Unified Search Services

Unified Search Services (e.g. Discovery, federated, etc.) offer simultaneous search to various (subscribed or open)  e-resources  like digital libraries, bibliographical databases, e-journals & e-books, under the note that access to the digital content is only availble it's open access or subrcribed to.

In this context, alternative search methods and options are provided over NKUA's digital repositories (e.g. Pergamos and e-Pub), individual NKUA subscriptions to bibliographical and full text databases, ebooks and e-journals, as well as corresponding services offered via the Hellenic Academic Libraries Link (HEAL-Link).

The following alternative  unified/discovery/frderated services are offered:

VuFind | EDS | Publiction Finder | Summon | A-Z | EBSCOhost | ProQuest | Heal-Link Search | BrowZine και LibKeyZephyr | Argo

Library's Unified Search Engine (VuFind)

The Library and Information Center of NKUA, within the framework of its participation in the consortium ILSAS+, provides the Academic community with a unified search service in electronic resources (digital collections, books, journals, databases, etc.) using the VuFind software.

VuFind is a FOSS software and implements a "discovery" type search engine, which, using its own index, performs a unified (simultaneous but not federated in real time) search across a multitude of electronic online resources, which are grouped in the manner described below.

"Institutional Resources" tab, which endorses search results from:

"Non-Institutional Resources (subscriptions or Open Access)" which endorses search results through the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) tool coming from the resources bellow:

  • databases, e-books and e-journals subscriptions directly by NKUA
  • HEAL-Link electronic resources (almost all of e-journals, e-books and databases either bibliographic or full text subscribed to by HEAK-Link)
  • Open Access electronic resources (databases, books and journals) 

Each user can intervene in the search results with a series of filters and tools, as well as expand the search beyond the collections and electronic sources to which access is provided by the University of Athens.

 Conenct to VuFind

 

Please note:

  • the ability to use personalized services by logging in with an account on the platform requires the user to be registered as a member of the NKUA Library, as it is linked to this account with the corresponding login details,
  • searching via EDS is recommended more for searches in the content of articles, books, etc. and not so much at the level of a journal or book title, for which the use of the title search service / alphabetical index of electronic journals/resources is recommended (Publication Finder),
  • there may be minor differences in appearance and functionality (mainly in search results via EDS) depending on the display language in the user interface, which are due to the manufacturer,
  • the display language (Greek or English) can be changed by the user from the "Language" menu at the top right,
  • access to the digital material that may appear in the search results depends on whether there is an active or trial subscription, whether the user is connected via the NKUA network or not, etc.,
  • the various electronic resources that are indexed, may different times and frequencies of integration into the service's index.

Summon Unified Search Engine

The Library and Information Center of NKUA, uses ProQuest's Summon Discovery Service, in order to provide a Unified Search Engine for its e-resources. Summon, is a "discovery" search engine which, by using  its own index (updated twice a week), performs a unified search (simultaneous but not in real-time like in a federated search manner) in a multitude of online e-resources including:

The user can refine the search results with a range of filters and tools, but also expand the search to collections beyond the library and NKUA subscriptions.

Summon description and features

Find more about discovery-like search engines on  "KnowHow"  knowledge base

Connect to the Unified Search Engine

Please note:

  • Searching in Summon is mainly recommended for content within articles, books, etc. If you are insterested in searching for specific journal or book titles (i.e. at the title level), it is recommended to use the title search service / alphabetical index of e-sources (A-Z) instead.
  • Slight differences in appearance and functionality that may occur (mainly on search results) when using Summon in different display languages, are due to the manufacturer.
  • The user can change the display language from the hamburger menu (the box at the top right hand corner with three horizontal lines).
  • Access to the digital material that may appear in the search results depends on NKUA users’ access level to it  (i.e.  an active or trial subscription, whether the user connects to the internet via NKUA network, etc.)
  • The various online resources indexed in Summon have different ingest times and frequencies in the service's index (with the most common maximum, being once a week).

  

e-resources Title Search Service (via Summon)

Alphabetical (Α-Ζ type) browse and search service on title level of e-resources (books and journals) via the  Summon platform. Search is performed within all journals and books included in bibliographic databases, collections or individually, that have been denoted as e-resources in the ProQuest Summon service and are included in NKUA subscriptions, either directly or via HEAL-Link.

  • Title searches can be performed by keywords included in the title, by ISSN/ISBN, by subject area,  based on DOI / PubMed ID (PMID), for specific types of material or within specific electronic resources.

Go to the alphabetical title search service

  

BrowZine: a unified service for accessing journals

 

BrowZine service by Third Iron is an alternative way of accessing online journals accessible via respective agreements with publishers or via databases containing them. (NKUA or HEAL-Link subscriptions.)  Search options include searching by subject, title or ISSN.

Browzine acts supplementary to the A-Z e-resources search via Summon, since it includes all journals  reported in it.

Connect to Browzine:

https://browzine.com/libraries/2005/

Additionally, the service is offered as an application for smartphones or tablets, bearing the same features mentioned above:

  1. Install BrowZine application for Android, iOS or Kindle from Google Play Store, Apple App Store or Amazon App Store (if you were using the app via the open access library you must delete it and reinstall it).
  2. If you are connected to the NKUA network, open the app, select National and Kapodistrian University of Athens from the list of libraries provided and click continue.
  3. You may now use the app, searching journals by subject, title or ISSN.

 

 

EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS)

EDS, is EBSCO's "discovery" search engine and service. Using its own index it performs a single search (but not simultaneous in real-time ) in a multitude of online resources including:

Users can intervene in the search results with a range of filters and tools, but also expand the search to collections other than those with granted access.

EDS description and possibilities

Find more about discovery-like search engines on  "KnowHow "  knowledge base (mostly in Greek).

Connect to EDS

  

EBSCO database search

EBSCOhost platform offers simultaneous search, in all EBSCO bibliographic/full-text databases (EBSCOhost Research Databases service), that NKUA has an active subscription or trial access (either directly or via HEAL-Link).

  • Users of the platform can persofm searches either on all selected databases or specific ones one demand
  • The "American Antiquarian Archives” collection is excluded, since there is a separate search link.

Go to EBSCOhost Research Databases

  

Publication Finder Service (via EBSCOhost)

This is a navigation and search service (alphabetical Α-Ζ) on e-resources on title level (books and journals) via the EBSCOhost platform, in all periodical publications and books included in bibliographic databases, in collections or individually, that either belong to EBSCO or have been designated as research resources in the EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS), and are included in NKUA subscriptions directly or via HEAL-Link.

  • Search titles using keywords included in the title, subject or ISSN.

 

Go to Publication Finder

  

ProQuest database search

In the following link you can search (simultaneously or individually) though all e-resources / bibliographic databases by ProQuest, that NKUA has subscriptions.

http://search.proquest.com

Multiple, alternative and flexible ways of searching and grouping sources are provided, as well as numerous customization and personalization options. The search system is based on the new ProQuest platform, for which the following are provided:

 

Heal Link eBooks

Hellenic Academic Library Link has acquired and offers about 15000 eBooks to its members, from a variety of Publishing Houses.

To better manage e-books’ bibliographic records and to support search, the Collective Catalogue work group installed the Koha open source library software. (records available in MARC21 format)

To search and access eBooks in full text, click here (Please NOTE: search available only in English)

  

HEAL-Link e-resources unified search engine

This service offers simultaneous search on selected online resources by HEAL-Link (journals, eBooks & publishers), through various alternatives and options.

Go to the search engine

  

Zephyr

Zephyr offers simultaneous search and access to the Hellenic Academic Libraries OPACs (Online Public Access Catalogues).

For better results, omit punctuation when searching foreign terms (ex instead of ö, just o), in order to get the best possible results.

  

Argo

The Argo service of the National Documentation Centre (NDC) offers access to bibliographic databases from Greece and abroad.