Ranking of Search Results
Search results in IEEE Xplore are identified and ordered using a strategy based on search mode and relevancy ranking modules.
Search Mode
Search mode, also called match mode, determines whether a document record should be returned based on the search terms that were entered. IEEE Xplore uses the MatchAllPartial search mode, which ensures that a user's search will return a two-words-out-of-five match and a four-words-out-of-five match. The two-words-out-of-five match will have a lower priority.
For example, a search for computer science java technology first attempts to match all four words across all of the searchable fields. If one or more results are returned, those results are displayed. If no matches are found, IEEE Xplore returns three- and two-word matches.
This strategy is based on a search interface with members (fields) such as document title, abstract, and document text. The order is significant because a match on the first member ranks more highly than a cross-field (multiple-field) match or a match on the second or third member.
Relevancy Ranking Modules
Relevancy ranking refers to the ordering of search results by criteria that are relative to the search terms. The relevancy ranking modules are a series of tiebreakers that define the order of the search results.
| Order | Module | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NTerms | Ranks results based on the number of terms that match. In a multi-word search, the more words that match, the higher the ranking. |
| 2 | Field | Ranks results based on the priority assigned by the search interface to searchable fields and their dimensions. |
| 3 | Phrase | Ranks matches that contain the user's query as an exact phrase higher than matches that contain the user's search terms separated in text. |
| 4 | Frequency | Ranks results based on the number of times search terms appear in the article. |
Relevancy Ranking Examples
Search term: Computer Programming Java
| Record | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Camp | A Guide to Using Java with Object-Oriented Computer Programming |
| 2 | Clark Wilson | A Boot-Camp Guide to Object-Oriented Computer Programming Using .NET |
Result: Record 1 is ranked higher because more words match the search terms.
Search term: Camp
| Record | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Camp | A Guide to Using Java with Object-Oriented Computer Programming |
| 2 | Clark Wilson | A Boot-Camp Guide to Object-Oriented Computer Programming Using .NET |
Result: Because the search interface ranks title higher than author, Record 2 is ranked higher.
Search term: Computer Programming Camp
| Record | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Camp | A Guide to Using Java with Object-Oriented Computer Programming |
| 2 | Clark Wilson | A Boot-Camp Guide to Object-Oriented Computer Programming Using .NET |
Result: Record 2 is ranked higher because all search terms are found within a single field.
Search term: Guide to Object Oriented Computer Programming
| Record | Author | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joseph Camp | A Guide to Using Java with Object-Oriented Computer Programming |
| 2 | Clark Wilson | A Boot-Camp Guide to Object-Oriented Computer Programming Using .NET |
Result: Record 2 is ranked higher because the search terms are found as a phrase.