Presented for Interact 2009 Paper can be downloaded in http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1615902

1. A User Study on
Location-based Mobile Search (LBMS)
Alia Amin*, Sian Townsend**,
Lynda Hardman*, Jacco van Ossenbruggen*
* Center for Mathematics & Informatics (CWI)
** Google

2. Background
 Few dedicated research on location-based
information needs
 Mostly generic:
 large scale (e.g. Baeza-Yates2007): anonymous, millions of queries
 small scale (e.g. Sohn 2008): longitudinal (diary) study, few queries
 Exception: geographic query analysis (e.g. Sanderson2004)
 Thus, there are many unanswered questions
 Are users only interested in results near to where they are?
 Does context play a role in location-based information need?
2

3. Background
This research is about:
 how location-based mobile information
seeking needs are expressed as queries
 the influence of social and spatial context
 how this translates in improving location-
based services
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4. Location-based mobile search
Definition:
A mobile search for a business or point of
interest that is tied to a specific geographic
location
Note:
• Location might NOT be where you are
physically when you conduct the query
• Location may NOT be in the query
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5. 5
Understand location-based mobile
search & the context when it happens
9 people, 27-35 years old, BlackBerry
users, have mobile dataplan
London, UK
12 days
Attend a briefing session
Participate in a diary study
Attend a debrief interview
Goal
Who?
Where?
How long?
What did they do?
Digital Diary Study

6. 6
DATA
RECORDING

7. Digital Diary Tool
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8. Data Collected
 Diary entries
 query, time & GPS coordinates
 where, when, who they were with at the time of
the query
 task intent , task importance, task success
 Debriefing interview
 diary entry clarifications
 decision making
 place maps
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9. Key Findings

10. 1. People express location-based
information needs by:
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68% 32%
Simple queries Detailed queries

11. 2. Location-based search domains of
interest
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12. Mobile Search
12Kamvar et al. 2008

13. 3. Insights into the spatial context of
LBMS
 Method:
 diary entries (place name)
 GPS location information (coordinate)
 place map
 Conclusion: People tend to stick to well trodden
paths through their local environment
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14. 14
HOMEWORK
On the move

15. 4. Insights into the Spatial context of
LBMS
 These hotspots are:
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 Friends/family house
 Public places
 At work
 On the move
 At/near home
6.5 %
8.5 %
12.0 %
20.0 %
53.0 %

16. 4. Insights into the Social context of
LBMS
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 76 % in the presence of others
(family, friends, colleagues)
– prompt: event planning, conversation,
recommendation
 24 % alone
– prompt: necessity

17. 5. Decision Making in LBMS
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Social context 34%
Spatial context 15%
Product/service 24%
Other 27%

18. Summary
 Participants tend to make simple queries
rather then detailed queries
 Most popular domain of interest are: stores,
food & drinks, entertainment, local news &
transport
 People tend to stick to well trodden paths
through their local environment
 Decision making is influenced primarily by:
social networks, spatial networks & type of
products 18

19. Design implications for location-based
search applications
 Simple queries in specific domains should
be considered location-based information
needs (e.g. stores, food & drink)
 Provide recommendations, snippet, etc.
 based on spatial network
 based on social network
 Additional ideas (see paper):
 provide location-based query refinement
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20. Study Limitation
 4 males, 5 females
 Blackberry users
 about 3 search / day
 definition
 Future Work
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21. Acknowledgements
• Google
• Liviu Tancau
• Terry Van Belle
• Jens Riegelsberger
• Robin Jeffries
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