Advanced Search is Bad For Users

A couple recommended reads [via]:

Twenty-five years of end-user searching, Part 1: Research findings
Karen Markey
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
Volume 58, Issue 8 , Pages 1071 - 1081
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/asi.20462

This review summarizes quantifiable evidence on end-user searching. Some findings:

• mean number of queries per search session (most between 2 and 4)
• the use of boolean operators (less than 15% use AND; less than 2% use OR)
• most end users accept default values for searching
• when end users use advance search features in their queries, they use them incorrectly about one third of the time
• the vast majority of end-users are satisfied with their searches

Twenty-five years of end-user searching, Part 2: Future Research Directions
Karen Markey
Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology
Volume 58, Issue 8 , Pages 1123 - 1130
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/asi.20601

Discusses research findings about end-user searching in the context of current information retrieval models.

"When researchers analyse end-users' failed searches, the number one problem is their initial choice of search terms (Debowski, [2001], p. 377; Hsieh-Yee, [1993], p. 169; Lucas & Topi, [2002], p. 105; Sewell & Teitelbaum, [1986], p. 241; Wildemuth & Moore, [1995], p. 299). Instead of using a database's controlled vocabulary, users search for the first terms that come to mind. Failing to use the controlled vocabulary has an adverse effect on the precision of their searches and makes it impossible for users to enlist the vocabulary's special search features such as exploding terms, listing subheadings, and displaying term relationships."

This article brings together two personal interests - user interfaces and improved information literacy practice in libraries. They dovetail nicely here: let us create simple user interfaces that suggest better search terms to our users. Let's concentrate on teaching thinking about language and ideas and end the teaching of boolean searching and if we dare, let's get rid of the advanced search screen.