Category Archives: Library

What’s New in DiscoverEd – March 2019

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DiscoverEd has some useful new features.  Read on for full details…

1. Lockable Filters

It is now possible to lock a set of filters which you have applied to your search results, in order to make them active for the remainder of your DiscoverEd session.   For example, you may wish to lock the Full Text Online Show Only filter and the Books Resource Type filter.  This would result in subsequent searches being limited to electronic books.

To lock filters:

  1. Run an initial search in DiscoverEd and apply the filter(s) you wish to use.
  2. In the Active filters section, click on the opened padlock icon next to the filter you wish to lock – the icon will change to a closed padlock icon.  Repeat this process for each of the filters you want to lock for the rest of the session.

These filters will remain locked for any subsequent searches that you carry out during the session.  If you want to unlock the filters at any stage in your session, simply repeat the above process, this time changing the closed padlock icon back to the open padlock icon.

 

2.  Personalised Search Results

It is now possible to alter the order of the results of a search, so that material that is more relevant to your preferred subject disciplines appears higher up the results list. To do this:

Run a search and then select the Personalise your results option:

You can now select up to 5 preferred disciplines from the available options.  When you have finished making your selections, click on APPLY:

The order of your search results will now change, according to your preferences, and material which is more relevant will appear higher up the list of results.  Your preferred disciplines are now shown to the left of your search results:

Please note that only the order of articles will change when you personalise your results, with the most relevant articles appearing nearer the top of your results list.  The positioning of books from the University Library will not change in the list.

Your personalised preferences will remain in place for the remainder of your session, unless you switch them off by clicking on the red Personalised option:

You can also change your preferences at any time by selecting Edit Disciplines:

If you are signed in to DiscoverEd when you set your preferences then they will be  retained and will be automatically applied to your search results in your next session, unless you change them or switch off the feature.

 

3.  Citation Trails on Results List

DiscoverEd allows you to view journal articles which have cited, or were cited in, other journal articles.  This “citation trails” feature was previously only available when viewing the full details of an article, but it is now available directly from the results list.

Articles which have cited or were cited in other articles can be easily identified by the citation trails icons which appear in the brief results display:

Click on the first icon (with the two upward arrows) to retrieve articles which have cited the article you are viewing.  Click on the second icon (with the single downward arrow) to find articles that are cited in the article.

 

4.  Renew Selected Items in My Account

It was previously only possible to renew borrowed items one at a time, or else to renew all the items you had on loan.   It is now possible to select a group of items from your Loans list and renew only those selected items.

Click on the numbered boxes to select the items you wish to renew, then select the RENEW SELECTED option:

What’s New in DiscoverEd – September 2017

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The latest release of DiscoverEd includes some very useful new features and functionality.  Read on for full details…

1. New Filter for Special Collections Material

A new “Special Collections” filter has been added to the Show Only filters section.   Selecting this filter allows you to limit the results of your search to material held at the Centre for Resource Collections (CRC) and other special collections in the Main Library, the Library Annexe (our off-campus storage facility), New College Library, Moray House Library and ECA Library.

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2. Exclude/Include Multiple Filters

It is now possible to select multiple filters to include or exclude items from your search results:

To include a filter, hover on the filter name and click on the tick box which appears to the left.

To exclude a filter, hover over the filter name and click on the Exclude This.. icon which appears to the right.

You can exclude or include as many filters as you wish.   When you are finished making your selections, click on the APPLY FILTERS button to apply your selected filters to your search results.

Click on image to enlarge

 

3. Sticky Filters

It is now possible to apply a set of filters to a search and make them “sticky” for the remainder of your DiscoverEd session.   For example, you may wish to make the “Full Text Online” Show Only filter and the “Books” Resource Type filter sticky.  This would result in subsequent searches being limited to electronic books.

To make filters sticky:

  1. Run an initial search in DiscoverEd and apply the filter(s) you wish.
  2. In the “Active filters” section, hover over the name of a filter you wish to make sticky.  A small opened padlock icon will appear.  Click on this icon and it will change to a closed padlock icon.  Repeat this process for each of the filters you want to make sticky.

If you want to remove sticky filters at any stage in your session, simply repeat the above process, this time changing the closed padlock icon back to the open padlock icon.

Click on image to enlarge

 

4.  Sort items in My Favourites

It is now possible to sort the items you have stored in My Favourites by Date Added, Title and Author.

To use this functionality, simply go to your My Favourites and use the Sort by dropdown menu to apply the sort order you require.

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5. Support for RSS Feeds

DiscoverEd now allows you to harvest the results of a saved search in your chosen RSS reader application.

  1. Make sure you are signed in to DiscoverEd.
  2. Run a search and click on Save this search to My Favourites.
  3. Go to My Favourites and select the SAVED SEARCHES tab.
  4. Click on the RSS icon on the right hand side of the display.
  5. Follow your usual procedure for setting up an RSS feed in your browser or dedicated RSS reader application.

You can also create an RSS feed for any of the searches you have already saved in My Favourites by following steps 3-5 above.

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New Look and Feel for DiscoverEd!

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On Tuesday 4th July 2017 the Library rolled out a new look and feel for DiscoverEd, our online discovery service. This means there’s a new improved mobile responsive interface, so you can use DiscoverEd easily on a range of devices including tablets and phones. It is also now easier to navigate.

The core functionality of DiscoverEd has not changed.  Users are still be able to search the same extensive range of resources, view online resources, access their account details, renew loans, place requests, pay fines and access the same range of functions offered by the previous version of DiscoverEd.

Search results are displayed as before, with options for refining them. However, the screen has greater readability across a range of devices, and easier access to useful functions:

What’s new?

Options for saving and exporting are now easily accessible from the list of search results:

The full details and links for each item on your results list are now conveniently displayed on a single page:

The My Account area has been enhanced and now provides a useful overview page, which allows you to review your account information at a glance:

e-Shelf has been replaced with My Favourites.  When you are signed in to DiscoverEd you can easily add items to your saved records list in My Favourites by clicking the Pin icon.

You can organise your list of saved records in My Favourites by adding descriptive labels:

The Queries section in the old DiscoverEd, which allowed you to save queries and set up alerts, has been replaced by the SAVED SEARCHES section in My Favourites.

IMPORTANT:  Please note that any saved queries you have in the old DiscoverEd ARE NOT be available in the new interface.  Instead you will need to run these searches again in the new interface and then save each of them as a saved search in My Favourites.