A comparative study of unassisted and assisted keyword search paradigms in the Google search engine from users' points of view

پژوهش نامه مبانی تعلیم و تربیت

Article 4, Volume 010, Issue 2, November 2009

Document Type: پژوهشی

DOI: 10.22067/fe.v10i2.1575

Authors

Zouhayr Hayati; amene sadat taherian^*

Abstract

This comparative study addressed user satisfaction of Unassisted Keyword Search Paradigm with Assisted Keyword Search Paradigm in the Google search engine. The methodology was one group pretest-posttest design. The instrument for data collection was 3 researcher-made questionnaires that one of them included closed questions about expertise in using computer and the Internet as well as demographic information.Other questionnaires were process-based forms which dealt with search questions, search procedures and evaluation forms for each state. The subjects under study were postgraduate students of Foreign Languages and Linguistic Department of Shiraz University, 30 students were selected by using the propotional random sampling technique and non- random technique was used for whom didn’t participate.
Findings of the study revealed that about 70 percent of suggestions presented in Google Suggest Beta as an assisted keyword search server had a middle-to-higher relevance. Although there was no significant difference between precision based user oriented relevance in both of paradigms, assisted keyword search led to a significant increase in precision on based system oriented relevance. Generally, the second paradigm caused a significant increase in both the ease of use and the whole performance of the system in finding expected results .Although there was not seen any significant difference between time satisfaction and search results' value, the total user satisfaction increased significantly in the second paradigm. Finally, some suggestions for futher studies were provided.
Key words: search paradigms, unassisted keyword search, assisted keyword search, automated assistance, query refinement, google suggest beta, google, Shiraz university students.