Effectiveness of Google keyword suggestion on users’ relevance judgment. A mixed method approach to query expansion
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-03-2015-0035 |
| Pages | 302-314 |
| Published date | 04 April 2016 |
| Date | 04 April 2016 |
| Author | Rahmatollah Fattahi,Mehri Parirokh,Mohammd Hosien Dayyani,Abdolrasoul Khosravi,Mojgan Zareivenovel |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information & communications technology,Internet |
Effectiveness of Google keyword
suggestion on users’ relevance
judgment
A mixed method approach to query
expansion
Rahmatollah Fattahi, Mehri Parirokh and
Mohammd Hosien Dayyani
Department of Library and Information Science,
Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran, and
Abdolrasoul Khosravi and Mojgan Zareivenovel
Department of Medical Library and Information Science,
Bushehr University of Medical Science, Bushehr, Iran
Abstract
Purpose – One of the most effective ways information retrieval (IR) systems including Web search
engines can improve relevance performance is to provide their users with tools for facilitating
query expansion. Search engines such as Google provide users with keyword suggest tools. This
paper aims to investigate users’ criteria in relevance judgment regarding Google’s keywords
suggest tool and to see how such keywords would lead to more relevant results from the viewpoint
of users.
Design/methodology/approach – Through a mixed method approach, quantitative and qualitative
data were collected from 60 postgraduate students at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, using four
different instruments (questionnaire, thinking aloud technique, query logs and interviews).
Findings – Among other criteria, the “relation between suggested keywords and the information
need” (with the mean rate of 3.53 of four) was considered the most important by searchers in selecting
suggested keywords for query expansion. Also, the “relation between suggested Keywords and the
retrieved items” (with the mean rate of 3.62) was considered the second most important criterion in
judging the relevance of the retrieved results. The participants agreed that the suggested keywords by
Google improved the retrieval relevance. The content analysis of the participants’ aloud-thinking
sessions and the interviews approved such ndings.
Originality/value – This research makes a contribution to the need of designers of IR systems
regarding the use of add words for query expansion. It also helps librarians how to instruct searchers
with expanding their queries to retrieve more relevant results. Another contribution of the study is the
identication of a number of new relevance judgment criteria for Web-based environments.
Keywords Relevance, Google search engine, Google suggest, Query expansion
Paper type Research paper
Introduction and problem statement
Information seekers may be aware of their own information needs; however, many of
them are not able to express and develop their information needs formally and properly.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
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EL
34,2
302
Received 5 March 2015
Revised 5 March 2015
Accepted 14 April 2015
TheElectronic Library
Vol.34 No. 2, 2016
pp.302-314
©Emerald Group Publishing Limited
0264-0473
DOI 10.1108/EL-03-2015-0035
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