A study on location-based mobile map search behavior
Program: electronic library and information systems
ISSN: 0033-0337
Article publication date: 4 July 2016
Abstract
Purpose
Mobile users increasingly employ location-based map searches in their daily lives. However, it is still relatively unknown about mobile users’ map related search behaviors. The purpose of this paper is to discover the interactions between the users and mobile map search systems, to reveal the shortcomings of existing mobile map search functions, and to propose improvement suggestions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a set of controlled user experiments performed on the Baidu mobile phone map, this paper empirically examines users’ location-based mobile search behaviors, such as timing, metering, judging and so on. This paper also conducts statistical correlation tests to generate relation tables and diagrams regarding each variable, for example, the relation between the retrieval time and the retrieval steps.
Findings
The results indicate that mobile map users have two important characteristics in their search behaviors: first, mobile map users always follow the single search path. Second, the mobile map search efficiency of users is always low.
Research limitations/implications
The situation simulation testing method is mainly used for the construction of a mobile information search behavior environment, which may make the users be nervous and have some effect on the search efficiency.
Practical implications
Based on the identification of user behaviors, this paper provides suggestions to optimize and improve mobile map search systems.
Originality/value
This paper studies users’ mobile map search behavior based on location and explores the features of user behavior from the perspective of human-computer interaction.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by Wuhan International Science and Technology Cooperation Fund “Investigating and Modeling Mobile Users’ Complex Information Seeking Strategies and Behaviors” (Grant No. 2015030809020371).
Citation
Wu, D., Qiao, R. and Li, Y. (2016), "A study on location-based mobile map search behavior", Program: electronic library and information systems, Vol. 50 No. 3, pp. 246-269. https://doi.org/10.1108/PROG-11-2015-0074
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2016, Emerald Group Publishing Limited