The Enterprise Data Catalog

Chapter 4. Apply Search: From Simple to Advanced Patterns

In the previous chapter, we discussed how search works in a data catalog and how understanding the search mechanics can improve how you search and thus drive up the value of your data catalog. You have to remember that search is dependent on how well you organize the data in your data catalog. Even if you compose the perfect query statement for what you need, the search will struggle to return anything if the data catalog has poor metadata.

This brings us to how to apply search. Applying search is a craft that is different from understanding the technology itself. First of all, when searching for data, you need to search like a librarian who is trained in searching for data, and not like a data scientist who is trained to search in data. With a librarian’s mindset, you will find creative ways to unlock search features. Simple search can be used in a variety of ways that increase and decrease precision in order to search more broadly or for only very few hits. Browsing enables navigation in data and understanding its context—and an additional benefit is that this context can be used to refine both simple and complex search. And just as simple search can be used in many different ways, so can complex search.

What you will learn in this chapter is only the beginning. You will need to further adapt and refine applied search so that it matches the language and purpose of your company.

Search Like Librarians—Not Like Data Scientists ...