1.1 Search Content
1.1.1 Basic Search1.2 Browse
1.1.2 Advanced Search
1.3 Document Viewer
1.3.1 Document Viewer Toolbars2.0 My SDA
1.3.2 Image Viewer Panel
1.3.3 Text Viewer Panel
1.3.4 Document Info Panel
2.1 My SDA Home
2.2 Notifications
2.3 Discussion Forums
2.3.1 Discussion Forum List2.4 Library
2.3.2 Joining a Discussion Thread
2.3.3 Creating a Discussion Thread
2.4.1 My Library Folders2.5 Community Pages
2.4.2 My Research Interest Folders
2.5.1 My Profile2.6 My Annotations
2.5.2 Research Interests
2.5.3 Research Interests Community Page
2.7 My Tags
2.8 Saved Searches
1.0 What Can I Do in This Archive?
1.1 Search Content
There are two types of search functionality available in the SDA: basic search and advanced search. In the most general terms, basic search allows for a simple keyword search of all archival contents while advanced search allows you to constrain your search to specific bibliographic fields.
The Basic Search is the default option when navigating to the search page via the Search tab on the top navigation bar.
When you navigate to the search page, you will see by default a list of the most viewed documents in the center panel and the basic search options in the left panel. You can enter a keyword into the text box in the left panel to conduct a basic keyword search. You can also choose to limit this search to specific fields of information, like author names or titles, or employ Boolean search operators. For a brief introduction to the Boolean operators used on the SDA site, see Sphynx Search.
A list of the possible “Search in” choices and definitions follow:
All: The search term can appear in any context (unconstrained)
Authors: The search term can only appear in a document author’s name
ID#: The search term can only appear in a document’s repository identification number
TIP: Users should use the following format AND Boolean Search method when searching for specific archival identification numbers, paying special attention to add a single space after each comma AND to enclose the search query in quotation marks:
"F.558, op.11, d.1, doc.1"
Publication dates: The search term can only appear in a document’s date
TIP:When entering a date as a search term, use the format Year-Month-Day. The year must be four digits, the month 2 digits, and the day 2 digits. Remember to put a hyphen in between each group of numbers. For example, if you were searching for a document published on August 29, 1939, you would enter: 1939-08-29. If you were searching for documents published in August 1939, you would enter 1939-08. And if you were searching for documents published in 1939, you would simply enter 1939.
Recipients: The search term can only appear in a document recipient’s name
Subjects: The search term can only appear in a document’s subject designations
Text: The search term can only appear in a full-text transcription or translation
Titles: The search term can only appear in a document title
Please note that all searching is language-specific, except for author and recipient search. Searches constrained to author and recipient fields will return both English and Russian matches.
You can also search by “Recent Searches” or “Saved Searches” by clicking on the navigation tab below Basic and Advanced Search areas.
Once you have conducted a Basic Search, your search results will appear in the central panel of the screen. This table provides basic bibliographic information about each document. You can see a preview of specific documents from the result list in the right-hand panel by clicking on items in the list. If the result list has multiple pages, a navigation tool will appear above the result list.
You can also customize what fields appear in the table or switch to a thumbnail view of the result list by selecting the “View Options” drop-down menu directly above the result list.
The list of results can also be re-sorted alphabetically on any of the fields in the table by selecting the “Sort by” drop-down menu. You can also sort the results alphabetically or reverse-alphabetically by clicking on the name of the column.
Finally, you can refine search results using a set of filters that appear in the left panel.
Once you are satisfied with your search results, you can either open a document using the “Open” button (which appears in the search result list, above the list, and in the right-hand preview panel).
Please note that currently, only one document can be opened at a time in our document viewer.
You can also generate citations for search results by checking the box for one document and clicking the “Export Citation” buttons above the result list as appropriate.
Click “Save to My Documents” to save one or more documents into your library.
You can access the Advanced Search options by selecting the toggle at the head of the left panel on the Search page. If you have already conducted a Basic Search, the keywords and result set from that search will be carried over onto the Advanced Search page. Much of the Advanced Search functionality is identical to the Basic Search functionality described above; the major difference is that you can choose to apply filters to search queries. For example, you can refine the keyword “Stalin” by the filter “Molotov” under the Names tab.
Additional filters to your search query can be selected from the categories further down the left panel. Selecting any of these categories will bring up a list of possible selections. Once you make your choice from those lists, they are applied to the query as further constraints.
A list of possible filters and your definitions follow:
Keyword: adds additional keyword(s)as search constraints; these keywords can also be constrained to specific contexts
Collections: filters results to specific collections in the SDA. Possible choices include the Annals of Communism volumes, the primary documents contained in the Annals of Communism, or the RGASPI primary materials. RGASPI primary materials can be further constrained by fond, opis, and delo.
Names: filters results using names. Users can pick any name identified in the archive as an author or recipient, whether in Russian or English. The lists of names within each language have been alphabetized for convenience.
Date: filter results either by specific dates or by a range of dates. Subjects: filters results based on the subject information assigned to all documents in the SDA. The list of possible subjects has been alphabetized for convenience. Currently, subject information is limited to the RGASPI materials and appears in Russian.
Tags: filters results based on user-generated tagging (this functionality is not part of the Phase 1 Beta test of the SDA).
Once you have entered your search term and all necessary constraints, click the “Search” button to bring up a result page. (see above for further details).
1.2 Browse
The Browse functionality in the SDA allows you to explore the site’s content using categories reflecting either bibliographic information about the documents themselves or information about how site users are working with those documents. Think of the Browse function as the analog of browsing the stacks of a library, contrasted with Search, whose analog would be looking for a book in a card catalog. In addition to the filters of Search, you will discover that Browse also offers categories that are generated from the community using the SDA.
When arriving on the Browse page, accessible by clicking the “Browse” tab just below the site banner, you will see the center panel filled by default with the “Most Viewed” documents based on site statistics and a list of possible categories by which to Browse in the left panel.
The list of possible browsing categories in the left-hand panel follows:
Most Viewed: provides a list with the most popular documents on the site based on usage statistics
Most Searched Terms: provides a list of popular search terms based on site usage statistics. Click on the heading to expand and show the terms; selecting one of these search terms populates the result list accordingly
Popular Tags: provides a list of popular tags, based on site usage statistics. Click on the heading to expand and show the tags; selecting one of these tags populates the result list accordingly (this functionality is not available in the Phase 1 Beta test of the SDA site)
Editors’ Picks: provides a list of documents selected by the SDA editors. This list will be updated regularly to highlight important or otherwise interesting content
Collections: provides access to the RGASPI and Annals of Communism collection documents
Names: provides a list of names (including people, organizations, and institutions) from an alphabetized list (English or Russian) and populates the result list with documents written either by or to that person or entity
Timeline: provides a list of several time periods based on thematic considerations and the result list populates with documents written during that period
Subjects: provides a list of subjects from an alphabetized list and the result populates with material with those subject categories
1.3 Document Viewer
Documents are viewed in the SDA’s document viewer. The document viewer allows you to see all images and text associated with the material you have selected to open. This section outlines the functionality of the document viewer, explaining each section as it appears on the webpage: toolbars, image panel, and text panel.
1.3.1 Document Viewer Toolbars
The document viewer toolbar appears above the image and text viewer panels and allows you to access the viewer’s functionality. You can save the current document to your personal library (accessible via the My SDA page) or export/save a document citation. You can also switch the view between different combinations of image, translation, and transcription.
Finally, there is a toggle to turn the document info panel on and off. [*Please note that the keyword search box is currently non-functional and will be part of a future release’s functionality set].
If there are any images (i.e. images from scanned documents) associated with an open document, they will appear in the image viewer panel for that document. If there are no images, this panel will be closed by default. The image viewer panel has its own toolbar with buttons to access image specific functionality.
A list of buttons on the image viewer panel toolbar follows:
Up/down arrows: moves backwards and forwards through multi-page documents
Page Count: shows the page viewed and how many total pages exist in the document; users can type a different page number in the text box here to jump to that specific page
Pan Button (arrow & compass): pans around the image by clicking to “grab” the image and dragging it.
Zoom Rectangle Button (Arrow and box): allows users to draw a box around any part of the image; after clicking and dragging to create the box and letting go of the mouse button, the image will zoom in on the area within that box
Plus/Minus Buttons: zooms in and out of the image by clicking
Up/Down/Right/Left Arrows: pans around in the image by clicking
Reset Size Button: resets the image to its original size/zoom settings
Bookmark Button: opens the dialog windows for creating a private bookmark referencing this image
Tag Button: open the dialog windows for creating public or private tags referencing this image
Annotation Button: opens the dialog windows for creating public or private annotations referencing this image
Expand Button (just below toolbar): allows the user to see a full-screen version of the image
When the image is zoomed so that it cannot be seen it in its entirety on the screen, a smaller image of the full-page will appear in the image panel’s upper left-hand corner. This smaller image also allows you to pan around the image while remaining at the same zoom level.
The text viewer panel displays the transcription and/or translation of a document in the SDA if available. The text viewer panel can either appear alone or side-by-side with the image viewer panel.
A list of buttons on the text viewer panel toolbar follows:
Font Size Decrease Button: decreases the size of the font in the text viewer
Font Size Increase Button: increases the size of the font in the text viewer
Bookmark Button: opens the dialog windows for creating a private bookmark referencing text selected by the user
Tag Button: opens the dialog windows for creating public or private tags referencing text selected by the user
Annotation Button: opens the dialog windows for creating public or private annotations referencing text selected by the user
Highlight Button: allows the user to highlight specific passages in the text viewer for private reference
The Document Info panel provides metadata about the document being viewed as well as a space to review user-generated content like tags, annotations, bookmarks, and discussions related to the current document.
A list of buttons on the image viewer panel toolbar follows:
Document Details: displays bibliographic information about the open document
User Ratings: displays the cumulative rating of the document by other users and allows the current user to rate the document
Tags: displays all the private tags that the current user has added to the document along with all public tags
Annotations: displays all the private annotations that the current user has added to the document along with all public annotations
Bookmarks: displays all the private bookmarks that the current user has added to the document along with all public bookmarks created by YUP staff
Discussions: displays the three most recent discussion board threads related to the current document and a button for the user to create a new thread referencing the current document
2.0 My SDA
2.1 My SDA Home
The “My SDA Home” page provides a summary of your recent activity. My SDA is the site’s center for personalized content and community interaction. Here you can view notifications and manage your personal library of saved documents, tags, annotations, and searches, as well as and participate in discussion boards and shared research interests.
2.2 Notifications
The notifications area of the My SDA page is where you receive updates from both administrators and fellow members of the site. Accessible via a tab on the left-hand panel, the Notifications cover such topics as additions to the digitized archive, new discussion topics for Interest Groups to which you are a member and other updates related to your personal account and/or the general functionality of the site.
2.3 Discussion Forums
Discussion Forums provide a way for you to discuss documents found within the Stalin Digital Archive with other members of the community. The “Discussion Boards” page has a search box that allows you to search for specific discussions or specific content within those discussions. All users can view all discussions, but you must be a member of a Research Interest to participate in forum discussions and to start new topics. (See section 2.5 Community Pages to learn about Research Interests)
The left side of the screen shows a list of Discussion Forums, displaying both the title of each forum and the number of topics available within each forum. Each Discussion Forum corresponds to a Research Interest (See 2.5.2 Research Interests).
NOTE: All users can view all discussions, but you must be a member of a Research Interest to participate in the discussion.
To join a Research Interest,
1. Click on “Community Pages”
2. Select “Research Interests”
3. View “All Research Interests”
4. Click “Join” to join the Research Interest.
2.3.2 Joining a discussion thread
To join a discussion thread, you must first JOIN the Research Interests Group (See 2.5.2 Research Interests). To join a Research Interest, see the Community Pages section below. If you are already a member of a Research Interest Group, then you can participate in the discussion.
1. Click on the All Discussions Tab in the left navigation
2. Select a Discussion Forum you would like to view
3. Select a Topic to view by clicking on the Topic title or click on “Start a Discussion”
4. Clicking on a discussion thread name displays the messages in that thread and gives you the option to add your reply.
2.3.3 Creating a discussion thread from the Discussion Forums
1. To begin a new discussion, select the Research Interest from your list of “My Research Interests” or select the discussion forum from the list in the main Discussion Forum area.
On the Community Page for the Research Interest, click “View All Discussions”
2. Once you are in the Discussion Forum, click “Start New Topic”.
Once you have started a topic, you will be prompted to give the new discussion thread a title, a first message, and an associated document (if initiated from the “My SDA” page).
NOTE: You must be a member of a Research Interest group to start a discussion within a Discussion Forum. (See 2.5.2 Research Interests to learn how to join a group.)
2.4 Library
You are able to save documents to your personal library through both the search result and document viewer screens. Within search result page, you must click the check box next to the documents they wish to save and then click the “Save to My Documents” button above the result list. The document viewer, meanwhile, has a button labeled “Save” on the toolbar just above the image/text viewing panels to access this same functionality.
You can access all of your saved documents via the Library tab in the left-hand navigation panel of the My SDA page. Clicking on Library, and then on the sub-tab Personal, brings you to a list of all of saved documents. You can store saved documents in folders, and sort then sort your document view by folder, by created date, by last update, or by document title.
2.4.2 My Research Interest Folders
Research Interests folders contain documents found within the Stalin Digital Archive that relate to a specific Research Interest. (Learn more about Research Interests in the Community Pages section below). The “My Research Interests” view displays a list of all Research Interests document folders to which you are a member and have access to view. You can sort this view by research interests, by documents, by created date, or by last updated. At this time, only administrators can add documents to a Research Interest folder. If you believe a document belongs in a specific Research Interest folder, please contact support@stalindigitalarchive.com
See “Community Pages” below to learn how to join Research Interests.
2.5 Community Pages
Community Pages display information about how other users see you within the SDA user community and also allow you to view what other users are researching.
The My Profile displays the profile view that other SDA users will see when you participate in the SDA community through annotations, discussions or Research Interests. This page, accessible via the left-hand navigation bar of the My SDA page, shows basic information (including name, email, school, address, etc…) as well as your subscribed Research Interests.
To modify information that appears on the “My Profile” page:
1. Click on the “Manage Account” button in the top right corner of the screen.
2. Click “Edit”
3. Change the information as needed.
4. Click “Apply”
Research Interest pages provide an overview of public groups of SDA users who are interested in a particular field of study. You can view All Research Interests or just My Research Interests.
To participate in Discussion Board topic discussions, you must be a member of the related Research Interest. To join a Research Interest:
1. View “All Research Interests”
2. Click on the Title of the Research Interest to view what the group is about
3. Click “Join” to participate in the group.
2.5.3 Research Interests Community Page
To view the Research Interest Community Page, click on the Research Interest Title in the Research Interest list. The Research Interest Community Page displays information about the Research Interest including: recent discussions, recently shared documents (available in the library folder), recent annotations, tags and members of the Research Interest group.
2.6 My Annotations
You can keep track of all of your annotations on documents via the My Annotations tab on the left-hand navigation panel in the “My SDA” page. You can sort this view by Annotation, Document, Shared, and Date Created. You have the option of sharing annotations with other SDA users by making personal annotations public. You can also delete Annotations by clicking on the box next to each annotation, and then selecting the delete button towards the top of the screen.
To edit an annotation:
1. Select the annotation to edit
2. The annotation will open up in the document viewer
3. Edit your annotation by changing the content or making it public
NOTE: Only personal annotations can be edited. Once an annotation has been made public, it is no longer editable. This is so that other users can reference your annotation. Be sure to review all annotations carefully before making them public. If you need to report an error, please contact support@stalindigitalarchive.com.
2.7 My Tags
You can organize and manage tags on documents via the My Tags tab on the left-hand navigation panel in the My SDA page. To run a search on a tag you have created, click on the tag name.
2.8 Saved Searches
You can view a list of your saved searches in “My SDA” or search by Saved Searches from the main “Search” tab. SDA content is saving search parameters to one’s personal library for reuse later.
Clicking on this button will automatically add the search parameters to your personal library, which can be accessed through either the “Saved Searches” tab on the search pages or the personal library on the “My SDA” page.
