filling in the archives as time permits

Browsing using the Archives

Categorical classification

Categories

Browsing using Categories

Highlights

• Listserv Archive– 1996 - 2006

– search

– thread index

– random entries

– Complete list activity

• DIGRS– 2004 - 2006

– search

– categories

– clean entries

– Not comprehensive of list activity

X

Let’s Discuss

• Primary communication tool for DLI community• Used to pose questions by DLI contacts

– Reference questions - what is the best source for….?

– Collection - can we please have this data set? When will PUMF X be released?

– How to - how do I get the Stata code for this survey?

– Feedback - if I have to fix ONE more of these STC surveys I am going to scream!

– Etc.

• Subscription-based (only registered users can post to the list)

Recap

• DLI listserv is our friend!– Please keep Monia entertained and post your questions!

– Please keep Monia informed and post your answers!

• Don’t despair… the Archives can work!

• DIGRS - a welcomed gem for the DLI

community

Do we have time to play?

DIGRS

http://blogs.library.ualberta.ca/digrs/

DLI listserv Archives

http://www.statcan.ca/english/Dli/contacts.htm

Thank you!