If at first you don't succeed, let the search engine tryJune 08, 2009No matter how good a search engine is, it is sometimes necessary to change the search terms to get the information you need. But what if you did not have to change the search terms yourself? What if the search engine could do that for you? A Penn State researcher analyzed nearly 1 million Web searches to detect patterns of query reformulation and create models to predict them -- models that may help create more advanced search engines. "The key finding in the research is that we are moving from descriptive aspects to predictive models in Web searching," said Jim Jansen, associate professor of information sciences and technology and one author of the paper "Patterns of Query Reformulation during Web Searching," published in the online edition of the Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology and scheduled for the July issue. Researchers found that the search terms in 22 percent of queries were reformulated or changed to more precisely convey the information for which the user was searching. "They typically moved to narrow their query at the start of the session, moving to reformulation in the mid and latter portions of the sessions," Jansen said. "It appears that the assistance to narrow the query and alternate query terms would be most beneficial immediately after the initial query submission." Researchers also found low rates of users asking for system assistance in helping to find the desired information -- perhaps because they are too focused on using their own search terms to find information. "The implication is that system assistance should be most specifically targeted when the user is making a cognitive shift because it appears users are open to system intervention," Jansen said. Jansen said this research is a critical step in helping to design more advanced search engines. "Given that one can predict future states of query formulation based on previous and present states with a reasonable degree of accuracy, one can design information systems that provide query reformulation assistance, automated searching assistance systems, recommender systems and others," Jansen said. Penn State |
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| Related Search Engine Current Events and Search Engine News Articles Search engines are source of learning Search engine use is not just part of our daily routines; it is also becoming part of our learning process, according to Penn State researchers. A new system preserves the right to privacy in Internet searches A team of Catalan researchers has developed a protocol to distort the user profile generated by Internet search engines, in such a way that they cannot save the searches undertaken by Internet users and thus preserve their privacy. The study has been published in the Computer Communications magazine. Electrical engineers go head to head with Genius on music playlists Electrical engineers recently pitted Genius - the music recommendation system in Apple's iTunes - against two experimental music recommender systems. Researchers find clear difference in quality, type of lung cancer info available in US and Japan A study published in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology revealed that internet-based lung cancer information was of a higher quality in the United States (US) than in Japan. Social networking for terrorists A new approach to analyzing social networks, reported in the current issue of the International Journal of Services Sciences, could help homeland security find the covert connections between the people behind terrorist attacks. Researchers predict click-through behavior in Web searches In the world of search engines, clicks mean cash, and in a sluggish economy, companies can benefit by maximizing click-throughs to their Web sites from search engines. Ad click-through rate lower than previously thought The rate of ad clicks from sponsored and non-sponsored links was reported in a recent study conducted by researchers from Penn State and the Queensland University of Technology. European computer scientists seek new framework for computation There have been several revolutions during the 60 year history of electronic computation, such as high level programming languages and client/server separation, but one key challenge has yet to be fully resolved. Scientists launch first comprehensive database of human oral microbiome Scientists know more today than ever before about the microbes that inhabit our mouths. They know so much, in fact, that gathering all of the relevant bits of information into one place when designing experiments can be a job in itself. Study shows Google favored over other search engines by webmasters Web site policy makers who use robots.txt files as gatekeepers to specify what is open and what is off limits to Web crawlers have a bias that favors Google over other search engines, say Penn State researchers whose study of more than 7,500 Web sites revealed Google's advantage. More Search Engine Current Events and Search Engine News Articles |
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