A Study on RSS Users’ Subscription and Navigation Behaviors

[[abstract]]The current Internet users search for web information are roughly divided into two ways: one is the use of search engine keyword search function to access to relevant pages, another is to subscribe to topics of interest, and then the system provide users relevant information, which is called RSS (Really Simple Syndication). This study attempt to study the users’ RSS subscriptions and navigation behavioral characteristics, including the motivations of subscribe to RSS, subscribe to the contents of the categories and quantity, and users navigating behaviors. Object of study is the 12 heavy RSS users who subscribe to more than 100 kinds of FEED. At the same time, researchers have tried to conduct non-invasive type of observation, to ensure that the objects of the operation can be carried out smoothly. It were recorded for the work of a total of 21 days, collected 26 hours of navigating records, then coding and analysis of these data. The main research findings show that users to subscribe to the contents with low repetition rate. Motivations to subscribe is curiosity and to meet the information needs and personal interest-based. In the course of reading, often the first to read a large number of titles and abstracts, then the priorities to reading articles according to the level of users’ interest, then defined the users’ model of navigation behavior as follows: writing type, knowledge-based, system type and random pattern. Finally, the study provides some suggestions on improving the services of personal information, system functions of RSS Reader and benefit further research, such as RSS content providers to attract users’ attention can write the funny title, to facilitate the increase in clicking rates, or to provide information-based summary to facilitate the users to quickly understand the information content. Or if the RSS reader can display interfaces with self-adjustment of the function to meet the individual navigating habits, and so on. Direction for future studies include expanding the scope of study, to develop a model describing the structure of RSS navigation of users, and compare RSS and other information access methods.