Some Key Benefits of Federated Search

Federated search technology is an essential factor underlying the effectiveness of information portals and similar solutions that deliver content from many different sources. In this blog post we review the concept of federated search, examine a few of the key benefits associated with it, and look at their value for chemical safety professionals.

What is Federated Search?

Federated search is a means of information retrieval in which multiple sources are searched simultaneously. The basic process entails a user submitting a query, which is then distributed to all the searchable resources in the “federation” (collection of sources) at the same time. Results received from the federated sources are then aggregated and presented to the user in real time.

Some Key Benefits

Federated search technology yields a number of benefits for its users. Among these are increased flexibility, greater convenience, improved efficiency, and others.

  • Flexibility

    • Offering flexibility in a variety of ways, federated search engines allow for prior selection of the information sources that are searched. Based on how they are integrated, and on user preference, results often can be displayed to appear as if from a single source, or in separate sections of a results list.

  • Convenience

    • Federated search engines offer the significant convenience of allowing users to search numerous sources (which can be web-based, enterprise, or a combination thereof) simultaneously, without the need to conduct individual queries for each source. Searching is conducted in real time so that content is available and can be accessed as soon as its corresponding sources are updated. In addition to increased convenience, this also helps to ensure greater currency.

  • Efficiency

    • In addition to providing convenience, the ability of most federated search engines to search a diverse collection of content sources concurrently provides greater efficiency. The ability to manage the wide range of web forms they encounter is an additional key to their efficiency.

The amount of time and effort often required to find the right information from among a multitude of resources is a luxury that most researchers and professionals do not have. This is particularly the case for chemical safety professionals, whose efforts can have a tremendous impact on the health and well-being of others. The many benefits yielded by federated search help make it an invaluable technology for all types of chemical safety professionals.

A Federated Search Solution for Chemical Safety Professionals

For chemical safety professionals who require fast, convenient, and seamless access to information on a host of chemical substances, ToxPlanet offers a robust suite of decision support solutions. Our federated search engine searches more than 500 highly authoritative, discipline-relevant resources and delivers access to the highest quality and most up-to-date content available. To learn more about our offerings and how they can help address your information needs, contact us today and register for a Free Trial.