Spelling and searching the internet: An overlooked problem

Proctor, Edward

doi:10.1016/s0099-1333(02)00321-x

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…The disagreement may be due to a lack of research. Many research studies have been done on the misspellings that exist in library catalogue records and their effects on information retrieval (Randall 1999), however, there has been little research on user misspellings (Proctor 2002). Part of the difficulty studying misspellings is that these errors must occur in order to study them; misspellings can be a difficult to capture, as they cannot be manufactured.…”

Section: Frequency Of Misspellingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Misspellings on Information Retrieval in Online Public Access Catalogues

Willson

Given²

2013

CAIS/ACSI

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Spelling is an important literacy skill, crucial to successful searching in Online Public Access Catalogues (OPACs). Students at the University of Alberta, were given 4 search tasks. They were given a topic and asked to find as many items on that topic in the OPAC as possible. They were allowed to use any Internet resources of their choice to aid their search. Half of the participants were given easy-to-spell search terms (Easy Group), the other half difficult-to-spell (Difficult Group).There were several factors that affected students' searching and information retrieval. The years of education increased the likelihood that participants would check spelling and gather background information on the topic. The frequency of Internet use also increased the likelihood that students would check spelling and use broader search fields. The difficulty of spelling level of the search topics affected: how participants searched for the term; whether or not they checked the spelling; whether or not they gathered background information; and the number misspellings and unsuccessful searches. The search behaviour of participants indicates that students search OPACs like they do the Internet. Despite some ineffective OPAC searching, most participants were successful in obtaining the correct spelling of the search terms, which was important because misspellings made in the OPAC led to no search results (with the exception of misspellings that were contained in the catalogue records). The results obtained have implications for including spell checkers in OPACs, cataloguing and information literacy instruction.

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Section: Frequency Of Misspellingsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effect of Misspellings on Information Retrieval in Online Public Access Catalogues

Willson

Given²

2013

CAIS/ACSI

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“…The dearth of research on misspellings may be, in part, responsible for these wildly differing opinions. Although research into the frequency and effect of misspellings in bibliographic records on IR has been done (Beall & Kafadar, 2007; Randall, 1999), little research has been done on the effect of user misspellings in Internet (Proctor, 2002) or OPAC searches.…”

Section: Background and Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to input errors, variant spelling may be considered a spelling mistake and have a great impact on users' retrieval. Proctor (2002) addressed the issues of archaic, non‐English, alternative, and idiosyncratic spellings on the Internet, discussing the challenges that inconsistent spelling poses for IR. Nelson and Feinstein (2007) highlight the degradation of spelling and grammar that has accompanied the introduction of the Internet and the challenges this poses for clear communication.…”

Section: Background and Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of spelling and retrieval system familiarity on search behavior in online public access catalogs: A mixed methods study

Willson

Given

2010

J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci.

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Although technology can often correct spelling errors, the complex tasks of information searching and retrieval in an online public access catalog (OPAC) are made more difficult by these errors in users' input and bibliographic records. This study examines the search behaviors of 38 university students, divided into groups with either easyto-spell or difficult-to-spell search terms, who were asked to find items in the OPAC with these search terms. Search behaviors and strategy use in the OPAC and on the World Wide Web (WWW) were examined. In general, students used familiar Web resources to check their spelling or discover more about the assigned topic. Students with difficult-to-spell search terms checked spelling more often, changed search strategies to look for the general topic and had fewer successful searches. Students unable to find the correct spelling of a search term were unable to complete their search. Students tended to search the OPAC as they would search a search engine, with few search terms or complex search strategies. IntroductionSearching for information is a complex task, particularly for novice searchers. There are numerous, interrelated factors that affect the efficacy of online searches. Some of these factors relate to information retrieval (IR) system design (e.g., Borgman, 1996, discusses access points and technical skills); others relate to search query formulation The ability to spell words correctly is a literacy skill that is essential but nearly invisible. Effective communication skills-from writing a memo, to searching for information in a directory, or sending an e-mail message-rely on appropriate spelling skills. Indeed, many guides to professional communication note the importance of editing skills to ensure that documents are error-free and communicate the intended message to the reader (e.g., Ross & Dewdney, 1998). In online environments, misspellings may lead searchers to miss important information or believe that very little information exists on a given topic. Despite the advent of spell checkers, spelling continues to be an important aspect of online searching as spell checkers may not recognize mistakes or may make incorrect spelling suggestions. In searching OPACs, spelling is especially important to consider in assessing users' searching skills, as most systems do not include spell-checking functions, leaving many misspellings to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, spelling is not often studied in examinations of effective IR strategies. In the field of library and information studies (LIS), spelling in OPAC searching has been examined primarily to determine the number of bibliographic records that contain typographical errors (e.g., Beall & Kafadar, 2007;Randall, 1999) improper search syntax, rather than a more substantive user issue (e.g., Yee, 1991). When spelling has been examined in studies of users' searching behaviors, this has typically occurred through transaction log analysis of OPAC searches that examine the frequency of misspellings (e.g., Blecic, Dorsch, Koenig, ...

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