---

Redesign of Search Strategies and Other Enhancements to U.S. Documents Masterfile – March 2019
06 March 2019 by Paratext Editorial

News | Product Updates | United States Masterfile | New Collections | USM Product Updates

Over the last nine months, we have made some exciting new changes to U.S. Documents Masterfile. Searches have been streamlined and more options added, the site layout refined, and metadata cleaned to provide more relevant results with each search.

The new USDM is a vastly improved tool for beginner users and seasoned researchers of government documents alike. Take a look under the hood:

 

Search Strategies

• Results are now arranged by date of publication rather than by indexing source, implementing a more logical “last-in, first-out” organization
• Superintendent of Documents (SuDoc) number search has been streamlined
• Added a “sort by agency” function
• Implemented date facets to refine searches
• Enhanced mouseover text with more relevant up-to-date information

 

Content

• Resource Descriptions have been revised and updated for most USDM sources
  • Read about the histories, contents, and quirks of USDM sources, from the American State Papers to the U.S. Congressional Serial Set to the Messages and Papers of the Presidents
• New sources added to USDM:
  • Subject-Matter Index of Patents Issued by the U.S. Patent Office, 1790-1873
  • Congressional Bill Summaries, 2015-current (updated nightly)
• Increased the frequency of updates:
  • Congressional Research Service Reports now update nightly
  • Government Publishing Office info now updates monthly
• Help screen information has been updated to reflect new version of USDM
• Readex Serial Set data enhanced to show Serial Set volume number on results screen
• In certain sources, finding aids inserted into metadata to help users locate physical volume and look up the title in question

 

Navigation and Ease-of-use

• Streamlined layout allows basic or advanced searches to be made directly from the landing page
• “About the Content” page significantly improved to provide more relevant information for current and future customers
• Reformatted “search results” page to ease readability
• More powerful “synonym search” tool gives more relevant results with fewer searches

 

And don't forget about the Federal Widget! The Widget links effortlessly to our database, allowing you to provide patrons with easy access to U.S. Documents Masterfile via a single search box placed anywhere within your site—even in your LibGuides.

 

 

Check your institution’s database subscriptions to find if you have access to U.S. Documents Masterfile, or sign up for a free trial at https://public.paratext.com/customer/.