Query length in interactive information retrieval

ABSTRACT

Query length in best-match information retrieval (IR) systems is well known to be positively related to effectiveness in the IR task, when measured in experimental, non-interactive environments. However, in operational, interactive IR systems, query length is quite typically very short, on the order of two to three words. We report on a study which tested the effectiveness of a particular query elicitation technique in increasing initial searcher query length, and which tested the effectiveness of queries elicited using this technique, and the relationship in general between query length and search effectiveness in interactive IR. Results show that the specific technique results in longer queries than a standard query elicitation technique, that this technique is indeed usable, that the technique results in increased user satisfaction with the search, and that query length is positively correlated with user satisfaction with the search.

REFERENCES

• 1: Belkin, N.J., Cool, C., Jeng, J., Keller, A., Kelly, D. Kim, J., Lee, H.-J., Tang, M.-C., Yuan, X.-J. (2002) Rutgers' TREC 2001 Interactive Track Experience. In E.M. Voorhees & D.M. Harman (Eds.) The tenth text retrieval conference, TREC 2001 (pp.465--472). Washington, D.C.: GPO.
• 2: Belkin, N.J., Cool, C., Kelly, D., Kim, G., Kim, J.-Y., Lee, H.-J., Muresan, G., Tang, M.-C., & Yuan, X.-J. (2003). Rutgers Interactive Track at TREC 2002. In E.M. Voorhees & D. M. Harman (Eds.). The 2002 Text REtrieval Conference (TREC 2002) (in press). Washington, D.C.: GPO.
• 3: Belkin, N.J., Oddy, R.N. & Brooks, H.M. (1982) ASK for information retrieval. Part 2. Journal of Documentation, 38(3), 145--164
• 4: Katriina Byström , Kalervo Järvelin, Task complexity affects information seeking and use, Information Processing and Management: an International Journal, v.31 n.2, p.191-213, March/April 1995 [doi>10.1016/0306-4573(94)00041-Z]
• 5: Craswell, N. & Hawking, D. (2003) Overview of the TREC 2002 Web track. In In E.M. Voorhees & D. M. Harman (Eds.). The 2002 Text REtrieval Conference (TREC 2002) (in press). Washington, D.C.: GPO.
• 6: Hersh, W. & Over, P. (2003) TREC 2002 interactive track report. In: E.M. Voorhees & D.K. Harman (Eds.) The 2002 Text REtrieval Conference (TREC 2002) (in press). Washington, D.C.: GPO.
• 7: Bernard J. Jansen , Amanda Spink , Tefko Saracevic, Real life, real users, and real needs: a study and analysis of user queries on the web, Information Processing and Management: an International Journal, v.36 n.2, p.207-227, Jan.1.2000 [doi>10.1016/S0306-4573(99)00056-4]
• 8: Karlgren, J. & Franzéén, K. (1997) Verbosity and interface design. Retrieved on 17 January 2002 at: http://www.ling.su.se/staff/franzen/irinterface.html
• 9: Diane Kelly , Colleen Cool, The effects of topic familiarity on information search behavior, Proceedings of the 2nd ACM/IEEE-CS joint conference on Digital libraries, July 14-18, 2002, Portland, Oregon, USA [doi>10.1145/544220.544232]
• 10: Milic-Frayling, N., Zhai, C., Tong, X., Jansen, P. & Evans, A (1998). Experiments in query optimization, the CLARIT system TREC-6 report. In: Voorhees, E.M. & Harman, D.K (Eds.) The Sixth Text REtrieval Conference (TREC-6) (pp. 415--454). Washington, D.C.: GPO.
• 11: Walker, S., Robertson, S.E., Boughanem, M., Jones, G.J.F., Sparck Jones, K. (1998) Okapi at TREC-6 Automatic ad hoc, VLC, routing, filtering and QSDR In: Voorhees, E.M. & Harman, D.K (Eds.) The Sixth Text REtrieval Conference (TREC-6) (pp 125--136). Washington, D.C.: GPO.
• 12: 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]

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: Search process

General Terms:
Design, Experimentation, Human Factors, Performance

Keywords:
interactive information retrieval, query effectiveness, query length