Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and evaluate discovery layer search tools for retrieval of legal information in Indian law libraries. This paper covers current practices in legal information retrieval with special reference to Indian academic law libraries, and analyses its importance in the domain of law.Design/Methodology/Approach. A web survey and observational study method are used to collect the data. Data related to the discovery tools were collected using email and further discussion held with the discovery layer/ tool /product developers and their representatives.Findings. Results show that most of the Indian law libraries are subscribing to bundles of legal information resources such as Hein Online, JSTOR, LexisNexis Academic, Manupatra, Westlaw India, SCC web, AIR Online (CDROM), and so on. International legal and academic resources are compatible with discovery tools because they support various standards related to online publishing and dissemination such as OAI/PMH, Open URL, MARC21, and Z39.50, but Indian legal resources such as Manupatra, Air, and SCC are not compatible with the discovery layers. The central index is one of the important components in a discovery search interface, and discovery layer services/tools could be useful for Indian law libraries also if they can include multiple legal and academic resources in their central index. But present practices and observations reveal that discovery layers are not providing facility to cover legal information resources. Therefore, in the present form, discovery tools are not very useful; they are an incomplete and half solution for Indian libraries because all available Indian legal resources available in the law libraries are not covered.Originality/Value. Very limited research or published literature is available in the area of discovery layers and their compatibility with legal information resources.
Highlights
Discovery layers, link resolvers, and federated search tools have significantly added to a paradigm shift in the process of information retrieval and provided a way to access information in a quick and easy manner
Further discussion was held with the representatives of discovery layer service providers, and related published literature was consulted to know the compatibility of discovery layers with legal information resources
The discovery layers search interface allows a user to search multiple databases using single interfaces, and arranges output results received from various databases, indexed and presented to the end user in a single set of results
Summary
Link resolvers, and federated search tools have significantly added to a paradigm shift in the process of information retrieval and provided a way to access information in a quick and easy manner. Technology has transformed users’ information retrieval and information seeking behaviour, and increased the value of information resources by providing deeper understanding (Craigle, 2011). The search and retrieval approach of the user depends on search expertise and understanding of the use of information resources. Legal information resources are quite different in nature, and they can be categorised as primary and secondary. Primary legal information resources include cases, rules, statutes, and administrative regulations. Secondary information resources in law include commentary on the law, summarised information with comments and opinions on primary information, and other secondary information sources such as reviews, indexes, bibliographies, and so on. Legal information is available in various formats, i.e. print, online, and offline (CDROMs, etc.) that could be another criterion of legal information resource categorisation
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