Discussion of information retrieval and information seeking behavior focuses on a multi-dimensional conceptual model called MISE (multiple information-seeking episodes). Identifies eight different reasons why people engage in multiple information-seeking episodes, characterizes them in terms of traits of Multiple Information Seeking Episode…

Discussion of terms and how they are used in queries in information retrieval focuses on a transaction log analysis of queries posed on an Internet search service that isolated basic query structure syntactic patterns. Describes a linguistic model that classified Web queries and suggests implications for information retrieval system design.…

Presents a session abstract that included speakers discussing current studies in successive searching during the information seeking process. Highlights include mediated successive searching; end-user successive searching; designing information retrieval systems to support successive searching; and search histories for user support in legal…

Presents an abstract for a planned session on the need to coordinate user studies and information retrieval system design research. Topics include human-based research and system-based research; children's information use; usability and cartographic information systems; and ethnomethodology and system design. Panelists included: Nick Belkin, Dania…

Presents a theoretical framework for navigation in information retrieval systems and describes a prototype retrieval system that was developed to investigate navigation. The use of a visual interface in a spatial representation scheme is described, and results of a user-based evaluation of the system are reported. User questionnaires are appended.…

Discusses the shortcomings of present online catalogs and some concepts and implementations for hypercatalogs. A prototype for a hypertext-based library catalog, HyperKGB, is described and its design principles and functionality are outlined. (Author/AEF)

Suggests that known sources of name variation and error in information systems must be addressed through improved retrieval techniques. Argues that a culture of data stewardship in which fewer errors are introduced in the handling of personal names can be achieved through greater awareness of problems specific to handling of names, and the design…

Introduces navigation as a central concept for information retrieval and for information systems in general. The evolution of information systems is described; navigability as an aid to improve relevance is discussed; and a system under development that attempts to facilitate navigation for information retrieval is described. (31 references) (LRW)

The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop research methods to compare the effectiveness of two video browsing interface designs, or surrogates--one static (storyboard) and one dynamic (slide show)--on two distinct information seeking tasks (gist determination and object recognition). (AEF)

Focuses on self-service, seamless, Web-based libraries--electronic libraries created by information professionals, Meta sites for the 21st Century where users with average Internet skills can find quality Web sites. Discusses content, design, effective implementation, and final evaluation. (AEF)

Reviews the characteristics of the Cheshire II system that is being used to implement full-text and fielded searching of bibliographic information for the University of California Berkeley Digital Library Initiative. Examines its performance when applied to a collection of large full-text documents in the TREC Interactive Retrieval Track and its…

Examines visual information needs as expressed in users' Web image queries; the data set consisted of 1,025,908 sequential queries from 211,058 users of EXCITE, a major Internet search service. Provides data on: image queries, image search sessions, and image terms. Discusses implications for the development of models for visual information…

Three Web search engines--Alta Vista, Excite, and Lycos--were compared and evaluated in terms of their search capabilities and retrieval performances using sample queries drawn from real reference questions. Findings indicated Alta Vista outperformed Excite and Lycos in both search facilities and retrieval performance, although Lycos had the…

Suggests that a faceted thesaurus should be used as the basis for organizing a small-scale institutional Web site. Contends that a faceted approach to knowledge organization can make the process of organization less random and more manageable. Reports on an informal survey of three Web sites, underscoring the problems of organization that can…

Describes the use of Spotfire, a starfield visualization tool, to generate interactive visualizations of log data, ranging from aggregate views of all Web site hits in a time interval to close-ups that approximate the path of a user through a site. Highlights current efforts and provides examples of the visualizations created in Spotfire.…