About the IU-ChaCha partnership

On August 2, 2007, Indiana University announced a strategic alliance with ChaCha, bringing together complementary strengths in the development of technologies designed to meet the evolving needs of scholarly search. The partnership provides a framework to cultivate and promote joint research, development, and services over time.

IU currently manages a complex blend of online information, including data about the university, research findings, library resources, and instructional content for the university community. While comprehensive, the sheer volume of information on IU web sites can make it challenging to find what you need. ChaCha improves upon Internet search engines by (optionally) adding human intelligence to deliver search results. Each time a human guide helps with a search, that assistance is added to the search system, building a base of knowledge from which others can draw. As more inquiries are processed, the human-powered search capabilities are continually strengthened. The ability to repurpose this accumulated knowledge extends what is currently available at IU.

Initially, faculty and staff can use the ChaCha search engine to find information. Eventually, they may wish to serve as ChaCha guides in their areas of expertise.

A pilot search project went live in fall 2007. Searches provided through search.iu.edu, UITS, and the Library are facilitated by ChaCha's search platform. During the pilot, IU ChaCha search will be available to everyone with an IU Network ID. The pilot will provide the opportunity to determine volume and scoping requirements for future implementation while ensuring that copyright and contractual obligations are met, and knowledge gained will help guide future endeavors. Deliverables for the pilot will focus on:

Implementation of an IU-specific search site using ChaCha's search engine and hosted by ChaCha
ChaCha-enhanced search capabilities of this Knowledge Base and "Ask A Librarian" services, including the option for live, expert-guided searches

While the pilot project focuses on provisioning services at IUB and IUPUI, experience from the pilot will help guide future development in collaboration with all IU campuses.

For more, see:

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Last modified on April 07, 2008.

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