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Investigating Searchers’ Mental Models to Inform Search Explanations

Published: 20 December 2019 Publication History

Abstract

Modern web search engines use many signals to select and rank results in response to queries. However, searchers’ mental models of search are relatively unsophisticated, hindering their ability to use search engines efficiently and effectively. Annotating results with more in-depth explanations could help, but search engine providers need to know what to explain. To this end, we report on a study of searchers’ mental models of web selection and ranking, with more than 400 respondents to an online survey and 11 face-to-face interviews. Participants volunteered a range of factors and showed good understanding of important concepts such as popularity, wording, and personalization. However, they showed little understanding of recency or diversity and incorrect ideas of payment for ranking. Where there are already explanatory annotations on the results page—such as “ad” markers and keyword highlighting—participants were familiar with ranking concepts. This suggests that further explanatory annotations may be useful.

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cover image ACM Transactions on Information Systems
ACM Transactions on Information Systems  Volume 38, Issue 1
January 2020
301 pages
ISSN:1046-8188
EISSN:1558-2868
DOI:10.1145/3368262
Issue’s Table of Contents
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Publication History

Published: 20 December 2019
Accepted: 01 November 2019
Revised: 01 September 2019
Received: 01 June 2019
Published in TOIS Volume 38, Issue 1

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  1. Mental models
  2. explanation
  3. ranking
  4. web search

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