Multiple default search fields in OPACs?

[John Kupersmith]

Usability4Lib and Web4Lib members --
I'd be interested to hear from those of you whose web-based library 
catalogs offer different default field searches in a set of multiple search 
boxes on the same screen.  For example, instead of this:

ADVANCED SEARCH
        [             ]  Title Keyword(s)
    and [             ]  Title Keyword(s)


you might offer this:

ADVANCED SEARCH
        [             ]  Title Keyword(s)
    and [             ]  Author


If you do this, what are your defaults?  How well do users handle having 
different default fields in the two search boxes?

Any usability test data on this?


--jk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   John Kupersmith        jkup at jkup.net        http://www.jkup.net
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
   Reference Librarian                 http://www.lib.berkeley.edu
   Doe/Moffitt Libraries
   University of California, Berkeley
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  


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