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Searchers’ selection of search keys: III. Searching styles (1991)
| Venue: | Journal of the American Society for Information Science |
| Citations: | 23 - 0 self |
BibTeX
@ARTICLE{Fidel91searchers’selection,
author = {Raya Fidel},
title = {Searchers’ selection of search keys: III. Searching styles},
journal = {Journal of the American Society for Information Science},
year = {1991},
volume = {42},
pages = {515--527}
}
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Abstract
Individual searching style has a primary effect on searching behavior. The case study method provided data about elements of searching styles through: (1) observation of 47 professional searchers performing their job-related searches; and (2) analysis of verbal and search protocols. Statistical associations among a number of variables reveal three dimensions of searching behavior: level of interaction, preference for operational or conceptual moves, and preference for textwords or descriptors. The interactive searcher ac-tively modifies search strategies and uses a relatively large number of search keys (or search terms). The op-erationalist searcher prefers to employ operational moves and is less concerned with recall than his con-ceptualist counterpart. The free-text searcher prefers to use textwords, has developed a habit of not consulting a thesaurus, and is more likely to regularly receive practi-cal questions. Findings also indicate that searchers en-countered difficulties in achieving satisfactory recall, regardless of their searching style. Future research should focus on mechanisms to improve recall and on factors that affect the development of searching styles.
Keyphrases
search key searcher selection search term operational move individual searching style statistical association con-ceptualist counterpart op-erationalist searcher prefers free-text searcher prefers practi-cal question professional searcher search protocol satisfactory recall primary effect large number case study method searching style conceptual move job-related search future research searcher en-countered difficulty
