The effect of task type and topic familiarity on information search behaviors

The paper describes results from a task-driven experiment on Web users' search behaviors. Subjects' search behavior and search experience in three types of search tasks (Fact Finding, Hierarchical Information Gathering, and Parallel Information Gathering) are compared. Our results indicate that both task type and familiarity can influence search behaviors (completion time and number of queries), but do not influence habitual behaviors, like the search entrance. In addition, users often gained new knowledge after searching Copyright 2010 ACM.EI