Search results

This paper seeks to focus on identifying the searching behaviours of users, their difficulties as well as their expectations from library supports while using online databases at the Central Library of Vietnam National University – Ho Chi Minh City.

Usage reports of six online databases subscribed by the Central Library were analyzed, a survey by emailing users a questionnaire and four deep interviews were conducted.

The amount of usage increases yearly, however it is still low in comparison with the number of subscribers who have registered for using online databases. Users did search for their research and study rather than for their teaching or professional knowledge update. Often they looked for journal articles and theses rather than e‐books. Key words and titles were used the most when searching. Reading the guidance from the library websites or from the databases was most used. This suggested that most users did not know how to use the databases and preferred to learn by themselves. Email was preferred by users to communicate with library staff. English language and database searching skills were the biggest barriers preventing users from employing online databases.

This paper provides an understanding of users' behaviours and suggests that it is necessary to assist users in using online databases in Vietnam universities. Up to now, these issues have not been known. They are relevant to improving the utilization of online databases.

As part of a British Library Research and Development Department research programme for studying the use of on‐line information systems, UMIST examined the efficiency and reactions of users Comparisons were made between search results of users, users assisted by an intermediary experienced in using the system, and the intermediary on his own after discussion with the user. Using the data bases offered through the LOCKHEED DIALOG service, it was found that users were very pleased with on‐line literature searching. Over 90% of users were partially or completely satisfied with the results. While 95% of users were satisfied with their own search results, 90% preferred those of the intermediary whose search was shorter but retrieved more references on average.

This study investigates the behaviour of searchers of CD‐ROM databases in the Kenneth Dike Library of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. The aim of the study was to identify the behaviour of end‐users with different amounts of overall experience in searching electronic databases in order to identify the knowledge of their search systems and syntax, and its effect on their search results, for the purpose of improving user education.

All end‐users who conducted searches during the period of the research were the subjects of the research. A well‐constructed questionnaire, including interviews and observations, were used to collect the requisite data. The variables included in this study are user variables, search process variables and search outcome variables. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

The results show that logical operators “AND” and “OR” are significantly used for searching by end‐users; that search results are dependent on search strategy employed by the user. The more sophisticated the search strategy, the greater the result in terms of number and relevance obtained by the searcher. The result also shows that there is no relationship between the level of education of users and quality of search strategy.

The implication of the study is mainly the importance and necessity of training for end‐users in CD‐ROM literature search.

The uniqueness of the study is based on the fact that certain strategic methods are required for a successful CD‐ROM literature search and that this does not depend on the level of education of users. This paper is therefore important and applicable to all end‐users who are interested in conducting CD‐ROM literature search.

It is common knowledge that public card catalogs in libraries have been poorly understood and inefficiently utilized by a large portion of their searchers. The myriad reasons for this situation range from the complicated nature of card filing rules to poor or total lack of understanding of assigned subject headings on the part of users. The emergence of automated online public access catalogs was initially seen as a means of overcoming this pattern of poor utilization. Instead, their widespread adoption has often transferred ineffective user searching behavior to an electronic environment.

The relationship between user characteristics and the outcome of an online search is a growing area of investigation. This paper reports results of a study which examined user characteristics during mediated online searching in an academic environment, which related to online search outcome. Results of the study indicate that the academic status of the users and their experience of a prior online search on their information problem was significantly related to the online search outcome.

The PICCH research project contributes to opening a dialogue between cultural heritage archives and users. Hence, the users are identified and their information needs, the search strategies they apply and the search challenges they experience are uncovered.

A combination of questionnaires and interviews is used for collection of data. Questionnaire data were collected from users of three different audiovisual archives. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with two user groups: (1) scholars searching information for research projects and (2) archivists who perform their own scholarly work and search information on behalf of others.

The questionnaire results show that the archive users mainly have an academic background. Hence, scholars and archivists constitute the target group for in-depth interviews. The interviews reveal that their information needs are multi-faceted and match the information need typology by Ingwersen. The scholars mainly apply collection-specific search strategies but have in common primarily doing keyword searching, which they typically plan in advance. The archivists do less planning owing to their knowledge of the collections. All interviewees demonstrate domain knowledge, archival intelligence and artefactual literacy in their use and mastering of the archives. The search challenges they experience can be characterised as search system complexity challenges, material challenges and metadata challenges.

The paper provides a rare insight into the complexity of the search situation of cultural heritage archives, and the users’ multi-facetted information needs and hence contributes to the dialogue between the archives and the users.

Search engines, the most popular online services, are associated with several concerns. Users are concerned about the unauthorized processing of their personal data, as well as about search engines keeping track of their search preferences. Various search engines have been introduced to address these concerns, claiming that they protect users’ privacy. The authors call these search engines privacy-preserving search engines (PPSEs). This paper aims to investigate the factors that motivate search engine users to use PPSEs.

This study adopted protection motivation theory (PMT) and associated its constructs with subjective norms to build a comprehensive research model. The authors tested the research model using survey data from 830 search engine users worldwide.

The results confirm the interpretive power of PMT in privacy-related decision-making and show that users are more inclined to take protective measures when they consider that data abuse is a more severe risk and that they are more vulnerable to data abuse. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of subjective norms in predicting and determining PPSE use. Because subjective norms refer to perceived social influences from important others to engage or refrain from protective behavior, the authors reveal that the recommendation from people that users consider important motivates them to take protective measures and use PPSE.

Despite its interesting results, this research also has some limitations. First, because the survey was conducted online, the study environment was less controlled. Participants may have been disrupted or affected, for example, by the presence of others or background noise during the session. Second, some of the survey items could possibly be misinterpreted by the respondents in the study questionnaire, as they did not have access to clarifications that a researcher could possibly provide. Third, another limitation refers to the use of the Amazon Turk tool. According Paolacci and Chandler (2014) in comparison to the US population, the MTurk workers are more educated, younger and less religiously and politically diverse. Fourth, another limitation of this study could be that Actual Use of PPSE is self-reported by the participants. This could cause bias because it is argued that internet users’ statements may be in contrast with their actions in real life or in an experimental scenario (Berendt et al., 2005, Jensen et al., 2005); Moreover, some limitations of this study emerge from the use of PMT as the background theory of the study. PMT identifies the main factors that affect protection motivation, but other environmental and cognitive factors can also have a significant role in determining the way an individual’s attitude is formed. As Rogers (1975) argued, PMT as proposed does not attempt to specify all of the possible factors in a fear appeal that may affect persuasion, but rather a systematic exposition of a limited set of components and cognitive mediational processes that may account for a significant portion of the variance in acceptance by users. In addition, as Tanner et al. (1991) argue, the ‘PMT’s assumption that the subjects have not already developed a coping mechanism is one of its limitations. Finally, another limitation is that the sample does not include users from China, which is the second most populated country. Unfortunately, DuckDuckGo has been blocked in China, so it has not been feasible to include users from China in this study.

The proposed model and, specifically, the subjective norms construct proved to be successful in predicting PPSE use. This study demonstrates the need for PPSE to exhibit and advertise the technology and measures they use to protect users’ privacy. This will contribute to the effort to persuade internet users to use these tools.

This study sought to explore the privacy attitudes of search engine users using PMT and its constructs’ association with subjective norms. It used the PMT to elucidate users’ perceptions that motivate them to privacy adoption behavior, as well as how these perceptions influence the type of search engine they use. This research is a first step toward gaining a better understanding of the processes that drive people’s motivation to, or not to, protect their privacy online by means of using PPSE. At the same time, this study contributes to search engine vendors by revealing that users’ need to be persuaded not only about their policy toward privacy but also by considering and implementing new strategies of diffusion that could enhance the use of the PPSE.

This research is a first step toward gaining a better understanding of the processes that drive people’s motivation to, or not to, protect their privacy online by means of using PPSEs.