Search results

The purpose of this paper is to propose the Collaborative Search System that attempts to achieve collaboration by implicitly identifying and reflecting search behaviour of collaborators in an academic network that is automatically and dynamically formed. By using the constructed Collaborative Hit Matrix (CHM), results are obtained that are based on the search behaviour and earned preferences of specialist communities of researchers, which are relevant to the user's need and reduce the time spent on bad links.

By using the Digital Bibliography Library Project (DBLP), the research communities are formed implicitly and dynamically based on the users’ research presence in the search environment and in the publication scenario, which is also used to assign users’ roles and establish links between the users. The CHM, to store the hit count and hit list of page results for queries, is also constructed and updated after every search session to enhance the collaborative search among the researchers.

The implicit researchers community formation, the assignment and dynamic updating of roles of the researchers based on research, search presence and search behaviour on the web as well as the usage of these roles during Collaborative Web Search have highly improved the relevancy of results. The CHM that holds the collaborative responses provided by the researchers on the search query results to support searching distinguishes this system from others. Thus the proposed system considerably improves the relevancy and reduces the time spent on bad links, thus improving recall and precision.

The research findings illustrate the better performance of the system, by connecting researchers working in the same field and allowing them to help each other in a web search environment.

The purpose of this study is to reduce internet traffic when performing collaborative Web search. Mobile terminals are now in widespread use and people are increasingly using them for collaborative Web search to achieve a common goal. When performing such searches, the authors want to reduce internet traffic as much as possible, for example, to avoid bandwidth throttling that occurs when data usage exceeds a certain quota.

To reduce internet traffic, the authors use a proxy system based on the peer cache mechanism. The proxy shares Web content stored on mobile terminals participating in an ad hoc Bluetooth network, focusing on content that is accessed multiple times from different terminals. Evaluation of the proxy’s effectiveness was measured using experiments designed to replicate realistic usage scenarios.

Experimental results show that the proxy reduces internet traffic by approximately 20 per cent when four people collaboratively search the Web to find good restaurants for a social event.

Unlike previous work on co-operative Web proxies, the authors study a form of collaborative Web caching between mobile devices within an ad hoc Bluetooth network created specifically for the purpose of sharing cached content, acting orthogonally to (and independently of) traditional hierarchical Web caching.

Collaborative information searching is common for people when planning their group trip. However, little research has explored how tourists collaborate during information search. Existing tourism Web portals or search engines rarely support tourists’ collaborative information search activities. Taking advantage of previous studies of collaborative tourism information search behavior, in the current paper the purpose of this paper is to propose the design of a collaborative search system collaborative tourism information search (ColTIS) to support online information search and travel planning.

ColTIS was evaluated and compared with Google Talk-embedded Tripadvisor.com through a user study involving 18 pairs of participants. The data included pre- and post-search questionnaires, web search logs and chat history. For quantitative measurement, statistical analysis was performed using SPSS; for log data and the qualitative feedback from participants, the content analysis was employed.

Results suggest that collaborative query formulation, division of search tasks, chatting and results sharing are important means to facilitate tourists’ collaborative search. ColTIS was found to outperform Tripadvisor significantly regarding the ease of use, collaborative support and system usefulness.

The innovation of the study lies in the development of an integrated real-time collaborative tourism information search system with unique features. These features include collaborative query reformulation, travel planner and automatic result and query sharing that assist multiple people search for holiday information together. For system designers and tourism practitioners, implications are provided.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate when and how people working in collaboration could be benefitted by an exploratory search task, specifically focussing on team size and its effect on the outcomes of such a task.

The paper investigates the effects of team sizes on exploratory search tasks using a lab study involving 68 participants – 12 individuals, ten dyads, and 12 triads. In order to assess various factors during their exploratory search sessions, an evaluation framework is synthesized using relevant literature. The framework consists of measures for five groups of quantities relevant to exploratory search: information exposure, information relevancy, information search, performance, and learning.

The analyses on the user study data using the proposed framework reveals that while individuals working alone cover more information than those working in teams, the teams (dyads and triads) are able to achieve better information coverage and search performance due to their collaborative strategies. In many of the measures, the triads are found to be even better than the dyads, demonstrating the value of adding a collaborator to a search process with multiple facets.

The findings shed light on not only how collaborative work could help in achieving better results in exploratory search, but also how team sizes affect specific aspects – information exposure, information relevancy, information search, performance, and learning – of exploratory search. This has implications for system designers, information managers, and educators.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences between collaborative and individual search techniques in a scenario-based task focussed on query behavior, cognitive load, search time, and task type about the search.

To help understand the influences on searching for relevant information in pairs or individual contexts, the authors conducted an exploratory user study with 30 participants, using two search tasks completed in a controlled laboratory setting.

On the basis of the analysis, the authors found that collaborative search teams resulted in more queries, more diverse query terms, and more varied query results compared to those working individually. The study results indicated that the cognitive load imposed on the participants did not differ between a collaborative search and an individual search except for the component of performance on the NASA Task Load Index. The results further showed that the total search time was a significant difference on average between the two conditions (i.e. individual information search and collaborative information search) for the second task. And there were significant differences of the mean of total search time between the two tasks for the both conditions. The authors also found that there was no significant relationship between query behavior and the total cognitive load.

The findings from this study have implications for a better understanding of collaborative search interface design, searchers’ cognitive load, query behavior, and general collaborative information search.

Collaborative information search (CIS) is a growing and significant research area. Query formulation and reformulation is an important search strategy in information search. However, limited research has investigated query behavior during CIS. The purpose of this paper is to characterize collaborative query reformulation (CQR) by exploring the sources of collaborative query (CQ) terms and the types and patterns of CQR in the context of tourism information search.

An empirical study was designed to investigate search query reformulation as tourists performed CIS on a devised interface. A total of 36 participants (in 18 pairs) took part in the study; data were documented in pre- and post-search questionnaires, search logs and chat logs.

The findings show that participants intermixed individual search and collaborative search during CIS. Participants constructed CQ terms mainly by selecting terms from individual search queries and discussion chat logs. Eight types of CQR were identified, with specialization (82 percent) accounting for the most used search tactics. At most times, participants were found to add terms to the previous query. Findings demonstrated 27 specific CQR patterns; in excess of two-third participants (69 percent) took only one move to reformulate CQ by adding terms, or replacing/using new words.

The results of this research can be used to inform the design of search systems supporting collaborative querying in CIS.

This study is highlighting an important research direction of CQ reformulation in collaborative search while previous studies of the topic are limited, comparing to the vast body of work on query reformulation in individual information search using regular search systems.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the notion of social search as a new concept, drawing upon the patterns of web search behaviour. It aims to: define social search; present a taxonomy of social search; and propose a user‐centred social search method.

A mixed method approach was adopted to investigate and conceptualise the notion of social search. A review of literature on social search was carried out to identify the key trends and topics. A model of online collaboration was adopted to delineate the types and categories of social search. Four use case scenarios were developed to provide a more pragmatic approach to the understanding of social search.

The developed taxonomy of social search reveals important similarities and differences between many social search systems. This analysis reveals a gap in social search approaches. A practical method was identified that allows users to directly leverage social search without special features built into search engines.

For feasibility reasons, Google was used as an example of a search system that can be used for carrying out social searches.

The paper provides several practical implications for web searchers as well as web designers. In particular, some recommendations are provided for the design of search engines, digital libraries and browser add‐ons.

The study demonstrates the value and power of “collective intelligence” in web search. It shows how general web searches can be enhanced through using socially enhanced web‐based tools such as social bookmarking systems, social tagging services and social media sites.

This is the first study that provides a granular analysis of the notion of social search and puts forward a taxonomy of social search. The use cases developed and reported are created based on real search topics, and show the value and validity of the approach taken.

The purpose of this paper is to explore users’ learning in the collaborative information search process when they conduct an academic task as a group.

This paper presents a longitudinal study for a three-month period on an actual task. The participants, who were undergraduate students, needed to write a research proposal in three months to apply for funding for a research project, including a three-hour experiment.

The results show that undergraduates’ learning in the collaborative search process for academic group work included knowledge reconstruction, tuning, and assimilation. Their understanding of the topic concepts improved through the process, and their attitudes became more optimistic. Besides, the learning in the collaborative information search process also enhanced participants’ skills in communication, research, information search, and collaboration. To improve learning outcomes, professional and appropriate academic resources are required, as well as effective division of labor, positive sharing behaviors, and use of collaborative systems.

The future development of collaborative information search systems should focus on the needs of academic research and support for elements such as instant communication and knowledge sharing.

This paper contributes to research into searching as learning by understanding undergraduates’ collaborative search behavior for writing a proposal.

This paper aims to report findings from an exploratory study investigating the web interactions and technoliteracy of children in the early childhood years. Previous research has studied aspects of older children's technoliteracy and web searching; however, few studies have analyzed web search data from children younger than six years of age.

The study explored the Google web searching and technoliteracy of young children who are enrolled in a “preparatory classroom” or kindergarten (the year before young children begin compulsory schooling in Queensland, Australia). Young children were video‐ and audio‐taped while conducting Google web searches in the classroom. The data were qualitatively analysed to understand the young children's web search behaviour.

The findings show that young children engage in complex web searches, including keyword searching and browsing, query formulation and reformulation, relevance judgments, successive searches, information multitasking and collaborative behaviours. The study results provide significant initial insights into young children's web searching and technoliteracy.

The use of web search engines by young children is an important research area with implications for educators and web technologies developers.

This is the first study of young children's interaction with a web search engine.

This study proposes an integrated collaborative web site among government agencies to enhance customer satisfaction with the service quality of government agencies.

The present authors invited all involved public‐sector agencies to integrate their service processes into a model of one‐stop shopping and established collaborative mechanism for providing customized service.

The present study has identified five factors that were critical for success in such an undertaking. These factors included: establishing appropriate regulations for the implementation process; designing a viable collaborative‐service system; establishing a closely connected virtual organization; ensuring the participation of senior managers from all agencies; and obtaining the cooperation of the facilitators from various agencies (including appropriate merit and bonus incentives).

The real challenge for establishing the collaborative‐service web site was managerial – in combining the service processes of a dozen or more agencies to make the model work. Managerial issues that need to be addressed were the design of service processes, the overall organizational structure, the establishment of audit and supervision procedures, and the establishment an operational model for the web site.

This web site serves as a successful “one‐stop‐shopping” model that increases customer satisfaction with the service quality of government agencies. This study provides information for other government agencies that might wish to establish similar collaborative models to enhance service in the public sector.