Penn State Search Strategy 2010

As of September 1, 2010, Penn State will no longer support an in-house Google Search Appliance (GSA). A cost/benefit analysis determined that various free tools are available to adequately support the most utilized feature sets of the current GSA, and some offer other features not currently supported.

Please note:  The search form on search.psu.edu will still offer searches for all of Penn State via google.com using the strategy set forth by the report.  Also, search-results.aset.psu.edu/search will temporarily (until September 1, 2011) forward all queries to google.com, so that pages using it for searches will continue to provide search results.  You may begin testing this by using test-search-results.aset.psu.edu/search to provide results for a test site.

The main points of the strategy are:

1. Use google.com with the psu.edu sitesearch parameter for providing raw search results for all of psu.edu as a zero-cost solution.
2. Allow individual units to use any method for providing search results for their own site(s).
3. Provide access to research search engines for analysis of Penn State's Web presence.
4. Communicate and promote the search strategy to the Penn State community.
5. Provide code for "plug and play" implementations of the search strategy.
6. Provide informal training for those who wish to have more information about implementing the strategy.
7. Provide search redirection from search-results.aset.psu.edu.

While there is not an immediate need to act, Penn State Web developers are encouraged to begin experimenting with alternatives now, as the standardized search element outlined in University Policy AD54 Web Page Design and Image will still be required on Web pages.

Here, you will find the information you need to adapt to this new strategy as we move forward.  As more information becomes available and decisions are made, this site will be updated.  You can get started by reading the Search Strategy Committee Recommendations Report.