Title :
Need help? The effects of training on Web searches
Author :
Lucas, Wendy ; Topi, Heikki
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Comput. Inf. Syst., Bentley Coll., Waltham, MA, USA
Abstract :
This study investigates the effects of logic training, interface training, and the type of search interface on the search process. We found that limited training in basic Boolean logic was sufficient to improve performance with a simple search interface. Similar improvements were observed with the assisted search interface, even without interface training. Promoting logic training or the use of the advanced search feature would therefore benefit users of today´s search engines.
Keywords :
Boolean algebra; formal logic; information retrieval; online front-ends; search engines; training; user interfaces; Boolean logic; Web searches; interface training; logic training; search interface; Boolean functions; Computer interfaces; Educational institutions; Information retrieval; Information systems; Logic; Navigation; Search engines; Time measurement; Web search;
Conference_Titel :
Information Technology: Coding and Computing [Computers and Communications], 2003. Proceedings. ITCC 2003. International Conference on
Print_ISBN :
0-7695-1916-4
DOI :
10.1109/ITCC.2003.1197515