Considerations in the choice of an Internet search tool
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/07378839910267262 |
| Date | 01 March 1999 |
| Pages | 89-106 |
| Published date | 01 March 1999 |
| Author | Jason Vaughan |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Library & information science |
89
Introduction
The Internet represents the most significant
development in telecommunications since the
invention of the telephone more than a century
ago. Estimates vary, but the number of people
who have used or presently use various subsets
(the World Wide Web, Telnet, Usenet) of what
is collectively known as the Internet is certainly
tremendous. In the first six months of 1998
alone, the number of hosts has risen from
approximately 29.7 million to 36.7 million, and
the number of Web sites has increased from 2.5
million to 4.3 million, with actual Internet
traffic doubling every 100 days (Gromov,
1998). While exact, or perhaps even close,
counts of the number of actual users are impos-
sible to collect, a significant number of new
people are exposed to the Internet on an annual
basis. In relation to libraries, at least two points
are significant. Users expect to have access to
and assistance in utilizing this vast information
repository, and many will be introduced to the
Internet through libraries or other educational
settings.
By utilizing and providing instruction on
Internet resources, the library can continue to
educate users and provide reference assistance,
as well as maintain a secure foothold in the
burgeoning information explosion. Librarians
always have been carefully trained in searching
techniques to find the information users
request. Finding information on the Internet, or
specifically its largest subset, the World Wide
Web, is no exception, though it is somewhat
different from finding information through
other avenues, both print and electronic. No
controlled vocabulary exists for the Internet at
large, nor is there an especially accurate index or
table of contents for this resource. There are no
descriptor tags or subject mapping as found
within many CD-ROM indexes or subscription-
based electronic journal indexes accessed
through the Web. Because the Web offers a
publishing forum to those with even limited
knowledge and access to servers, useful infor-
mation is mixed with poor and even totally
inaccurate information. Here trained informa-
tion professionals can apply their expertise.
Many have learned and will continue to learn
about the Internet through traditional classes
offered for that purpose, such as Internet
Considerations in the
choice of an Internet
search tool
Jason Vaughan
The author
Jason Vaughan is a systems librarian and University
Libraries Web site administrator at the University of Nevada,
Las Vegas, USA.
E-mail: vaughanj@nevada.edu
Keywords
Internet, Librarians, Surveys
Abstract
In an effort to better speculate whether a certain set of
factors play a role in information professionals’ choice of
Internet search tools, this article describes a survey conduct-
ed by the author of MSLS/MSIS graduate students and pro-
fessional librarians at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. Background discussion on Internet search tool
design, usability, field testing and future development is
provided. Two sets of factors were defined for this study, one
describing utility functions of search tools, the other describ-
ing the convenience or ease of use of search tools. The survey
reveals a trend in choosing a preferred Internet search tool
based on utility factors as opposed to convenience factors. It
also suggests a preference for search engines as opposed to
subject catalogs. Comprehensive, encompassing results are
found to be more important than ease of use of a particular
search tool.
Library Hi Tech
Volume 17 · Number 1 · 1999 · pp. 89–106
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0737-8831
resources classes or tutorials that many libraries
offer to their students and/or communities at
large. These range from classes highlighting
local resources and offering advice on how to
find information, to full-fledged HTML classes.
Apart from such formal settings, many users
seeking reference assistance learn one-on-one
directly from the librarians. In either situation,
what librarians have to say hopefully will be
absorbed, and the tools they emphasize or
recommend are significantly important. The
main search tools a librarian chooses to use for
himself or herself likely will filter down to the
user the next time that user needs to search the
Internet for information.
This study investigates whether one of two
sets of factors – convenience factors or utility
factors – play significant roles in determining
the search tool of choice for both information
professionals and the users they influence.
Through a survey including both current infor-
mation professionals (librarians and other
reference staff at three of the main libraries at
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
and the future information professionals (grad-
uate students in the MSLS/MSIS program at
the university), this article offers a cross-section
of opinions from a representative group of
information professionals. It is hoped these data
will help others in the design of Internet search
tools.
Background
Current literature regarding the Internet fre-
quently mentions the use of search tools to find
information. Numerous articles look at particu-
lar brands of search tools, testing how accurate
and comprehensive they are in finding informa-
tion, as well as how easy they are to use. In
addition, the writers of the majority of these
articles provide recommendations written with
the typical end-user in mind. There is little
literature surveying actual end-user preferences
regarding Internet search tools, and even less, if
any, indicating any formal surveys focusing
specifically on information professionals’
Internet search tool preferences. In either case,
there isn’t a strong mention of factors governing
search tool preference, nor does this appear to
be an issue of study within the current literature.
Since the Internet revolution began less than
a decade ago, frequent coverage on search tools
has been found in both established computer
magazines and new publications. In most arti-
cles, Internet-oriented investigators have looked
at the utility and/or convenience of various
Internet search tools and their ability to locate
information on the Internet, then offered their
own subjective analyses of how easy such tools
are to use. Such articles are updated as more
people are introduced to the Internet and as
new search tools are introduced and old ones
phased out. These investigations have been
carried out by writers for the particular maga-
zines, who tested and rated the tools themselves
as opposed to investigating the opinions of
actual end-users. However, the writers
employed by such computer journals can be
assumed to have a certain amount of profession-
alism, with Internet knowledge somewhat
advanced beyond the typical end-user, and
more on a level of today’s professional librarians
and library students who have had formal train-
ing with Internet resources. What they have to
say is important to this study in point. Library-
specific literature dealing with electronic
resources is also important, with much of the
formal research to date dealing with other
resources, such as CD-ROM products.
Regarding Internet search tools per se, Gus
Venditto tested seven major free Internet search
engines, including Alta Vista, Lycos, and
Webcrawler (Venditto, 1996). The tests were
conducted on a common platform using a
modem, a T1 line, and dozens of sample
queries. Precision or relevance ratings were
based on whether the engine returned relevant
documents within the first 25 search results. He
measured the comprehensiveness of the Web
engines by number of documents indexed, how
they were indexed, and the scope (Usenet, FTP
sites) of sites covered. Regarding convenience,
he looked at search options such as whether
Boolean searching was featured, whether
descriptions of results could be displayed, and
whether reviews of sites and the ability to save
search results as bookmarks were allowed.
Overall, he found most engines returned results
within microseconds of each other, and all were
down at one time or another during the testing
period. He offered some information on the
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Considerations in the choice of an Internet search tool
Jason Vaughan
Library Hi Tech
Volume 17 · Number 1 · 1999 · 89–106
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