Classic IR (information retrieval) is predicated on the notion of users searching for information in order to satisfy a particular ‘information need’. However, much of what we recognise as search behaviour is often not informational per se. In this presentation, we examine the behaviour of individuals across a range of site search scenarios, and define a taxonomy of fundamental behaviours or 'search modes'. We compare these with a comparable set of modes derived from the domain of enterprise search, and examine some of the key differences between the two. We also discuss some initial implications and techniques for the design of more effective site search experiences.

1. Tony Russell-Rose, UXLabs
Stephann Makri, UCL

2.  The information-seeking process
 Models and frameworks
 Search strategies and tactics
 Patterns of search behaviour
 Enterprise Search
 Site Search
 Design patterns
 Conclusions
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3. Models and frameworks
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4. Query
Refinement
 Standard Model
 Broder 2002 Task
Information
Need
Verbal form Query
Search
Engine
Results
 Sutcliffe & Ennis 1998
Documents
 Cognitive Model
 Norman
1988, Marchioni 1989
 Dynamic Model External World
 Bates 1989, O‘ Day
and Jeffries 1993
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5. • to keep a search on track and
Monitoring efficient
Information • for navigating through the file or link
structure structure of the individual resources
Query • to support the overall query or
reformulation search specification)
• to aid the selection of words or
Term phrases in the current query
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6. Search Modes
• Monitoring a known topic or set of variables over time
• Following a specific plan for information gathering
• Exploring a topic in an undirected fashion
Analysis Techniques
• Looking for trends or correlations
• Making comparisons
• Experimenting with different aggregations/scaling
• Identifying critical subsets
• Making assessments
• Interpreting data to find meaning
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7. Original Model
• Starting: activities associated with the initial search for information
• Chaining: following citation chains
• Browsing: semi-directed searches
• Differentiating: filtering the material examined
• Monitoring: maintaining awareness
• Extracting: working thru a source to locate material of interest
Additions
• Verifying: checking accuracy of information
• Ending: activities associated with the end of a project
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8. Navigational • to reach a particular site
• to acquire information assumed to be
Informational present on one or more web pages
• to perform some web-mediated
Transactional activity
Resource • to get access to an online resource
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9. UXLabs - User Experience Research and Design - www.uxlabs.co.uk 9

10. Search modes and chains
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11. Academic
• Bates
• Ellis
• Marchionini
Practitioner
Data-driven
• Morville
• Spencer • Enterprise search
• Lamantia • Site search
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12.  104 scenarios gathered thru professional
services engagements
 e.g. I need to understand the cost drivers for a
commodity so I can negotiate better terms with suppliers
 Generated by end users / stakeholders
 Moderated and prioritised in requirements workshops
 Represent user needs
 Not limited by current systems
 Self-reported (not inferred from interview transcripts)
 Consistent analysis: Grounded Theory
 Iterative coding / re-coding
 Excluded ‘non-discovery’ scenarios
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13. Locating Verifying Monitoring Comparing Comprehending Exploring
Scenarios
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14. Lookup
• Locating
• Verifying
• Monitoring
Investigate Learn
• Analyzing
• Comparing
• Evaluating
• Comprehending
• Synthesizing
• Exploring
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15. • Find a specific (possibly known) item
Locate • Find a new part with particular technical attributes –
Engineering
• Confirm that an item meets some specific, objective
Verify criterion
• Ensure all data in the fund attributes table is accurate and
up to date – Quantitative Analyst
• Maintain awareness of the status of an item for purposes
Monitor of management or control
• Monitor how well we are tracking to revenue and margin
targets by division – District Manager
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16. • To identify similarities & differences between a set of
items
Compare • Compare a lead's performance claims with relevant
benchmarks – Portfolio Manager
• To generate independent insight by understanding the
patterns within a data set
Comprehend • Understand the cost drivers for this commodity so I can
negotiate better terms with my suppliers - Procurement
• To investigate an item or data set for the purpose of
knowledge discovery
Explore • Identify sales opportunities and targets – District
Manager
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17. • To examine an item or data set to identify patterns
& relationships
Analyze • Analyze expected cost impact of proposed
strategies/actions – Cost Estimator
• To use judgement to determine the value of an item
with respect to a specific goal
Evaluate • Assess leads for potential to build portfolio –
Department Lead
• To create a novel or composite artefact from
diverse inputs
Synthesize • Formulate scope & strategy for sourcing and gap
closure – Core Buyer
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18.  Emphasis on Analyze (72) and Evaluate (67)
 Locate represents a tiny fraction of all needs (2)
 (Baseline = 242 instances)
 Search behaviour is not random
 Framework captures common patterns
 Repeating sequences of 2 or 3 modes
 Composite chains (nested)
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19. Verify
Analyze Comprehend Synthesize
Compare Evaluate
Monitor Analyze
Explore
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20.  Comparison-driven search (analyze-compare-evaluate)
 Engineering: Compare our module set teardowns with competitive
teardown information to see if we’re staying competitive
 Exploration-driven search (explore-analyze-evaluate)
 Core Engineer: Identify opportunities to optimize use of tooling
capacity for my commodity/parts
 Strategic insight (analyze-comprehend-evaluate)
 Engineering: Track module cost versus functionality over time to
determine trends
 Strategic oversight (monitor-analyze-evaluate)
 Financial Analyst: Monitor & assess commodity status against
strategy/plan/target
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21.  Methodology as before
 277 site search scenarios
 Emphasis on Locate (121) and Explore (109)
 Synthesize represents a tiny fraction (2)
 (Baseline = 454 instances)
 Search behaviour is not random
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22. Explore Analyze
Comprehend Comprehend
Locate Evaluate
Verify
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23.  Explore -> Analyze -> Comprehend (44/97)
 Assess the proper market value for my car
 Understand what my competitors are selling
 Explore -> Locate -> Evaluate (31/97)
 Find useful stuff on my subject topic
 I want to find best offers before the others do so I can
have a high margin
 Locate -> Verify (29/56)
 Find out if a specific book is available in the library
 Find a van that meets a customer's requirements
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24.  Greater emphasis on ‘Lookup’ modes
 Locate, Verify
 Less emphasis on ‘Investigate’ modes
 Analyze, Evaluate
 Much flatter distribution
 Shorter chains
 Less embedding
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25. Support for search modes
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36. Summary and future work
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37. Search modes and patterns
• A lens for understanding information-seeking behaviour
• A framework for design
Site Search vs. Enterprise Search
• Same modes but different patterns
• Different priorities: lookup vs. investigate
Further Work
• Refine and validate process
• Extend framework to other data sources
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38.  Coming soon …
 Morgan Kaufmann,
late 2012

39.  M.J. Bates. Information search tactics. Journal of the American Society for
Information Science, 30(4):205–214, 1979
 A. Broder. A taxonomy of web search. SIGIR Forum, 36(2):3–10, 2002
 D. Ellis. A behavioural model for information retrieval system design.
Journal of Information Science, 15:237–247, 1989
 Gary Marchionini. Information Seeking in Electronic Environments.
Cambridge University Press, 1995
 D.A. Norman. The Psychology of Everyday Things. Basic Books, New
York, 1988
 Vicki L. O'Day and Robin Jeffries. Orienteering in an information
landscape: how information seekers get from here to there. In
Proceedings of the INTERCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing
Systems (CHI'93), Amsterdam, April 1993
 D.E. Rose and D. Levinson. Understanding User Goals In Web Search.
Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on World Wide Web
(WWW'04), pages 13–19, 2004
 A.G. Sutcliffe and M. Ennis. Towards a cognitive theory of information
retrieval. Interacting with Computers, 10:321–351, 1998
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40. Tony Russell-Rose, PhD
Director, UXLabs
 Web: http://uxlabs.co.uk
 Email: tgr@uxlabs.co.uk
 Blog: http://isquared.wordpress.com
 LinkedIn: http://uk.linkedin.com/in/tonyrussellrose
 Twitter: @tonygrr
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