This paper reports on a transaction log analysis of 51,473 queries from 18,113 users of Excite, a major World Wide Web search engine. Approximately 2,500 of these queries were from the use of relevance feedback. Given the high level of research activity and historical success of relevance feedback in assisting users in locating relevant…

Discussion of the selection of search terms during an online search involving users and intermediaries focuses on a study that investigated at what stage of the search process search terms from different sources were selected, how terms were connected with retrieval of relevant answers, and the sequences in which terms were selected. (Contains 16…

Discusses the need for experimental studies with realistic test collections to determine the applicability of advanced information storage and retrieval techniques. The results of studies that compared user reactions to Boolean, extended Boolean, vector, and vector with probabilistic feedback approaches are described. (42 references) (CLB)

Discusses alternatives to the Boolean system that would enable users of online bibliographic databases--primarily those containing scientific and technical information--to obtain their required level of performance at lowest cost. Highlights include recall and precision factors (natural and controlled language, titles, abstracts, quorum function)…

This report includes data on the cognitive and affective behavior of college students who were given the tasks of interpreting and formulating Boolean search statements. Two versions of written point-of-use instructions on Boolean searching, affectively elaborated and unelaborated, were given to investigate comprehension, self-confidence, and…

Describes an inductive, qualitative study of 30 Syracuse University students that investigated the situated nature of action during interactions with an online public access catalog. Highlights include elements of situatedness, with examples; the mapping of individual searches; and users' goals and stopping behavior. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill that analyzed the transaction logs of medical students' searches of a factual database to determine the overall frequency of search moves, the interaction between the problem statement and students' search strategies, the search moves selected, and the tactics used by students.…

Describes results of a study of transaction logs from three university libraries' online catalogs that analyzed subject queries to determine the extent to which they matched subject headings in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). Computer and manual analyses are described, and user satisfaction with LCSH matches is considered. (14…

Describes an experiment which compares two methods of charging users for online searches; first, a time-based charge; and second, a two-part fee determined by connect time and citations printed. The results are analyzed in terms of patterns of user activity under both systems. (CLB)

Describes an experiment that was designed to compare three different map displays used as a visual display for information retrieval by either a self-organizing algorithm or human subjects. Results indicate that the organization and visual appearance of map displays had a significant effect on subjects' searching and browsing on the map displays.…

This report, selected from the results of a larger study of online searching, focuses on the sources of search terms. Terms from users, professional intermediaries, thesauri, and relevance feedback are examined; and the relevance of retrieved items is discussed for each source of search terms as well as for combinations of sources. (12 references)…

Presents preliminary data that characterizes the relationship between what users say they are trying to accomplish when using an online public access catalog (OPAC) and their perceptions of what input to give the system. Human-machine interaction is discussed, and appropriate methods for evaluating information retrieval systems are considered. (18…

Describes a study that was conducted to determine whether the searching behavior of remote users of LIAS (Library Information Access System), Pennsylvania State University's online public access catalog (OPAC), differed from those using the OPAC within the library. Differences in search strategies and in user satisfaction are discussed. (eight…

Describes a study that analyzed transaction logs of a search assignment conducted on MEDLINE by medical students at the University of Michigan. The relationship between levels of search experience and search skills, clinical knowledge, search outcome, and subsequent use level are examined. (Contains 21 references.) (LRW)

This description of the functional characteristics of 20 online public catalogs in libraries in the United States notes their origin and scope, search methods, access points, search commands, record displays, user assistance, database and technical characteristics, and costs. Six references and illustrative material are provided. (EJS)