Using ‘search transitions’ to study searchers investment of effort: experiences with client and server side logging

We are investigating the value of using the concept ‘search transition’ for studying effort invested in information search processes. In this paper we present findings from a comparative study of data collected from client and server side loggings. The purpose is to see what factors of effort can be captured from the two logging methods. The data stems from studies of searchers interaction with an XML information retrieval system. The searchers interaction was simultaneously logged by a screen capturing software and the IR systems logging facility. In order to identify the advantages and disadvantages we have compared the data gathered from a selection of sessions. We believe there is value in identifying the effort investment in a search process, both to evaluate the quality of the search system and to suggest areas of system intervention in the search process, if effort investment can be detected dynamicall

Search Transition as a Measure of Effort in Information Retrieval Interaction

In this article we introduce the concept of search transitions as a unit for measuring the effort invested by searchers in information retrieval interaction. The concept is discussed and compared to traditional measures of effort, such as time. To investigate the usability of the search transition measure we have performed an analysis of 149 logs in an IR system indexing a collection of 650.000 Wikipedia articles. Our findings show that search transitions correlate with other, more mechanistic, effort measures. Additional experiments are necessary to investigate if it is a better measure of effort than e.g. number of documents examined

Shifts Between Search Stages During Task-performance in Mediated Information Seeking Interaction

The research reported here focuses on the users' information seeking behavior. Set in the framework of the interactive information retrieval paradigm, the research examines the micro-dynamics of the information seeking process, and explores search stages that users pursue as they proceed to solve their information problem. The research analyzes the users' information seeking behavior as they move between search stages, and looks for patterns in the transition. The observed shifting behavior allows for examining the question of predictability. The observed shifting patterns lead to the development of a new model for information seeking behavior that describes multiple search stages, aspects and dimensions. The model represents a non-linear process of multiple re-iterative cycles that make up the overall flow of communication with the information system. The model expands significantly earlier theoretical and empirical models as it represents a series of re-iterative processes that characterize the information seeking interaction

Investigating User Search Tactic Patterns and System Support in Using Digital Libraries

This study aims to investigate users\u27 search tactic application and system support in using digital libraries. A user study was conducted with sixty digital library users. The study was designed to answer three research questions: 1) How do users engage in a search process by applying different types of search tactics while conducting different search tasks?; 2) How does the system support users to apply different types of search tactics?; 3) How do users\u27 search tactic application and system support for different types of search tactics affect search outputs? Sixty student subjects were recruited from different disciplines in a state research university. Multiple methods were employed to collect data, including questionnaires, transaction logs and think-aloud protocols. Subjects were asked to conduct three different types of search tasks, namely, known-item search, specific information search and exploratory search, using Library of Congress Digital Libraries. To explore users\u27 search tactic patterns (RQ1), quantitative analysis was conducted, including descriptive statistics, kernel regression, transition analysis, and clustering analysis. Types of system support were explored by analyzing system features for search tactic application. In addition, users\u27 perceived system support, difficulty, and satisfaction with search tactic application were measured using post-search questionnaires (RQ2). Finally, the study examined the causal relationships between search process and search outputs (RQ 3) based on multiple regression and structural equation modeling. This study uncovers unique behavior of users\u27 search tactic application and corresponding system support in the context of digital libraries. First, search tactic selections, changes, and transitions were explored in different task situations - known-item search, specific information search, and exploratory search. Search tactic application patterns differed by task type. In known-item search tasks, users preferred to apply search query creation and following search result evaluation tactics, but less query reformulation or iterative tactic loops were observed. In specific information search tasks, iterative search result evaluation strategies were dominantly used. In exploratory tasks, browsing tactics were frequently selected as well as search result evaluation tactics. Second, this study identified different types of system support for search tactic application. System support, difficulty, and satisfaction were measure in terms of search tactic application focusing on search process. Users perceived relatively high system support for accessing and browsing tactics while less support for query reformulation and item evaluation tactics. Third, the effects of search tactic selections and system support on search outputs were examined based on multiple regression. In known-item searches, frequencies of query creation and accessing forwarding tactics would positively affect search efficiency. In specific information searches, time spent on applying search result evaluation tactics would have a positive impact on success rate. In exploratory searches, browsing tactics turned out to be positively associated with aspectual recall and satisfaction with search results. Based on the findings, the author discussed unique patterns of users\u27 search tactic application as well as system design implications in digital library environments