Compares and contrasts results from two previous studies of Excite queries' data sets and examines how public Web searching changed during that period. Results show shorter queries; fewer queries per user; viewing fewer pages of results per query; an increase in Boolean operators; and more commercial searching topics. (LRW)

Reports results from a survey that explored users' information searching behavior on the EXCITE Web search engine over time on the same or evolving topic. Discusses search topics, intended query terms, search frequency, demographic data, and implications for the design of Web search services. A copy of the survey is appended. (Author/LRW)

These six articles discuss knowledge discovery in databases (KDD). Topics include data mining; knowledge management systems; applications of knowledge discovery; text and Web mining; text mining and information retrieval; user search patterns through Web log analysis; concept analysis; data collection; and data structure inconsistency. (LRW)

Provides results from a study that examined queries in question format submitted to two Web search engines, Ask Jeeves and Excite. Identifies four types of user Web queries: keyword, Boolean, question, and request; discusses implications for Web search services; and suggests further research needs. (Author/LRW)

Presents a session abstract that included speakers discussing current studies in successive searching during the information seeking process. Highlights include mediated successive searching; end-user successive searching; designing information retrieval systems to support successive searching; and search histories for user support in legal…

Discussion of mediated successive searches conducted by intermediaries using the Dialog online service focuses on reasons, frequency, and characteristics of successive searches. Data is based on a longitudinal study conducted in the United Sates and the United Kingdom that investigated the processes of mediated information retrieval searching…

This paper reports on a transaction log analysis of 51,473 queries from 18,113 users of Excite, a major World Wide Web search engine. Approximately 2,500 of these queries were from the use of relevance feedback. Given the high level of research activity and historical success of relevance feedback in assisting users in locating relevant…

Discussion of the selection of search terms during an online search involving users and intermediaries focuses on a study that investigated at what stage of the search process search terms from different sources were selected, how terms were connected with retrieval of relevant answers, and the sequences in which terms were selected. (Contains 16…

Describes a study that explored aspects of successive Dialog searches conducted by intermediaries for information seekers. Results show most successive searches involve some change in search terms and databases, but precision did not necessarily increase and the percentage of relevant items decreased significantly after three searches. (Author/LRW)

Discussion of user-relevance judgments in information retrieval focuses on findings from four separate studies of relevance judgments by 55 users conducting their initial online search on a particular information problem. Highlights include a theoretical framework, models of relevance, and implications for information-retrieval system design and…

Findings from a study of users' multitasking searches on Web search engines include: multitasking searches are a noticeable user behavior; multitasking search sessions are longer than regular search sessions in terms of queries per session and duration; both Excite and AlltheWeb.com users search for about three topics per multitasking session and…

Describes a study that analyzed transaction logs of users of Excite, an Internet search service. Highlights include data on sessions (changes in queries, number of pages viewed, and relevance feedback), queries (number of search terms and the use of logic and modifiers), and terms (rank/frequency distribution); user characteristics; and failure…

Examines the use of query reformulation and particularly the use of relevance feedback by users of the Excite Web search engine. Discusses results that show limited use of query reformulation and relevance feedback; identifies the most common pattern of searching; and discusses implications for Web search system design. (Contains 16 references.)…

Describes studies conducted at the University of Sheffield that explored the variables during mediated online search interaction. Discuses aspects of the mediated search process, including user satisfaction; relevant information sources; and interaction measures derived from search logs and tape transcripts, and related interaction measures.…

Examines and compares multimedia Web searching by Excite and FAST search engine users in 2001. Highlights include audio and video queries; time spent on searches; terms per query; ranking of the most frequently used terms; and differences in Web search behaviors of U.S. and European Web users. (Author/LRW)