Using Search Versus Alma Analytics
Alma's Search functionality is very powerful, and many times it can be used in lieu of using Alma Analytics. Below are some tricks and tips on when to use one or the other.
Training Videos for Advanced Search or Analytics?
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Advanced Search or Analytics? (From SUNY) - A review of Advanced Search in Alma to help choose between Alma or Alma Analytics for data retrieval. Includes moving from search results to acting on records, exporting the results of a search or list to Excel and saving queries to re-run as needed. (by Jennifer Koerber, 2019/12/05)
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Analytics page from Alma Training LibGuide - User-friendly training guide from Ex Libris.
Advanced Search
Advanced Search in Alma is powerful:
- For all record types, Advanced Search has more extensive lists of criteria than Basic search
- For some search types, you can mix criteria from related records (e.g., Title, Holdings, Item)
- You can search for records with empty fields (e.g., Items with no barcode, Titles with no LC/Dewey number or standard numbers, Portfolios with no Access Rights listed, and much more)
- You can Save the Query to re-run as needed (read more on working with Saved Queries/Logical sets)
- You can Export results to Excel for data manipulation and/or sharing
Advanced Search or Analytics?
How do you decide when to use Alma search or Alma Analytics? Each has benefits and limitations:
Alma |
Alma Analytics |
Single-focus questions (by record type)
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Complex & comparative questions
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Point-and-click criteria options
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Robust query capabilities, including SQL
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Visible information in records (to staff in Alma)
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Under-the-hood data (i.e, item lifecycles, including deleted records)
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Current information
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Data updated once every 24 hours
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Limited "saveability" – Sets or Menu Link
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Save and share any analysis or report in multiple ways
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Export results to Excel only
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Export results to Excel, CSV, and more
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No extra permissions or training needed
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Needs Design Analytics user role and additional training for OBIEE interface
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If you're still not sure, ask yourself, What am I trying to do?
- If you need lots of data across different record types, and are doing comprehensive work on very large data sets, use Analytics.
- If you are working on smaller groups of records, and want to be able to act on those records immediately, use Alma.
Use Alma Search for what it’s good at – having lots of information in one system!
- View a snapshot of current data – what’s the situation Right Now?
- Go from a Title record to an Item record (to view circ stats or availability) to Ordering a new book
- Go from an eResources subject search to a title list to the collection/service information to the license, with just a few clicks
Exploring Advanced Search in Alma
Begin by choosing a Search Type and then Advanced Search, and skim the complete list of Criteria. Don't try any searches this first time - just read your way through the list and get familiar with what's there.
Search types with Advanced Search:
- Titles – All, Physical, Electronic
- Physical Items
- Electronic Collections & Portfolios
- Order Lines (POLs)
- Licenses
- Reading Lists
- Authorities
Incredibly Useful Search Criteria for Acquisitions
- Acquisition Method
- Fund Code
- Fund Name
- Import Job ID
- Interested Users (Yes/No)
- PO Status
- Rush (Yes/No)
- Title - Starts with (the Basic search is Keywords)
- Workflow (Acquisitions workflow status)
Incredibly Useful Search Criteria for Physical Materials
For both Physical search types, you can mix and match criteria from the title, holdings, and item records.
Physical Title record criteria:
- Genre form
- Has Inventory (Yes/No)
- Tag Suppressed (is it suppressed from discovery? Yes/No)
- Uniform Title
- Additional subject criteria options
- Lots of format/material types
Physical Holdings record** criteria:
- Has items (Yes/No)
- Permanent call number
- Permanent physical location
- Summary holdings (Contains keywords, Contains phrase, Is Empty)
- Tag Suppressed (Yes/No)
** Reminder: You can't search for holdings records directly, but you can search for the related Title or Item record using holdings record criteria, then get to the holdings records from those results.
Physical Items record criteria:
- Barcode (Contains keywords or phrase, Is Empty)
- Base Status (Item in place, Item not in place)
- Chronology or Enumeration fields
- Current Library or Location
- Due back from temp location (date)
- In temporary location (Yes/No)
- Issue year
- Item Policy (select from dropdown)
- PO Line (in other words, an item ordered on a specific order)
- Process Type (if not on shelf, why is it not on the shelf? Includes on Loan)
- Public Note (on the item record)
Incredibly Useful Search Criteria for eResources
For all three Electronic search types, you can mix and match criteria from the title, collection, and portfolio records.
Electronic Title record criteria:
- DOI
- Government Document #
- Has Inventory (Yes/No)
- Is Linked (Yes/No)
- Local notes fields
- ORCID (Contains, Is Empty)
- Open Access (Yes/No)
- Peer Reviewed (Yes/No)
- Tag Suppressed (Yes/No)
- Lots of format and material type criteria
- All the dc: and lom: fields
Electronic Collection record criteria:
- Activate From / Activate Do (dates)
- Activation date
- Available for / Collection only available for (choose from a list of SUNY campuses)
- CDI criteria, including In CDI (Yes/No)
- Is Local (Yes/No)
- Library (if your campus has more than one library identified in Alma)
- Linking Level
- Proxy-related criteria
- URL (Keywords, Exact Phrase, Is Empty)
Electronic Portfolio record criteria:
- Availability at the portfolio level
- Is Local (Yes/No)
- Is Standalone (Yes/No)
- Library (if your campus has more than one in Alma)
- Proxy-related criteria
- URL (Keywords, Exact Phrase, Is Empty)
- Lots of format and material type criteria
Additional Advanced Search Criteria for Reserves
The only additions in Advanced Search are Course Start Date and Course End Date, which makes sense because you need to add them each as separate rows.