Science.gov Version 4.0 Launched

Science Search Is Now More “Relevant” than Ever

San Francisco – The latest version of Science.gov, launched today, deploys “DeepRank” which allows search and relevancy ranking across full text of documents, when full text is available. In addition, Science.gov 4.0 adds a “refine results” option to narrow returns within a search, as well as an “email results” feature so that individuals may email important science information to themselves, friends and family, or colleagues. Version 4.0 offers more ways to view search results: by title, author or date, as well as by relevancy rank or source, as in earlier versions. 

“Once again, Science.gov has brought new features and new technology to the forefront for those who need science information quickly,” said Eleanor Frierson, Deputy Director, National Agricultural Library and co-chair of the Science.gov Alliance. “You get a lot of search with just one query, and your results are more relevant than ever.”

Tom Lahr, Deputy Associate Chief Biologist for Information, U.S. Geological Survey, and co-chair of the Science.gov Alliance, noted that Version 4.0 will help citizens find the science information they need. “Already, Science.gov searches authoritative science information from 30 federal scientific databases and more than 1,800 science Web sites,” said Lahr. “Now DeepRank, a more sophisticated ranking tool, will help return even more targeted results from these resources.”

At Science.gov, a single query can be launched across more than 50 million pages of science information and research results. Science.gov allows users to search the surface Web as well as the deep Web, where traditional search engines typically cannot go. The information is free and no registration is required. 

Hosted by the DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI, www.osti.gov), Science.gov is the gateway to reliable science and technology information from 16 organizations within 12 federal science agencies. 

Science.gov is made possible by members of the Science.gov Alliance: the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, and the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Government Printing Office, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation, with support from the National Archives and Records Administration.

Science.gov is supported by CENDI (www.cendi.gov) an interagency working group of senior scientific and technical information managers from 12 U.S. federal agencies.