Improving the Reliability of Web Search Results

Over the last years, it has been possible to observe the exponential growth of the internet. Everyday new websites are created. Everyday new technologies are developed. Everyday new data is added into the web. The search for available online data on the web has become an increasingly common practice to any person because, the regular user wants to know more. For any existing question or doubt, the user wants the answer the fastest way possible. It is in this field where the search engines are an exceptional tool in helping their users. In order to aid the users reach for what they were seeking for, search engines have become a fantastic tool. Either it is searched for a certain website, some specific information or even for the seek of knowledge, search engines help the user reach his goal. Without their existence, it would be much more difficult and frustrating to find the needed information, which would lead to a tremendous loss of time and resources, and most of the cases, the user would probably not reach the results it was looking for. Thus, the development of web search engines provided a better comfort for the user. However, despite the fact there is a really effective tool, sometimes it can lead to unintended results. Towards a search, the search engine can lead to a suggestion of a website that does not correspond to the expectation of the user. This is due to the fact that search engines only show part of the content related with each correspondent hyperlink, which for several times, users think the answer for what they are looking for is in some website and when they start analysing it, the intended information is not there. Entering and leaving different websites, can be a big inconvenience, even more if the internet connection is slow (as it can happen outside the big cities or in least developed areas), which makes the user lose more time and patience. This dissertation intends to explore the possibility and prove the concept that, with the help and junction of different technologies such as parsing, web crawling, web mining and semantic web in a machine, it is possible to improve the reliability from the search engines, in order for the user lose the minimal time or resources possible

Understanding User Behavioral Intention to Adopt a Search Engine that Promotes Sustainable Water Management

An increase in users’ online searches, the social concern for an efficient management of resources such as water, and the appearance of more and more digital platforms for sustainable purposes to conduct online searches lead us to reflect more on the users’ behavioral intention with respect to search engines that support sustainable projects like water management projects. Another issue to consider is the factors that determine the adoption of such search engines. In the present study, we aim to identify the factors that determine the intention to adopt a search engine, such as Lilo, that favors sustainable water management. To this end, a model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is proposed. The methodology used is the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis with the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS). The results demonstrate that individuals who intend to use a search engine are influenced by hedonic motivations, which drive their feeling of contentment with the search. Similarly, the success of search engines is found to be closely related to the ability a search engine grants to its users to generate a social or environmental impact, rather than users’ trust in what they do or in their results. However, according to our results, habit is also an important factor that has both a direct and an indirect impact on users’ behavioral intention to adopt different search engines

Perceived Impact of Internet Services on Computer Science Undergraduate Research in Universities in Benue State, Nigeria

ABSTRACT: The study investigated the perceived impact of internet services on Computer Science undergraduate research in universities in Benue State, Nigeria. The study looked at the extent of availability of internet services, e-mails, World Wide Web, File Transfer Protocol and challenges that affect effective utilization of internet services. Five (5) objectives with corresponding research questions guided the study while three hypotheses were formulated. The study adopted a survey research design. The population of the study was 401 final year undergraduate students of Computer Science Department from three (3) universities in Benue State. The sample size for the study was 200 Computer Science undergraduate who were composed using proportionate stratified and simple random sampling techniques. The instrument of data collection was a self-structured questionnaire titled “Internet Services and Computer Science Undergraduate Research Questionnaire” (ISCSUSRQ) which was validated by experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was established using Cronbach Alpha method and a reliability coefficient of 0.89 was obtained. Data was collected and analyzed using Means and Standard Deviation to answer the research questions and Chi-Square statistics to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Findings of the study revealed that, Internet services such as World Wide Web, E-mails, File Transfer Protocol, Internet Chatting, Search Engines, List Servs/Discussion Groups and Telnet /Usenet are to a high extent, available for research by Computer Science undergraduate students in universities in Benue State. E-mail, World Wide Web and File Transfer Protocol has significant perceived impact on Computer Science undergraduate research in universities in Benue State. The finding also revealed that the challenges affecting effective utilization of internet services for research by Computer Science undergraduate in universities in Benue State include slow internet access speed, longer time to view/download web pages, difficulty in finding relevant information, offline internet connectivity, electricity failure, high cost of accessing the internet, lack of computers, Low internet bandwidth and lack of internet search skills for effective search among others. The study concluded that, internet services such as E-mails, World Wide Web, File Transfer Protocol used by Computer Science undergraduate students in universities in Benue State have significant perceived positive impact on their research activities. Recommendations were made that, there should be inclusion of internet services literacy course into the general studies programme of the University to enhance students knowledge of online information for their learning and research, universities should improve on the internet wireless service connectivity as this will enhance students’ access without time limit or restrictions and internet laboratories which offer FTP services on campus should be scheduled and made accessible to students among others

Eye tracking data (Frequently Applied Designs)

Eye tracking can be used to record individual search processes on the Internet and the eye movements of subjects searching for information. These search processes combined with the gaze data can be examined by means of standardized content analysis.  Field of application/theoretical foundation: Reception, perception, and selection behavior on the Internet; selective exposure and framing effects studies; role of news factors in selection on the Internet References/combination with other methods of data collection: Zillich and Kessler (2019) evaluate and compare the method combination with the advantages and disadvantages of established methods for measuring selective exposure processes with regard to online information. Kessler and Guenther (2017), Kessler and Langmann (2020), and Kessler and Zillich (2019) combined the content analysis of eye tracking data with an online pre- and post-survey. Kessler and Engelmann (2019) compare findings on the role of news factors in online news selection from three different methods: standardized content analysis of eye tracking data, qualitative open survey, and standardized closed survey. Example studies: Kessler & Langmann (2020); Kessler & Engelmann (2019); Kessler & Zillich (2019); Kessler & Guenther (2017); Zillich & Kessler (2019)   Information on Kessler and Guenther (2017) Authors: Sabrina Heike Kessler & Lars Guenther                              Research question: Does individual online behavior (i.e., searching for and reading information) conform to previously presented media frames? How much impact do presented media frames have on different levels of individuals’ online searching for and on reading information? Object of analysis: In an experiment combining eye tracking and content analysis, participants (N = 72) were exposed to one of three TV clips with different media frames that focused on Alzheimer’s disease. After exposure, participants informed themselves about the issue online. The researchers examined the online search behavior via eye tracking while the participants searched for information, followed by a standardized content analysis of the eye tracking data. Timeframe of analysis: 2014 Codebook: in the appendix (in German) Info about variables Construct: online behavior, the way people search for and read information on the Internet Level of analysis: levels of online behavior: input words participants used for their online searches; search results from the online search engines that were both viewed and selected; search results that were viewed but not selected; and the content of viewed websites. Variables: Duration of the search behavior; duration of the reception behavior; words typed into the search engine; website visited; categorization of the website; number of search results received and selected or received and not selected; main topic, problem, cause, evaluation, opportunities and risks, forecasts, proposed solution and demands of the individual search results; number and type of actors of the individual selected and unselected search results; number of contributions received; main topic, problem, cause, evaluation, opportunities and risks, forecasts, proposed solution and demands of the individual websites received; depicted controversy, images, explicit and implicit certainty and uncertainty at the individual websites received Reliability: “Nine trained coders helped conduct the content analysis. In total, 12 clips of participants’ online behavior (17 percent of the total sample) were randomly selected for reliability testing. For intercoder reliability, Cohen’s ? for the formal variables was ?=0.98 (CR=0.99). Intercoder reliability for the variables of the frame elements had the following values: selected search results ?=0.77 (CR=0.97), search results that were viewed but not selected ?=0.81 (CR=0.97), and contents of the websites that were viewed ?=0.71 (CR=0.93).” (p. 316)   Information on Kessler and Langmann (2020) Authors: Sabrina Heike Kessler & Klara Langmann                            Research question: How does biological sex influence search behavior for political information on the Internet? Hypothesis: Prior political knowledge, political interest, and Internet skills mediate the influence of biological and social sex on search behavior for political information on the Internet. Object of analysis: This study aimed to investigate how people (N = 44 students) search online for political information (N = 220 search tasks) and if gendered online search exist. We examined the online search behavior via eye tracking while the participants searched for information about political party positions on the Internet. A content analysis of the eye tracking data followed and was evaluated with a special focus on the role of biological sex and social gender and the relationship of both factors with other variables, such as self-reported prior political knowledge, political interest, and Internet skills (via online survey). Timeframe of analysis: April 2017        Codebook: in the appendix (in German) Info about variables Construct: online search behavior, the way people search for and read information on the Internet Level of analysis: levels of online behavior: input words participants used for their online searches; search results on search engine result pages (SERPs) that were both viewed and selected, search results that were viewed but not selected; and the content of viewed websites.  Variables and reliability: Four coders conducted the content analysis by satisfying reliability values (based on 11.4% of the total sample, randomly selected). Variables Measures Reliability coefficient (Krippendorff's ?); n=25 Search task 5 values 1 Length of online search behavior seconds 1 Number of search queries on SERPs 0 to x 1 Time on SERPs seconds .81 (10% tolerance) Scanpath on SERPs 4 values .78 Length of search queries 3 values .96 Number of clicked search results 0 to x .96 Number of viewed and unselected search results 0 to x .67 (10% tolerance) Number of selected search results position 1 0 to x .98 Number of selected search results position 2–3 0 to x .98 Number of perceived websites 0 to x .93 Type of website accessed 19 values .88 Website scanpaths 4 values .81 Reception scope on website 3 values .84 Time on websites seconds .81 (10% tolerance)   References Kessler, S. H. & Langmann, K. (2020). The role of sex and gender on search behavior for political informationon the Internet. Communications: The European Journal of Communication Research. DOI: 10.1515/commun-2019-0137 Kessler, S. H. & Engelmann, I. (2019). Why do we click? Investigating reasons for user selection on a news aggregator website. Communications, 44(2), 225-247. DOI: 10.1515/commun-2018-2003 Kessler, S. H. & Zillich, A. F. (2019). Searching online for information about vaccination: Assessing the influence of user-specific cognitive factors using eye-tracking. Health Communication, 34(10), 1150-1158. DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2018.1465793 Kessler, S. H. & Guenther, L. (2017). Eyes on the frame: Explaining people's online searching behavior in response to TV consumption. Internet Research, 27(2), 303-320. DOI: 10.1108/IntR-01-2016-0015 Zillich, A. F., & Kessler, S. H. (2019). Measuring selective exposure to online information. Combining eye-tracking and content analysis of users’ actual search behavior. In C. Peter, T. Naab, & R. Kühne (eds.), Measuring media use and exposure: Recent developments and challenges (pp. 196-220). Köln, GER: Halem

CHORUS Deliverable 3.4: Vision Document

The goal of the CHORUS Vision Document is to create a high level vision on audio-visual search engines in order to give guidance to the future R&D work in this area and to highlight trends and challenges in this domain. The vision of CHORUS is strongly connected to the CHORUS Roadmap Document (D2.3). A concise document integrating the outcomes of the two deliverables will be prepared for the end of the project (NEM Summit)

Users' trust in information resources in the Web environment: a status report

This study has three aims; to provide an overview of the ways in which trust is either assessed or asserted in relation to the use and provision of resources in the Web environment for research and learning; to assess what solutions might be worth further investigation and whether establishing ways to assert trust in academic information resources could assist the development of information literacy; to help increase understanding of how perceptions of trust influence the behaviour of information users

Investigating people: a qualitative analysis of the search behaviours of open-source intelligence analysts

The Internet and the World Wide Web have become integral parts of the lives of many modern individuals, enabling almost instantaneous communication, sharing and broadcasting of thoughts, feelings and opinions. Much of this information is publicly facing, and as such, it can be utilised in a multitude of online investigations, ranging from employee vetting and credit checking to counter-terrorism and fraud prevention/detection. However, the search needs and behaviours of these investigators are not well documented in the literature. In order to address this gap, an in-depth qualitative study was carried out in cooperation with a leading investigation company. The research contribution is an initial identification of Open-Source Intelligence investigator search behaviours, the procedures and practices that they undertake, along with an overview of the difficulties and challenges that they encounter as part of their domain. This lays the foundation for future research in to the varied domain of Open-Source Intelligence gathering

The onus on us? Stage one in developing an i-Trust model for our users.

This article describes a Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)-funded project, conducted by a cross-disciplinary team, examining trust in information resources in the web environment employing a literature review and online Delphi study with follow-up community consultation. The project aimed to try to explain how users assess or assert trust in their use of resources in the web environment; to examine how perceptions of trust influence the behavior of information users; and to consider whether ways of asserting trust in information resources could assist the development of information literacy. A trust model was developed from the analysis of the literature and discussed in the consultation. Elements comprising the i-Trust model include external factors, internal factors and user's cognitive state. This article gives a brief overview of the JISC funded project which has now produced the i-Trust model (Pickard et. al. 2010) and focuses on issues of particular relevance for information providers and practitioners