This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (9) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Ahmed, S. M. Z. Articles by Oppenheim, C. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

A study of users’ performance and satisfaction with the Web of Science IR interface

Department of Information Science and Library Management, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

Cliff McKnight

Department of Information Science, Loughborough University, UK, c.mcknight{at}lboro.ac.uk

Charles Oppenheim

Department of Information Science, Loughborough University, UK

This paper reports on an empirical study of users’ performance and satisfaction with the Web of Science interface. Two different search groups (novice and experienced) participated in the study. They carried out seven search tasks and their performance was recorded through transaction logging and computer screen recording. Data were captured on the time taken, search terms used, success score and error rates. After completion of search tasks, they completed a questionnaire on their satisfaction with the interface. The performance data showed that overall experienced users performed better than the novice group. Differences were significant in success score and error rates between the groups. Performance differences also existed on factors such as gender and previous online search training. Experienced female searchers performed best in terms of success score and error rates whereas the novice male group performed worst. Untrained users were more successful and made fewer errors than the trained group. Participants held neither highly positive nor highly negative perceptions about the Web of Science interface. Novice searchers were significantly more satisfied with the interface than the experienced group. Participants also noted both positive and negative features in the interface. This information could be used to redesign the present Web of Science interface.

Key Words: Online information retrieval • Searching • User interface • User satisfaction • Retrieval performance measures • Evaluation • Expert users • Novice users • Web of Science

Journal of Information Science, Vol. 30, No. 5, 459-468 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0165551504047018


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Kai-Wah Chu and N. Law The development of information search expertise of research students Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, September 1, 2008; 40(3): 165 - 177. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. M. Z. Ahmed, C. McKnight, and C. Oppenheim A user-centred design and evaluation of IR interfaces Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, September 1, 2006; 38(3): 157 - 172. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. M. Z. Ahmed, C. McKnight, and C. Oppenheim A study of learning and retention with a Web-based IR interface Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, March 1, 2005; 37(1): 7 - 16. [Abstract] [PDF]