Why is it that the same WorldCat search performed on WorldCat.org and then on FirstSearch produces different results?
The default order of results differs between the WorldCat.org interface and the FirstSearch interface. Results are displayed according to relevance in WorldCat.org, so the items most closely related to a user’s search terms will appear at the top of the results. In the FirstSearch view of WorldCat, results are displayed according to the number of holdings for each item. Therefore, items that are owned by the most WorldCat libraries will appear at the top of the results. As with major search engines, results for the same search on WorldCat.org may vary over time, as the WorldCat database grows and OCLC improves its supporting algorithms.
Related Questions
- Why do I see a different list of libraries attached to a WorldCat record when I am in the library than when I search WorldCat.org from my home or office?
- Why is it that the same WorldCat search performed on WorldCat.org and then on FirstSearch produces different results?
- Why are keyword search result counts different, in the API, FirstSearch, and WorldCat.org?
