Drop-Down Democracy: Internet Portal Design Influences Voters´ Search Strategies

In this study we report how different interfaces for searching the internet changed the strategies and information opportunities of voters as they searched for political information. A drop-down interface that helped users define specific queries was compared to a traditional typed- query interface. The drop-down interface resulted in a broader set of information opportunities. Voters using the drop-down interface relied less on candidate websites, visited a broader sampling of website types, and examined issues more closely. Portal design heavily influences search strategies and information opportunities.