EBSCO Discovery Service User Experience
The new EDS interface reinvents how to access, search, choose, and use library resources. Inspired by extensive user research and feedback, EDS takes an accessibility-first approach, and is built for cross-device research on both desktop and mobile platforms. Innovations include:
- Modern results lists
Peer review indicators are immediately displayed. Users can click to open the full
text of an article in PDF or HTML, or download items for offline viewing and select the format such as PDF, HTML, or download the record metadata in CSV.
- Personalized dashboards
The dashboard serves as the users’ virtual personalized “home” in the
library, where folders can be kept, users can see searches and projects they created, as well as items they liked.
- Greater citing, sharing, and liking options
Users can cite, like, add to project, share, and download items directly from the results list. They can choose the format for their citations, and have the options to copy them, email them, and export them to tools like Zotero or NoodleTools. Plus, they can share to Google Drive, Google Classroom, or create a link to share on other platforms
- New PDF viewer and e-book experience
EDS has a new PDF viewer, with which users can cite, share, and add to a project, just like in the results list. Within this viewer, users can see how many copies are available to the library, and whether the title is currently in use. In addition to the new PDF viewer, there’s a new e-book viewer, which gives the option of downloading the whole e-book, or selecting individual chapters from the table of contents
- Enhanced Publication Finder
For customers with Full Text Finder, Publication Finder offers browsing by alphabet, database, and hierarchical subject, including specification of subject schema (general, medical or LoC) for subject browsing. A fast, responsive, single page application automatically refreshes assearch options are selected.
- New mobile experience
With the EBSCO Mobile app, users’ research can be quickly accessed,accomplished, and saved, allowing progress to be made anywhere, any time. Users can search quickly and save articles for later reading or listening. They can discover new content based on previous activity, and take advantage of mobile device technology, such as biometric authentication and voice-to-text searching.
- Concept Map
The EDS Concept Map helps users make connections across related subjects. Users can find hidden relationships between and among concepts, and discover links across fields of study,thus making interdisciplinary research easier. The Concept Map also adds a semantic layer to subject queries, facilitating the use of more natural language in users’ searches, enabling learnings and discoveries that they may not have found otherwise. Depending on their preferences, users can choose between radial and grid formats, with the grid format offering improved accessibility.
