# /research/projects/frbr/fictionfinder.htm

originally: http://www.oclc.org/research/projects/frbr/fictionfinder.htm

# FictionFinder: A FRBR-based prototype for fiction in WorldCat

FRBR (Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records) is a 1998 recommendation of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) to restructure catalog databases to reflect the conceptual structure of information resources. This project is one of four OCLC Research projects that address organizing bibliographic data according to the FRBR data model.

More information about FRBR and related OCLC Research projects is available on the main FRBR Project page.

## Goal

The goal of this project is to use the FRBR model in a prototype system for searching and browsing bibliographic records representing fiction.

## Overview

FictionFinder is a prototype of OCLC Research that provides access to over 2.9 million records for books, eBooks, and audio materials tagged as fiction in OCLC WorldCat (including comics, dramas, novels, and short stories).

FictionFinder provides a FRBR-inspired view of the data. Records are clustered into works using the FRBR Work-Set Algorithm. The algorithm collects manifestation records into groups based on author and title information from bibliographic and authority records. Author names and titles are normalized according to the NACO Authority File Comparison Rules to construct a work key (e.g., carroll, lewis\1832 1898/alices adventures in wonderland is the key for Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland). All records with the same key are grouped together in a work set or cluster.

In the prototype, data elements from records within a given cluster are aggregated at the work level. For example, summaries, subject headings, and genre terms are selected from individual bibliographic records and presented at the work level. The resulting descriptions are often richer and more complete than the descriptions for individual editions (manifestations). The term edition is used here and in FictionFinder instead of the FRBR term manifestation because edition will be more readily understood by library users. The top 10 fiction works by OCLC holdings and by number of editions are given below.

Records in FictionFinder are extensively indexed and are searchable by author, title, ISBN, subject heading and by the words in summaries. Users can also search and browse by genres, characters (real & fictional), settings (real & imaginary) and literary awards. Except for awards, the prototype uses existing data elements found in bibliographic and authority records. Search results are organized by works and ranked by holdings making results sets briefer and easier to navigate. Both work and edition records are linked to WorldCat.org to enable users to find items of interest.

### Top 10 Fiction Works by OCLC Holdings

1. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
2. Don Quixote by Cervantes
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
5. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
6. Moby Dick by Herman Melville
7. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
8. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
9. Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
10. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

### Top 10 Fiction Works by Number of Editions

1. Don Quixote by Cervantes
2. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
3. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
5. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
6. Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
7. Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
8. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
9. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
10. Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

## Resources

- Vizine-Goetz, Diane. 2007. "FictionFinder: Imagining What a "Next Generation" Catalog Might Look Like." Presentation given at the OCLC Members Council Research and New Technologies Interest Group meeting, 6 February 2007, Québec, QC (Canada) and Dublin, Ohio (USA). Two versions of this presentation are available: PowerPoint (1.4MB/23 slides) and PDF (1.5MB/14 pp.).
- Vizine-Goetz, Diane. 2006. "FictionFinder: Don Quixote to Graphic Novels" (PPT:1.4MB/24slides). Presentation given at WebWise 2006, 17 February 2006, Los Angeles, California (USA)
- Hickey, Thom and Diane Vizine-Goetz. 2002. "Implementing FRBR on Large Databases." [Fall 2002 CNI Task Force Project Briefing presentation.]

## Research team

- Carol Hickey
- JD Shipengrover
- Roger Thompson
- Diane Vizine-Goetz (lead)