From query analysis to user information needs: a study of campus map searches

Abstract

Purpose – Search engines and web applications have evolved to be more tailored toward individual user’s needs, including the individual’s personal preferences and geographic location. By integrating the free Google Maps Application Program Interface with locally stored metadata, the author created an interactive map search for users to locate, and navigate to, destinations on the University of New Mexico (UNM) campus. The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of UNM map search queries, the options and prioritization of the metadata augmentation, and the usefulness and possible improvement of the interface. Design/methodology/approach – Queries, search date/time, and the number of results found were logged and examined. Queries’ search frequency and characteristics were analyzed and categorized. Findings – From November 1, 2012 to September 15, 2013, the author had a total 14,097 visits to the SearchUNM Maps page (http://search.unm.edu/maps/). There were total 5,868 searches (41 percent of all the page visits), and out of all the search instances, 2,297 of them (39 percent) did not retrieve any results. By analyzing the failed queries, the author was able to develop a strategy to increase successful searches. Originality/value – Many academic institutions have implemented interactive map searches for users to find locations and navigate on campus. However, to date there is no related research on how users conduct their searches in such a scope. Based on the query analysis, this paper identifies user’s search behavior and discusses the strategies of improving searches results of campus interactive maps.

Information search by applying VDL-based iconic tags: an experimental study

“…On the one hand, VDL-based iconic tags have the aesthetics and attractiveness characters like general icons, which enhances the user’s interest in reading search target and make user actively think about the signification of tag. On the other hand, in some search environment that has graphic features such as map (Chao, 2016), VDL-based iconic tags provide the irreplaceable advantage that the textual tags do not have. They could be integrated with alternative information resources to better display the whole distribution of search background.…”