Search Pages and Search Pages and ResultsResults

LIS 385E: Information Architecture and Design

By: Alex Chung10-05-04

What do We Search?What do We Search?

Entertainment: mp3, music, movies…Entertainment: mp3, music, movies… Education: journals, books…Education: journals, books… Work: Programming functions, Work: Programming functions,

software tutorials…software tutorials… Purchase: best deals, users rating Purchase: best deals, users rating

and recommendation…and recommendation… Living related information: recipe, Living related information: recipe,

driving directions, maps, news…driving directions, maps, news…

Why do We SearchWhy do We Search

To get resultsTo get results To save timeTo save time To To findfind related related and similar topicsand similar topics To To provideprovide further browsing and further browsing and

searching activitiessearching activities

““Fill our information need”Fill our information need”

Why does our website need Why does our website need search?search?

Search helps when there is too much Search helps when there is too much information to browseinformation to browse

Search helps fragmented sitesSearch helps fragmented sites Search should be there because Search should be there because

users expect it to be thereusers expect it to be there

Design patternDesign pattern

Have search features that are useful Have search features that are useful and usable. and usable.

Pay attention to which words users Pay attention to which words users type in.type in.

How to present the resultsHow to present the results How customers interact with the How customers interact with the

resultresult What happens if users cannot find What happens if users cannot find

what they wantwhat they want

Major Search EnginesMajor Search Engines::

Google, Yahoo, MSN Search, Lycos, Ask JeevGoogle, Yahoo, MSN Search, Lycos, Ask Jeeves, AOL Search, AltaVista, HotBot, Netscape es, AOL Search, AltaVista, HotBot, Netscape Search, WiseNut, Inktomi, Teoma, LookSmaSearch, WiseNut, Inktomi, Teoma, LookSmart, AllTheWeb.com, Open Directory, Overturrt, AllTheWeb.com, Open Directory, Overture…e…

**Simple search forms****Simple search forms**

Basic layout of search Basic layout of search enginesengines

Basic Search OptionsBasic Search Options

Search in Plain EnglishSearch in Plain English For new Web searchersFor new Web searchers AltaVista, Google, Hotbot, Lycos, Northern LigAltaVista, Google, Hotbot, Lycos, Northern Lig

ht, but not Yahoo!ht, but not Yahoo! RephrasingRephrasing

Searching for Multiple Words and PhrasesSearching for Multiple Words and Phrases ANDAND OR OR NOTNOT

AND SearchAND Search Used by most peopleUsed by most people Default search option on Google, HotBotDefault search option on Google, HotBot OthersOthers

Search for Monet AND PissarroSearch for Monet AND Pissarro Search for +Monet +PissarroSearch for +Monet +Pissarro

OR SearchOR Search Result in very large number of hitsResult in very large number of hits Default search tool on AltaVistaDefault search tool on AltaVista

Search for automobile carSearch for automobile car Search for automobile OR carSearch for automobile OR car

NOTNOT Search for coffee “Java”, not programmiSearch for coffee “Java”, not programmi

ng language “Java”?ng language “Java”? Search for: Java –programmingSearch for: Java –programming Search for: Java NOT programmingSearch for: Java NOT programming Search for: Java AND NOT programmingSearch for: Java AND NOT programming

Be ware of throwing away some good stuff.Be ware of throwing away some good stuff. Really know what you are looking for.Really know what you are looking for.

Search ResultsSearch Results Recall:Recall: the ratio of the number of retrieved relevant the ratio of the number of retrieved relevant

documents to the number of documents to the number of totaltotal documents documents in collectio in collectionn..

# of # of relevant documents retrievedrelevant documents retrieved = ------------------------------------------------= ------------------------------------------------ # # of of total total documentsdocuments in collection in collection

Precision:Precision: the ratio of the number of retrieved relevant the ratio of the number of retrieved relevant documents to the number of retrieved documents. documents to the number of retrieved documents.

# of # of relevant documents retrievedrelevant documents retrieved = ------------------------------------------------= ------------------------------------------------ # # of of relevant relevant documentsdocuments in collection in collection

If focusing on If focusing on recall recall,, it it often often produceproduce a lot of junk. a lot of junk. If If focfocus on precisionus on precision,, it is possible that it might miss some impo it is possible that it might miss some important information. rtant information.

Provide relevant summaries with the searcProvide relevant summaries with the search results.h results.

Offer clear organization of the Search ResuOffer clear organization of the Search Results.lts.

Provide good hyperlinked titles for each hit.Provide good hyperlinked titles for each hit. Use log files to tailor results for the most coUse log files to tailor results for the most co

mon search terms (popularity).mon search terms (popularity). Common misspelling checks.Common misspelling checks. Provide support for common search tasks.Provide support for common search tasks.

Search Result PagesSearch Result Pages

The statistics of The statistics of numbers of the numbers of the results foundresults found

Original Query

Page or document Page or document titlestitles

URL of returned pageURL of returned page

Page Page summariessummaries

Spell Checks

Links to the next set of

results

Provide chance to search again

Organized vs. Organized vs. UnorganizedUnorganized

01

2

12

6

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

# of participants

StronglyDisagree

Disagree Neutral Agree StronglyAgree

Response Scale

Organized search results are more appealing

http://www.mooter.com/http://www.google.com/

Organized vs. Organized vs. UnorganizedUnorganized

01

2

8

10

0

2

4

6

8

10

# ofparticipants

StronglyDisagree

Disagree Neutral Agree StronglyAgree

Response Scale

Organized search results are more useful when searching forinformation

http://www.mooter.com/http://www.google.com/

Organized vs. Organized vs. UnorganizedUnorganized

0 0

2

0

6

1

1011

3

9

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

# of participants

StronglyDisagree

Neutral StronglyAgree

Response Scale

Total Satisfaction

Mooter

Google

http://www.mooter.com/http://www.google.com/

Can’t find Results?Can’t find Results?

Clear Clear unsuccesunsuccessful search sful search messagemessage

suggestions for suggestions for searching searching againagain

Easy to type in the search again

Keep search tool in a consistent place on eKeep search tool in a consistent place on every page.very page.

Straightforward search forms.Straightforward search forms. Appearance.Appearance. MMeaningfuleaningful descriptiondescription.. Result Organization.Result Organization. Open a new window.Open a new window. Help/Support. Help/Support.

IA Search DesignIA Search Design

ReferenceReference Schlein, M. Alan(1999) Schlein, M. Alan(1999) Find it Online: the CompletFind it Online: the Complet

e Guide to Online Research. e Guide to Online Research. Tempe,AZ: Facts on DTempe,AZ: Facts on Demand Pressemand Press

Morville, Peter(1999) Morville, Peter(1999) The Internet Searcher’s HaThe Internet Searcher’s Handbook.ndbook. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.

Ackermann, Ernest and Hartman, Karen(1999) Ackermann, Ernest and Hartman, Karen(1999) ThThe information Specialist’s guide to searching &ree information Specialist’s guide to searching &researching on the Internet & WWW.searching on the Internet & WWW. London: Fitzro London: Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers.y Dearborn Publishers.

Hock, Randolph(2001) Hock, Randolph(2001) The Extreme Searcher’s GThe Extreme Searcher’s Guide to Web Search Engines.uide to Web Search Engines. New Jersey: CyberAg New Jersey: CyberAge Books.e Books.

Glossbrenner, Alfred and Glossbrenner, Emily(200Glossbrenner, Alfred and Glossbrenner, Emily(2001) 1) Search Engines for the WWW. Search Engines for the WWW. Berkeley, CA: PeaBerkeley, CA: PeachPit Press.chPit Press.

ReferenceReference Morville, P., Rosenfeld, L. B. & Janes, J. (1999) Morville, P., Rosenfeld, L. B. & Janes, J. (1999)

The Internet searcher’s handbook : locating iThe Internet searcher’s handbook : locating information, people, and software.nformation, people, and software. 2nd Edition. 2nd Edition. Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. NY, USA.Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc. NY, USA.

Van Duyne, D., Landay, and Hong, J. (2003) Van Duyne, D., Landay, and Hong, J. (2003) ThThe Design of Sites. e Design of Sites. Addison-Wesley, MA, USAAddison-Wesley, MA, USA

Large, Andrew and Hartley, R.J.(1999) Large, Andrew and Hartley, R.J.(1999) InInformation Seeking in the Online Age: Priformation Seeking in the Online Age: Princeples and Practice.nceples and Practice. UK: Bowker-Saur.UK: Bowker-Saur.

www.searchenginewatch.comwww.searchenginewatch.com