Exploring the Realities of Interaction and Search Success

Abstract

Investigating skilled and novice interactive searching in a menu-based environment, little or no significant difference was found between the two groups in the number of cycles, number of entries, or in the percent of positive interactive responses during a search session. Despite high percentages of appropriate entries in response to system results, only half the searchers were able to use iterative cycles to obtain additional useful information, although skilled searchers were more successful than novice searchers and interim successes were greater than final success. Whether these findings can be generalized to all searching situations or are particular to menu-based systems merits further investigation.