Abstract
researchers (Schonfeld and Guthrie, 2006).
This paper examines the use of search
engine by students and faculty to support
learning and research. We explored the
attitude towards the search engine,
credibility of the search engine and
interaction effects. The main goal is to
demonstrate how each methodology exhibits
a unique strength in collecting information
about different dimensions of search
behavior and perceptions. We conclude that
there is a variation in type of search engine
used among faculty and students surveyed.
The paper concludes with a discussion of
the implications of the findings for future
search engine research and information
practitioners.
“Why Google/ask.com/Amazon/yahoo/msn
all is famous?”These are the most
frequently used search engines for
searching any keyword.”How do you think
the searching is performed?” It’s very
simple, we enter the keyword, click on the
search button, and follow upon the link that
we get, until we feel the result is accurate.
“Why do search engines provide various
search options?” To get relevant results
according to our needs. In Google, we have
two search options, i.e. Basic and Advance.
There are millions of students who use the
search engines to obtain information and
for every keyword, we get millions of
results. An international survey (OCLC,
2005) reports that 89 percent of information
searches undertaken by college students
begin with a search engine and Google is
the overwhelming favorite (68 percent). The
same trend is observed for faculty and
In order to obtain relevant results, search
engines options are used. This decides the
credibility and attitude of the users towards
the search engines. These are the interesting
areas to be explored and hence I have come
up with research question.
Population of Interest
Students (Graduates, Undergraduates),
Faculty (Teachers, Scholars).
Controlling Factors
Gender, Course, Age, Keywords, Search
Engine, Internet Accessibility, Hours spend
online per day, Familiarity with the search
engine, Familiarity with search technique,
Environment in which experiment is carried
out, Time provided for the participants to
carry out the search and to fill up the
questionnaire.
Question
What is the relationship between the “type
of search (Basic, Advanced)” and “type of
students (Graduate, Undergraduate)” and
“type of faculty (Teachers, Scholars)” AND
“attitude towards the search engine,
credibility of the search engine and
interaction effects”.
Theoretical Framework
In Google, we have two search options,
Basic and Advance.
Basic Search: Very simple user interface. It
uses single factor i.e. keywords to carry out
the search. Search takes place in very broad
sense. Search results obtained are Hypothesis
comparatively larger and time taken is
higher. H1: Advance search leads to increase in
positive attitude towards the search engine.
Advance Search: Complex user interface. It
uses combination of factors to carry out the H2: Advance search leads to better
search like words, category etc. Narrows interaction between participants and search
the search i.e. it is comparatively more engine.
focused. Results obtained are comparatively Technology or Implementation for the
lesser and time taken is less. In advance project
search for example, if you give the keyword
as “Polo”, it might be a sports name, or We can use Experimental Technique to
macro, or community, or t-shirt, so we can perform this operation.
exclude all these words or in other words
Methods
we can give the constraints so that we can
actual information we are searching for and In Experimental Technique, we divide the
we can also select the language and file type participants i.e. students and faculty (based
i.e. only pdf, or word format etc. on Simple Random Sample) to search the
information using two search options.
Literature Review
Experimental Design: 2*2*2=8
Enhanced Information Scent, Selective
discounting, or consummate Breakdown: Independent Variables: Search Type
The Psychological effects of web-based (Basic, Advance), Students (Graduates,
search results (Sriram Kalyanaraman, Undergraduates), Faculty (Teachers,
James D. Ivory 2009). In this literature, it is Scholars).
mentioned that credibility of search engines
is increased by relevance of the search. Dependent Variables: Attitude towards the
Accordingly, with the increase in the Search Engine, Credibility of the Search
credibility of search engine, there is Engine and Interaction Effects (measured
signified change in attitude towards the on scale of 1- 7).
search engine.
Students Faculty
Information Foraging Theory (Pirolli and Sear Gradu Undergra Teac Schol
ch ates duates hers ars
Card 1999): Describes organism’s quest for
Type
food and prey and their necessary Basic
adaptation to the environment during the Adva
course of “foraging”. Information foraging nce
people choose the best option to obtain
information among several options
according to their needs. We can give the questionnaires to the
participants so that we can measure the
dependent variables. We can employ the
Between – Subjects Design, i.e. each
experimental group is assigned to only one
experimental condition.
Note: The Statistical test that should be
carried out for this particular condition is
Factorial ANOVA.
Resource
The resources required for the above
mentioned technique is set of computers,
Internet access, and no. of students, faculty.
Time management, we can incorporate time
limit for each participants say as 10
minutes.
Earlier Work
As we performing the experimental design,
we need to perform pretest, because when
the independent variables are more
subjective then we require manipulation
check to verify whether it is working
correctly. So to perform the pretest, it’s
good to have sample size of 12 per
experimental condition.
Contribution in Doing the Project
We can select small number of students who
are undergraduates and graduates and
number of faculty who are teachers and
scholars and trying to divide them based on
simple random sample and then trying to
conduct the experiment and then gathering
the data based on the questionnaires filled
by them.
Shortcomings or Risks
 Ambiguity will remain with the
usage of advance search type.
 Interpretation of ‘key words’
differed with each participant.
 Experiment for two batches could
not be carried out simultaneously
 People are hard to find to conduct
experiment !!!!!!!!!.
Expected outcomes of the project
We can get the confirmation about the
hypothesis mentioned above i.e. either it will
be confirmed or disconfirmed. We can also
verify the validity and reliability.
 For internet users, advanced search
helps narrowing down the search.
 A combination of the search type
provides a better search method.
References
1.
http://www.informaworld.com/term
s-and-conditions-of-access.pdf
2. http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bi
n/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/271
6/2385
3. www.educause.edu/Resources/Searche
ngineusebehaviorofstude/194048