A study of real-time query expansion effectiveness

ABSTRACT

In this poster, we describe the study of an interface technique that provides a list of suggested additional query terms as a searcher types a search query, in effect offering interactive query expansion (IQE) options while the query is formulated. Analysis of the results shows that offering IQE during query formulation leads to better quality initial queries, and an increased uptake of query expansion. These findings have implications for how IQE should be offered in retrieval interfaces.

REFERENCES

• 1: Peter Anick, Using terminological feedback for web search refinement: a log-based study, Proceedings of the 26th annual international ACM SIGIR conference on Research and development in informaion retrieval, July 28-August 01, 2003, Toronto, Canada [doi>10.1145/860435.860453]
• 2: Borlund, P. Experimental components for the evaluation of interactive retrieval systems. Journal of Documentation, 56(1): 71--90. 2000.
• 3: Efthimiadis, E.N. Query expansion. Annual Review of Information Systems and Technology, 31: 121--187. 1996.
• 4: Jinxi Xu , W. Bruce Croft, Query expansion using local and global document analysis, Proceedings of the 19th annual international ACM SIGIR conference on Research and development in information retrieval, p.4-11, August 18-22, 1996, Zurich, Switzerland [doi>10.1145/243199.243202]
• 5: Ian Ruthven, Re-examining the potential effectiveness of interactive query expansion, Proceedings of the 26th annual international ACM SIGIR conference on Research and development in informaion retrieval, July 28-August 01, 2003, Toronto, Canada [doi>10.1145/860435.860475]
• 6: Salton, G. and Buckley, C. Improving retrieval performance by relevance feedback. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 41(4): 288--297. 1990.
• 7: White, R.W. and Marchionini, G. Examining the effectiveness of real-time query expansion. Information Processing and Management (in submission).

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.3 Information Search and Retrieval
          Subjects: Query formulation

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.3 INFORMATION STORAGE AND RETRIEVAL
      H.3.3 Information Search and Retrieval
          Subjects: Relevance feedback

General Terms:
Experimentation, Human Factors

Keywords:
query quality, real-time query expansion