The Use of Transaction Logs to Model User Searching Behaviours

  • Mary C. Schlembach Grainger Engineering Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
  • William H. Mischo Grainger Engineering Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA
  • Joshua Bishoff Grainger Engineering Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

Abstract

To optimize search and discovery services, it is important to develop evidence-based models of user information seeking behaviours within distributed retrieval environments. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library has been collecting custom transaction log data from their main gateway interface and its underlying Easy Search (ES) federated search system since 2007.  The Illinois team performed a detailed analysis over 1.4 million user searches and 1.5 million user target clickthroughs performed in 2010 – 2011. This analysis has revealed rich information on user search characteristics, search assistance usage, and clickthrough actions.   

Published
2017-05-18
How to Cite
SCHLEMBACH, Mary C.; MISCHO, William H.; BISHOFF, Joshua. The Use of Transaction Logs to Model User Searching Behaviours. Qualitative and Quantitative Methods in Libraries, [S.l.], v. 2, n. 4, p. 365-369, may 2017. ISSN 2241-1925. Available at: <http://78.46.229.148/ojs/index.php/qqml/article/view/112>. Date accessed: 23 dec. 2024.