ETH Graph Search – a new tool for staff
Anyone looking for experts on a specific topic at ETH Zurich will find the new ETH Graph Search tool a valuable aid. The application shows who is researching what – and how topics, people and publications are connected.?
Who at ETH Zurich is researching sustainable architecture in Africa? Which groups are publishing on quantum computing? And where are the links to your own interests? Questions like these are easier to answer with ETH Graph Search. The new search tool is aimed at all ETH staff who want to quickly find their way around the ETH Zurich research network – whether to better understand a topic, discover connections or find suitable contacts.
ETH Graph Search allows you to search for specific terms. The application visualises the results as a network, showing how terms, people, organisational units, lectures, patents and publications are linked. This not only helps researchers, for example when looking for cooperation partners, but also commissions looking for reviewers or award winners. The tool facilitates access to knowledge and people at ETH.
Until now, there is no central system capable of answering complex questions about research topics and their interrelationships. Anyone looking for information often has to painstakingly gather it from various sources, which first have to be found, queried and manually linked. ETH Graph Search offers a possible approach to remedy this situation.
How does ETH Graph Search work?
ETH Graph Search is based on a so-called graph database. This stores information not in tables, but as a network of nodes and connections. Each node represents an object – such as a person, a research topic or a publication. The connections show how these objects are related, for example who publishes on which topic, or in which organisational unit someone works. Additional characteristics, known as "properties", supplement the information, for example with functions or research focuses.
This data structure makes it possible to quickly visualise connections. ETH Graph Search takes advantage of this and shows relationships in an interactive network. Such graph databases are also used today on platforms such as LinkedIn, Netflix and Google.
Now available to all ETH staff members
After an extended beta phase, ETH Graph Search is now available to all ETH Zurich staff. The data comes from various sources: the course catalogue for past, current and future semesters, CV information of professors and adjunct professors from the people search (in future from the personal profiles in MyContact), abstracts from the Research Collection with publication data, and Wikipedia, where key terms such as "global warming" or "sustainable architecture" are described.
Stephan Zimmermann, Head of Institutional Research, draws a positive conclusion: "ETH Graph Search is now working well, and we can use the tool to create clear added value for certain search queries." However, he also points out: "The tool will not be used on a daily basis. And data quality is crucial: the better the profiles and information in the source systems are maintained, the more helpful ETH Graph Search will be. Ultimately, no new information is generated, but existing information is linked together."
Initial feedback from the beta phase
A survey of beta users shows that although ETH Graph Search was used rather selectively, it proved to be quite useful. Staff members used the tool to find researchers on specific topics, identify suitable contacts for collaboration projects, media enquiries or public events, or to reveal connections between research areas. It also provided valuable support in the development of study programmes and the preparation of internal workshops.
Much of the feedback emphasises how easy and quick it is to find relevant information with Graph Search – especially if you are not yet familiar with a topic. The majority of respondents see the tool as a helpful addition that complements existing research options and facilitates exchange across disciplinary boundaries.
Discover ETH Graph Search
The tool has been developed in collaboration betweeen Scientific IT Services and Institutional Research, is only available in English and is intended for ETH staff. The .
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