Multilingual Digital Libraries: A review of issues in system-centered and user-centered studies, information retrieval and user behavior

• We identify and critical review the research literature on Multilingual Digital Libraries (MDL) from 1997 to 2012.
• Papers were categorized on two core themes, system-centered and user-centered and in six sub-themes.
• The literature concerning MDL mainly focuses on two aspects the System and the Users.
• The majority of papers tried to meet the challenges raised for enabling multilingual information retrieval in DL.
• Few studies have focused on the user and aimed to explore users' behavior and expectations when interacting with MDL.

PurposeThis study aims to identify, collect and critical review the research literature on Multilingual Digital Libraries in English language from 1997 to 2012.Design/methodology/approachThe present literature review has followed the rules of systematic review. In particular, the identified relevant papers were categorized based on their expressed aim on two core themes, that of system-centered and user-centered studies. The assigned papers were further analyzed and six sub-themes emerged for the system-centered studies and four for the user-centered studies. Additional categorization was also provided according to type of publication.FindingsThe literature concerning Multilingual Digital Libraries is vast and mainly focuses on two aspects the “System” and the “Users”. The majority of papers tried to meet the challenges raised for enabling multilingual information retrieval in Digital Libraries. Unfortunately, these efforts undertaken by a small number of researchers or research groups apparently working in isolation and therefore resulting in the development of numerous different tools and techniques. Relatively few studies have focused on the user and aimed to explore users' behavior and expectations when interacting with Multilingual Digital Libraries. As a result, further research is needed to reach to some tangible and usable findings.Originality/valueThis literature review captures the diversity of the research conducted regarding multilingual information access and retrieval in Digital Libraries. It organizes the vast literature in comprehensive themes and sub-themes enabling easy access to specific information.LimitationsThis study reviews only papers in English due to language restrictions from 1997 to 2012.