Discovery Layer Search Results

Discovery services have become the primary research tool for many students. Including AskAway in discovery search results ensures that students continue to have access to research help, when and where they need it most.

Why should AskAway be included here?

As many students use discovery layers as their sole means of finding information, excluding the chat box from these results means that they miss the opportunity for assistance and instruction. Institutions launching discovery layers without chat box support have seen significant declines in their AskAway usage.

However, adding a chat box to discovery search results has significant effects. Even institutions that already have high usage have seen sustained increases of 35% or more after doing so.

Which type of entry point should I use?

A chat box is the preferred entry point as students navigating search results are actively researching, and the chat box is an open invitation to chat directly at point of need. Buttons and links add steps to the process of getting help, and act as barriers.

The chat box should be fully visible and expanded, not hidden behind a collapsed menu.

Where on the page should it go?

At or near the top of the right sidebar, above the fold.

If no sidebar is present, the chat box should be set apart from the main page content, but always visible above the fold.

Example