End‐users searching the online catalogue: the influence of domain and system knowledge on search patterns

Abstract

In order to test the impact of system and domain knowledge on search behaviour in an online catalogue, an experiment was set up in a university library where students from three specialisation areas performed a number of search tasks in the online catalogue. The subjects differed in the amount of domain and system knowledge. In two sessions the subjects performed searches inside and outside their ‘own’ domain. During the first session all subjects had little system knowledge. After the first session, half of the group received instruction in catalogue use and the other half did not. To observe whether the induced differences in system knowledge had effects on the search performance, a second session was carried out. Subjects' search behaviour was videotaped and their comments recorded (they were encouraged to think aloud). Results show the the amount of system knowledge had a significant effect on search time as well as on the number of search patterns observed. Regarding domain knowledge, only one out of the six analyses concerning search time or the amount of patterns yielded a significant effect. A possible explanation for this result could be the questionable validity of the criteria used to distinguish between known and unknown domains. The difference in knowledge regarding familiar and unfamiliar domains is not as large as had been expected. The notion of end‐users displaying habitual modes of behaviour is given considerable support by the data. This is reflected by the limited number of patterns observed.

Citation

Kiestra, Stokmans, M.J.W. and Kamphuis, J. (1994), "End‐users searching the online catalogue: the influence of domain and system knowledge on search patterns", The Electronic Library, Vol. 12 No. 6, pp. 335-343. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb045321