Faceted search presents result counts by attribute, allowing progressive narrowing without reformulating the query. Facets typically include date range, custodian, file type, and any applied coding.
It complements text search rather than replacing it.
Alternative Names:
Filtered Search, Faceted Navigation
Why it Matters?
Facets are how large result sets become workable, since a text search returning eight thousand documents is not directly usable while the same search filtered to one custodian and one quarter is. The dependency is metadata quality, because facets built on inconsistent or missing metadata produce filters that exclude relevant material without indicating they have done so.
Frequently Confused with
Related terms
Frequently asked questions
What does faceted search accomplish?
What limits it?
