Database names in Scout/EDS

All EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) results should now display the database they originated from.

At the end of 2013, a number of databases (Academic Search products notable among them) were merged into the central EDS index. When a result in EDS originated from this central index, the database name would not display in that result’s metadata.

EBSCO’s stated reason for doing this was to improve performance and simplify de-duplication. This change didn’t prove to be popular, though, and in response to customer feedback, EBSCO has found a way to display all database names without compromising performance.

Occasionally, the metadata that will now display in the Database or Content Provider field may refer to a potentially unfamiliar resource — specifically, the Complementary Index, Supplementary Index or eBook Index. These indices are not accessible outside of EDS / Scout. EBSCO has a support article explaining what each of these indices includes. (Note: You will not see the Academic Search Index or Business Source Index listed in that link, since we pay for Academic Search Premier and Business Source Complete.)

If you have questions about this change, please don’t hesitate to comment below or to email me directly. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll pass the question along to EBSCO support.