The Role of Information Search Experience, Domain Knowledge, and User Language on Information Search Stopping Behaviour

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

10.22059/jlib.2025.390794.1773

Abstract

Objective: This study aims to examine the impact of information search experience, domain knowledge, and user language proficiency on the information search stopping behavior among graduate students at Shiraz University.
Method: This research is fundamental in nature and employs a quantitative methodology. The sample consisted of 80 graduate students from Shiraz University, selected based on criteria used in similar studies. Participants completed two simple and two complex search tasks in both Persian and English using the Google search engine. Their search activities were recorded using Camtasia software. The participants' level of search experience was assessed through a questionnaire adapted from Ghasemi’s (2007) information literacy questionnaire. After the content validity of the instrument was confirmed, its reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, yielding a value of 0.75. Based on the scores obtained from this questionnaire, participants were categorized into three experience levels: low, moderate, and high. Participants' domain knowledge was also classified into two levels: “lacking or minimal knowledge” and “moderate or high knowledge.” By repeatedly reviewing the recorded sessions, the information search stopping behavior was identified for each task, distinguishing between good stops (stopping after finding an answer) and bad stops (stopping due to failure to find an answer). Data analysis was conducted using independent samples t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and the Mann-Whitney U test in SPSS software.
Results: The findings indicated that as users' domain knowledge increased, the frequency of good stops significantly rose. Additionally, significant differences were observed in the types of search stops among users with different levels of search experience. Post-hoc tests revealed that higher search experience was associated with an increased rate of good stops. Finally, a higher average rank for stopping behavior in Persian-language searches suggests a greater occurrence of good stops when searching in Persian.
Conclusions: Considering the influence of search experience, user language, and domain knowledge on the information search stopping behavior, it is recommended to implement measures such as: conducting workshops on information search skills and techniques; incorporating user language factors into personalized recommendation system models; utilizing interlingual retrieval systems; and personalizing information retrieval systems to suggest queries and deliver results tailored to users' knowledge levels.

Keywords

References

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Academic Librarianship and Information Research
Volume 58, Issue 4
December 2024
Pages 1-23

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