Searching the intranet: Corporate users and their queries

Stenmark, Dick Searching the intranet: Corporate users and their queries., 2005 . In 68th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIST), Charlotte (US), 28 October - 2 November 2005. [Conference paper]

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English abstract

By examining the log files from a corporate intranet search engine, we have analysed the actual web searching behaviour of real users in a real business environment. While building on previous research on public search engines, we apply an alternative session definition that we argue is more appropriate. Our results regarding session length, query construction and result page viewing confirm some of the findings from similar studies carried out on public search engines but further our understanding of web searching by presenting details on corporate users’ activities. In particular, we suggest that search sessions are shorter than previously suggested, search queries have fewer terms than observed for public search engines, and number of examined result pages is smaller than reported in other research. More research on how corporate intranet users search for information is needed.

Item type: Conference paper
Keywords: intranets ; employee information seeking ; transaction log analysis
Subjects: B. Information use and sociology of information > BA. Use and impact of information.
C. Users, literacy and reading. > CB. User studies.
H. Information sources, supports, channels. > HR. Portals.
L. Information technology and library technology > LS. Search engines.
Depositing user: Norm Medeiros
Date deposited: 08 Feb 2006
Last modified: 02 Oct 2014 12:02
URI: http://hdl.handle.net/10760/7009

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