A Geospatial Search Component for HUBzero
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Abstract
In this presentation, we report the development of a map-based component for browsing and searching for members, events, and jobs information on HABRI (Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative) Central, a HUBzero-based digital library project jointly run by between Purdue Libraries and Purdue’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
The geospatial search component provides a tool for viewing and searching members, events, jobs, and organizations (a resource type) on HABRI Central in map form. All of the information used in this component comes from member profile information, events, jobs, and resources information as contributed by users of HABRI Central. The map display adjusts the information density to the current zoom level in order to prevent clutter. Users can perform searches of members, events, jobs, and organizations to a specified radius of a specific location on the map. Additional tag-based limits are also included in the component.
Our initial evaluation of the geospatial search component suggests that it can be used both as an overview tool and an access or discovery tool. This component provides an interactive way of visualizing existing information on HABRI Central and enhances our ability to help users connect with other users with similar interests. We believe that this component could be implemented in similar HUBzero systems for increasing the amount of information that users are willing to contribute, browse, and search.
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