Searching by author- differing names

Here's a post on the MP blog about searching by author-

From My Library you can initiate a search in all of the books by a particular author.

Right click on an Author’s name like Chambers. Select Search All These Resources. When the search dialog opens enter your search query and click Search.

In the past, this was not very effective because Logos had authors listed in all kinds of different ways. For example, one of my favorites, R. C. Sproul, was listed as: Sproul, RC; Sproul, R. C.; Sproul, R.C.; Sproul, Robert Charles; and so on.

I've recently noticed that for Dr. Sproul, they've cleaned this up quite a bit. Does anyone know if they've done this across the board?

And related- when I search by 'Sproul', I also get my Tabletalk magazines (of which he is editor). These magazines are listed under 'Ligonier Ministries' as author. How does Logos know to associate them with 'Sproul'? Are there metatags that are being searched, or some other method of identifying authors related to journals?

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

MJ. Smith

It's the metadata. Logos is working on it not completed with it. And in my pessimistic moments I sometimes feel as if they are fixing them only slightly faster than creating them.[:(]

Milford Charles Murray

Here's a post on the MP blog about searching by author-

From My Library you can initiate a search in all of the books by a particular author.

Right click on an Author’s name like Chambers. Select Search All These Resources. When the search dialog opens enter your search query and click Search.

Peace to you, Brother Doc! *smile* ..... and ...... Always Great Joy in the Lord!

Perhaps I'm overlooking something? I can't seem to do this with L4. I CAN do it with L3.0g, though. Is that what you mean?

If you mean Logos4, please give me a few more clues! John 8:31,32

MJ. Smith

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/303390#Comment_303390

I can't seem to do this with L4. I CAN do it with L3.0g, though.

I believe you're right [:$] but the answer still stands.

Doc B

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/303390#Comment_303390

Yes, my post wasn't very clear. That's an old MP tip that goes back to L3. The search is now done in the Library, but the principle is the same...the author names come from the publishers in many different ways, and (I think) the Logos folks have to clean them up.

Doc B

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/303535#Comment_303535

To add- It was the metadata about which I was curious. Since I don't know an easy way to see it, I don't know what I'm missing when I do author searches.

This could potentially get worse in resources like Perseus (or similar). Think of author names from previous centuries, or author names in languages very different than English...there are often many different ways to spell them. The metadata gets important.