A search for information can be viewed as a series of decisions made by the searcher. Two dimensions of the search environment affect a user's decisions: the user's knowledge, and the configuration of the information retrieval system. Drawing on previous findings on users' lack of search or domain knowledge, this article investigates what the user needs to know to make informed search decisions at the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Web site, which provides statistical information on labor and related topics. Its extensive Web site is a rich collection of statistical information, ranging from individual statistics such as the current Consumer Price Index (CPI), to a large statistical database called LABSTAT that can be queried to construct a table or time series on the fly. Two models of the search environment and the query process in LABSTAT are presented. They provide complementary views of the decision points at which help may be needed, and also suggest useful help content. Extensive examples based on the industry concept illustrate how the information could assist users' search decisions. The article concludes with a discussion of the role of help facilities in Web searching, and the interesting question of how to initiate the provision of help.
IntroductionA search for information can be viewed as a series of decisions made by the searcher. Early decisions that are necessary preparation for the search include (1) the recognition of the existence of an information need, and (2) the decision to either search for information to satisfy the need or to live with the unsatisfied need, or anomalous state of knowledge (Belkin, Brooks, & Oddy, 1982), at least for the time being. Subsequent decisions made during the search process concern the kind of information that is needed, where to look, how to phrase the question, whether a retrieved document is helpful, and when to stop the search.Exploring these decisions, and the information needed to support them, is the goal of this article. An informed decision requires some amount of information. Too little information may leave the person in the dark as to what the possible choices are, or even that there are choices (i.e., that there is a decision to be made). At the other extreme, too much information may lead to overload. The ideal information retrieval (IR) system would provide just the right information in a helpful, easy-to-use format at the right time for each decision.Earlier research on decision-making during information searching was done in the context of libraries and bibliographic databases (e.g., Fidel, 1991aFidel, , 1991bFidel, , 1991cWang & Soergel, 1998;Wang & White, 1999). How well do these models describe searching the Web or even a specific Web site, rather than a library collection or a bibliographic database? The incredible amount of information that comprises the Web can be seen only one page at a time. An individual user will never see (nor want to see) the entire contents; on the other hand, much useful information is hidden from ...
