This monograph, published by the University of Maryland, examines methods for exploratory web search where the subject is new to them or complex. It begins with theory of search, information retrieval, and information seeking, surveys existing information systems , and concludes with some thoughts on evaluation.
From the abstract:
"This monograph offers fresh ways to think about search-related cognitive processes and describes innovative design approaches to browsers and related tools. For instance, while key word search presents users with results for specific information (e.g., what is the capitol of Peru), other methods may let users see and explore the contexts of their requests for information (related or previous work, conflicting information), or the properties that associate groups of information assets (group legal decisions by lead attorney)."
The "search environments review" describes the value and use of a variety of classification methods: hierarchical, faceted, automatic clustering, and social tagging - with examples drawn from the public Web. These techniques help a user in refining or clarifying a search.
Next there is the matter of viewing the results and ways in which results can be presented in ways that go beyond linear: 2D format (treemap, hyperbolic tree, scatter plots, cluster maps), or 3D (Data Mountain browser).
Both sections provide a good overview of the principles of the design and their relative merits.
No comments:
Post a Comment