Discovering the new EBSCO Discovery Service
We are really excited by the new streamlined EBSCO Discovery Service experience. The new interface is so much easier to use and is packed with innovative features, including:
- a clean and simple interface
- filters that appear right under the search bar
- a simple choice between seeing search results from the last 1, 5 or 10 years with a single click
- bookmark icons that save results and searches with a single click and are always remembered after you log out
- an option to save results and searches to projects – the equivalent of the old folders – so everything for an assignment can be saved in one place
- under the All filters option, you can find much more, including the “Content provider” option, which allows you to see results only from certain databases. For example, you can choose Business Source Complete from the menu to find everything from the business literature and nothing from health, engineering, or other databases that might have discussed your search topic
- a new choice of visual search tools – great for anyone who thinks visually rather than scanning rows of text
Over on the Library website, we’ve summarised the main features of the new Discovery Service.
These videos give you a great overview of the new features of the Discovery Service and the new visual search:
What’s changed?
Logging in for the first time
When you first log in, you will be presented with a dialogue box that invites you to “Do more with your research”. Please click the blue “Continue personalised” button. This allows the Discovery Service to remember everything you do and customise your experience to make it that much better. If you skip this, it should reappear every time you log in, so you have another chance.
Finding the full text of articles
The way you click through to articles has changed in appearance very slightly – there is now a standard button beneath each search result that takes you through to the full article (for anything EBSCO supply) or to the publisher’s website for any other supplier resources. This works much the same as it did before – the only difference is that instead of a red pdf icon, you click on the button (and choose the pdf option if one is offered).
Advanced search
The old Advanced Search is still available for more advanced and customised searching and this looks much the same as the old interface. You can also still search our publications list for journals by title but you can also now browse all the journals we subscribe to on a particular topic, if you want to see what is being published recently for current awareness.
Going beyond EBSCO
There are still a few very useful databases that the Discovery Service cannot search, including:
- Business – Statista and Global Data Explorer
- News, media and television – Press Reader and Box of Broadcasts
- Humanities – Gale Primary Sources
- Engineering – Engineering Village
You can find these very useful resources by clicking on the Additional Resources link on the left of the Discovery Service and accessing them directly with a single click.
If you need any help or advice getting started or getting stuck into any of these resources, don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can chat with us online 24/7 but perhaps the best ways to get to grips with a new database are to stop by the Library skills drop-in office (11am – 3pm Monday-Friday, except Bank Holidays) or booking an appointment with your Faculty Librarian online – you can use the Book a librarian service or find their email directly on your subject page.
Things are always going to be getting better!
The biggest change that comes with the new Discovery Service interface is that EBSCO promise to continually make things better. There will be many little changes over time as EBSCO roll out improvements in response to client feedback – which means your feedback! So let us know what you think of the new Discovery Service – good and bad. We’d love to hear your comments and so would the platform developer. Tell us what needs to change and you could very well see that change appear in the Discovery Service!
Any questions? We’re here to help!
And of course, if you have any questions or wonder where anything you were used to has gone, please get in touch. We’re here to help!
Assistant Librarian (Promotions) at the University Library. An enthusiastic advocate of libraries, diversity, inclusion, equity, and social justice for all, inside and outside the workplace.
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