Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques

Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo Dept. of Information Systems, School of Computing, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117543 {naresh, dpoo}@comp.nus.edu.sg www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~naresh / www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~dpoo InSciT2006 Merida, Spain, Oct 25-28, 2006

Overview • Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) – Is all about the way in which people interact with computer systems. • This study is concerned with – Cognitive & visual aspects of HCI for Information Retrieval (IR) and its implications in helping a user find answers on the web – Keywords: HCI for IR, IR, Information Visualization, Web, Cognitive, Search, Searcher, Provider, Searcher Modes, Fit, Adaptation • Motivation – While Internet has developed rapidly in the last 15 years, search engines have largely provided a one-size-fits-all model for users – Users today need answers (and ways to get them fast) instead of simply being presented with a series of links • We suggest – Visualization and presentation techniques to help achieve a fit between different searcher modes and services provided – Information Searcher-Provider Fit will lead to effective search and a satisfied searcher Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 2

Agenda 1. Introduction & Motivation 1. Introduction & Motivation 2. Need for Fit 2. Need for Fit 3. At the Heart – the User 3. At the Heart – the User 4. Info. Visualization Techniques 4. Info. Visualization Techniques 5. Research Method 5. Research Method 6. Conclusions & Implications 6. Conclusions & Implications Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 3

WWW → Information Overload! • Internet and WWW have developed rapidly in the last 15 years – Used by people across different cultures for browsing, shopping, research, education, collaboration, data sharing, online banking, etc. – Also given rise to information overload • Primary need now – Help different people with different cognitive levels/levels at different points in time find information they need at the right place, the right time and in the right format. – Necessary for the success of web and of organizations, businesses and individuals Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 4

Aspects of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) • HCI is all about the way in which people interact with computer systems (Dix 2005) • Concerned with design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them (Hewett et al. 1992). • Involves (Dix 2005) – Physical aspects of the interaction concerned with cognitive This study is aspects of HCI for Information Retrieval (IR) • Are the keys spaced right? and its implications on helping a user find – Perceptual aspects answers on the Web • Is the text color easy to see against the background? We also recommend providing presentation – Cognitive aspects and visualization elements (physical / • Will these menu names be understood? perceptual aspects of HCI) to help match the – Social aspects needs of the information searcher and the • Will people trust each other on this auction site? information provider. services provided by an Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 5

Internet leading to new ways of thinking • Cognitive science used in HCI to understand how users interact with particular applications, but more complex in web context – Person’s whole life – early education → work → filing tax returns → shopping drawn into global networked information structure – Far-reaching social implications and fundamental cognitive effects – we think differently because of the Web (Dix 2005) • Now, rather than knowing, often more important to know how to find out what we need to know (Dix, Howes & Payne 2003) – Photocopying articles as a surrogate for reading them or – Having a sense of accomplishment after an Internet search as we download, but do not read, PDF files – As information becomes instantly globally available, this metacognitive knowledge, the about-information information, becomes increasingly important • As interface designers, we need to be aware of this because – We design systems for this emerging cognitive demographic, as well as design systems that shape it (Dix 2005) Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 6

Role of Web Search Engines • Characteristics of information on the Web – Volume of information is huge – Type of information varies widely (e.g. personal web pages → academic articles → raw scientific data → online products/ services) – information is not well structured • Web Search Engines – Used to locate websites containing information from the Web – Serve as catalogs of the Web – Index web pages by using ‘spiders’ or ‘robots’, which crawl from site to site and create a database that stores indices of web pages on the Web (Fang, Chen and Chen 2005) • However, finding relevant information on the Web is not easy Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 7

Motivation – Drawback of existing search tools • Though improving over the years, unstructured information in large volume makes it difficult to efficiently index Web pages • Search engines make underlying presumption that user can formulate on-point queries to effectively narrow down volume of information available (Narayanan et al. 2004) – Inefficient indexing and inaccurate search queries could result in millions of hits for a single search query (Fang & Salvendy 2000) • Interests of the users vary with time and cannot be represented by a fixed set (Narayanan et al. 2004) – A ‘one-size-fits-all’ model widely prevalent in the search engines of today Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 8

Where are we? 1. Introduction & Motivation 1. Introduction & Motivation 2. Need for Fit 2. Need for Fit 3. At the Heart – the User 3. At the Heart – the User 4. Info. Visualization Techniques 4. Info. Visualization Techniques 5. Research Method 5. Research Method 6. Conclusions & Implications 6. Conclusions & Implications Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 9

Need for ‘Fit’ • Emphasis should be on addressing questions posed by users, through facilitating information search and knowledge discovery (Marchionini 1997; Fayyad et al. 1996) • Information providers should attempt to answer/address actual questions posed by the searcher rather than present them with a series of links. ‘People are very impressed with web searches today but it’s really quite poor compared to what it should be…a bunch of links that sort of start a treasure hunt that on average takes about 11 minutes’ - Bill Gates, Live! Forum, Singapore 1 July 2005 • Thus, there is a need for fit between – Facilities provided by information providers/search engines and – Needs of information searchers. Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 10

Research Model • We propose a research model for Information Searcher-Provider Fit (inspired by Daft & Lengel’s 1986 Task-Technology Fit). Information Searcher Fit Information Provider Effectiveness of search and searcher satisfaction achieved by matching the needs of Information Searcher with the services offered by Information Provider • In order to achieve effective search and to ensure searcher satisfaction, there must be a ‘Fit’ between exact needs of the Information Searcher and services provided by the Information Provider Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 11

Need for Fit • Establishment of ‘Fit’ requires the search service provider to – Depart from current ‘one-size-fits-all’ model – Provide mechanisms for searcher to determine and specify the mode he/she is in while searching (people may have a hard time stating what exactly they are looking for or what they actually need) – Customize search results based on the specific needs (and an understanding of the knowledge level in the area of search) of a searcher in different searcher modes – On getting and knowing required context, work interactively with searcher until he/she retrieves search results relevant to his/her needs – Make it happen in a manner and time frame which leaves the searcher satisfied • Fit or Adaptation will help in inching toward the goal of universal access to websites by tailoring interface to perceptual and cognitive capabilities of various user groups (Proctor and Vu 2004) Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 12

At the Heart – the User • At the center of human-computer interaction is the user (Dix 2005) – Good designers focus on users – talk to them, watch them – A technique used to build user focus is to produce profiles or personae of expected users – Could have several personae typical of different user groups • Much research highlights users’ varied difficulties in navigating through the web to find desired information (e.g. Calvi 1997; Edwards & Hardman 1989; Kim & Hirtle 1995; Stanton & Baber 1994) • Web interfaces for search should accommodate – Users with different perceptual-motor capabilities and skills, but also – Needs of same user at different points in time when searching • Knowledge discovery can happen if information providers understand searcher modes at different times, and provide appropriate mechanisms → will lead to fit or adaptation Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 14

Four modes/activities of Information Searchers • Search and classification results must satisfy 4 basic categories of users (Papadopoullos 2004) • We term these 4 categories of users (searcher modes) as 1. Novice 2. Data gatherer 3. Known-item searcher and 4. Focused searcher • Depending on the context of data one is searching for and the domain knowledge the person has in the field of search, the same person may be in one of the four modes (Agarwal and Poo 2006) Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 15

Four modes/activities of Information Searchers Searcher Prior Requirement Searcher need during a mode during Domain of Specific particular search a particular Knowledge Information search Needs information about a topic he is not familiar with in preparation for 0 (no) Novice 0 (not yet) starting a new project Needs information about a topic he is knowledgeable about and is 1 (yes) Data Gatherer 1 (yes) therefore in data-gathering mode Has a good idea what he is looking Known-item for, knows that a given document / X (don’t care) 1 (yes) Searcher data exists; simply needs to locate it Needs a very specific answer to a Focused X (don’t care) 1 (yes) specific question Searcher Doesn’t need anything in particular; The surfer is not looking for anything in particular and is just entertaining himself, X (don’t care) 0 (no) Surfer so we don’t countsearching purely for entertainment him in our typology of searcher modes. Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 16

Need for Info. Visualization Techniques • Power of web is linkage – users can click/navigate as they wish – But after a period of browsing, user can feel utterly lost in hyperspace • Two aspects to getting lost: – Content Designer cannot know what visitors have seen before • Breadcrumbs, headers and menus helps provide a weak semblance of a shared context (Dix 2005) – Spatial disorientation Miller (1956) showed we have a small working memory: 7 ± 2 chunks of information • Websites employ site maps, breadcrumbs, back button, history, etc. to help users know where they are (Dix 2005) • Most common usability problem among 69 websites was poorly organized search results (King 2001) – Appropriate visualization techniques help user to gain overview of entire information item collection, zoom in on items of interest, filter, get details of single/multiple items, view relationships among items, keep history of actions to support undo, replay (Klusch et al. 2005) Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 19

3 Visualization Techniques • To rescue the user lost in hyperspace (and to help achieve the ‘fit’ for each searcher mode), an information searcher must be provided with appropriate visualization and presentation techniques based on the searcher mode he is in • We propose 3 techniques that can help meet the needs of searchers in different modes: – Taxonomy – Multiple Taxonomy Views – Concept Map Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 20

Taxonomy • Structured way to categorize information • Provides a subject-based classification that arranges the terms in a controlled vocabulary into a hierarchy • Enables navigable search results that help users browse rather than search • Humans can rapidly navigate taxonomies to find high concentrations of topic-specific, related information (Papadopoullos 2004) • Chen and Dumais (2000) found their study participants – Preferred categorized results page over typical list-style results page – Were able to find information 50% faster than when using the list style of results Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 21

Usefulness of Taxonomy to 4 Searcher Modes • Should be highly useful to novice just starting to work on new project and does not know exactly what he should be searching for • A known-item searcher who is simply trying to locate a document or piece of information will be able to browse iteratively through the nodes of a taxonomy or different branches until he is able to locate the item of search • The data gatherer and the focused searcher have prior domain knowledge in the area of search and should be able to use a taxonomy and the search feature interchangeably. Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 22

Multiple Taxonomy Views • Dynamic classifications allow search results to be organized in real-time into classification views selected by user to view information from various perspectives (Papadopoullos 2004) – Faceted classifications work by identifying a number of facets (different axes along which documents can be classified) into which the terms are divided e.g. classifying by color, geography, subject, etc. • Usefulness of Multiple Taxonomy Views to searcher modes – Multiple Taxonomy Views would be highly useful to novice in helping him/her choose view of choice – Different views might also benefit known-item searcher in locating a document faster – different paths to arrive at same document/data – Focused searcher will be able to quickly arrive at the answer to his question utilizing a suitable view – Data gatherer would benefit from multiple views though he might use a particular view (within his domain knowledge) more than others Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 23

Concept and Mind Maps • Search results could also be organized as concept maps – Meaningful diagrams where concepts are represented by words enclosed within geometric figures, with relations among concepts expressed by words that label a directional, connecting line – Appropriate use of concept maps for navigation can help people find topics more easily, provide easier, less frustrating access to information and can also result in learning gain (Hoffman et al. 2005) – Will help the reader get an overall feel and to help make sense • Usefulness of Concept Maps for different searcher modes – Concept maps would have the greatest fit for novice in being able to get an overall conceptual view – Useful to known-item searcher in locating documents – Data gatherer is likely to concentrate on certain nodes of the map – Focused searcher will be able to zoom into a node of the map to get an answer to his question Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 24

Research Method • Experiments will be carried out to determine – What combination of visualization techniques • Taxonomy • Multiple taxonomy views • Concept maps – Is best suited for each searcher mode • Novice • Data gatherer • Known-item searcher • Focused searcher • Independent variables will be visualization technique and searcher mode • Effectiveness of search and searcher satisfaction will be measured to determine the degree of fit Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 26

Conclusions and Implications • Currently prevalent ‘one-size-fits-all’ model for search inadequate to serve needs of different users at different points in time • To achieve a fit between needs of searcher and mechanisms provided by information provider – User’s prior domain knowledge and requirement of specific information must be taken into account – Simply providing a set of links for user to follow may not be enough • We suggest appropriate visualization and presentation techniques to help achieve this fit • Right combination of techniques suited for each searcher mode will be determined empirically through experimentation • Future research will also include studying the impact of other mechanisms (such as personalization, contextual cues, semantics, local search, specialty search, as well as currently available general-purpose search engines) on different searcher modes to help achieve Information Searcher-Provider Fit Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 28

Questions/Comments? Information Provider Information Searcher Fit (1 of 3 Visualization (1 of 4 searcher modes) Mechanisms) Effectiveness of search and searcher satisfaction achieved by matching the needs of Information Finder with the services offered by Information Provider Danny C.C. Poo Naresh Kumar Agarwal dpoo@comp.nus.edu.sg naresh@comp.nus.edu.sg http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~dpoo http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~naresh Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques Naresh Kumar Agarwal and Danny C.C. Poo 29

Information Searcher-Provider Fit through Information Presentation and Visualization Techniques

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