Searching the Web: The Public and Their Queries

Amanda Spink; Dietmar Wolfram; Major B.J. Jansen; Tefko Saracevic

doi:10.1002/1097-4571(2000)9999:9999<::AID-ASI1591>3.0.CO;2-R

Searching the Web: The Public and Their Queries

Amanda Spink^*
, Dietmar Wolfram
, Major B.J. Jansen
, Tefko Saracevic

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

781 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In studying actual Web searching by the public at large, we analyzed over one million Web queries by users of the Excite search engine. We found that most people use few search terms, few modified queries, view few Web pages, and rarely use advanced search features. A small number of search terms are used with high frequency, and a great many terms are unique; the language of Web queries is distinctive. Queries about recreation and entertainment rank highest. Findings are compared to data from two other large studies of Web queries. This study provides an insight into the public practices and choices in Web searching.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	226-234
Number of pages	9
Journal	Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
Volume	52
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-4571(2000)9999:9999<::AID-ASI1591>3.0.CO;2-R
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2001
Externally published	Yes

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10.1002/1097-4571(2000)9999:9999<::AID-ASI1591>3.0.CO;2-R

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title = "Searching the Web: The Public and Their Queries",

abstract = "In studying actual Web searching by the public at large, we analyzed over one million Web queries by users of the Excite search engine. We found that most people use few search terms, few modified queries, view few Web pages, and rarely use advanced search features. A small number of search terms are used with high frequency, and a great many terms are unique; the language of Web queries is distinctive. Queries about recreation and entertainment rank highest. Findings are compared to data from two other large studies of Web queries. This study provides an insight into the public practices and choices in Web searching.",

author = "Amanda Spink and Dietmar Wolfram and Jansen, \{Major B.J.\} and Tefko Saracevic",

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AU - Jansen, Major B.J.

AU - Saracevic, Tefko

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AB - In studying actual Web searching by the public at large, we analyzed over one million Web queries by users of the Excite search engine. We found that most people use few search terms, few modified queries, view few Web pages, and rarely use advanced search features. A small number of search terms are used with high frequency, and a great many terms are unique; the language of Web queries is distinctive. Queries about recreation and entertainment rank highest. Findings are compared to data from two other large studies of Web queries. This study provides an insight into the public practices and choices in Web searching.

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ER -

Searching the Web: The Public and Their Queries

Abstract

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