SEARCHERS, THE SUBJECTS THEY SEARCH, AND SUFFICIENCY: A STUDY OF A LARGE SAMPLE OF EXCITE SEARCHES

This study analyzed transaction logs of a set of 51,453 queries posed by 18,113 users of Excite, a major Internet search service, to get an indication of the level of user satisfaction with the search engine performance and searching technique.

Abstract

In apparently the largest study of actual Web searches, we analyzed transaction logs of a set of 51,453 queries posed by 18,113 users of Excite, a major Internet search service. This study focuses on three areas. First, we examined the query construction, providing data on the number of terms in queries, the use o f Boolean logic, use of term modifiers, and the modifications to queries by users. Second, we examine the search terms, including the most commonly used search terms and the rank/frequency distribution of search terms. Finally, in order to get an indicatio n of the level of user satisfaction with the search engine performance and searching technique, we supplement the quantitative analysis with the results of a survey of Excite users. This indication of performance is one of the components of sufficiency, a metric that measures how well a search engine satisfies a user's information desire. Implications of the findings for Web interface design are discussed.