Five groups of searchers each performed searches using ONTAP ERIC to identify behaviors that differentiate among degrees of experience, and between searches of familiar and unfamiliar databases. Results showed that, compared to the experienced subjects, novices performed surprisingly well. Eight references are listed. (Author/SW)

This investigation of search patterns associated with the MEDLINE database had four primary objectives: (1) to refine the stochastic process method of evaluating user behavior; (2) to examine user search behavior exhibited when selecting documents sets; (3) to identify factors that affect the patterns of user behavior; and (4) to use data from the…