search and rescue

Search and Rescue

Repair Strategies of Remote Users Searching the Online Catalog

Nancy B. Turner, Electronic Resources Librarian, Syracuse University Susan E. Beck, Head of Reference & Research Services, New Mexico State University

Eighth Annual Reference Research Forum, American Library Association Annual Conference,

Atlanta, June 16, 2002

Research Questions

Do users in remote locations repair searches?

What types of repair strategies do they employ?

How can this information inform our work as reference librarians?

Transaction Logs

Traditional OPAC LogsWeb Server LogsAppropriate UsesDrawbacks

User Population

Carnegie I—Research Extensive/ Hispanic Serving

15,000 enrollmentDoctoral degrees in

5 colleges: Agriculture, Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering

Physical Environment

Two library buildings: Branson & Zuhl

Two periodicals areasTwo reference desk areasTwo stack areas

Endeavor catalog

Search Screen

Methodology: Data collection

Apache server log extraction 7 two hour intervals over 3 month period Various times: am, pm, weekends

Created Library IP address map Charted search locations by IP address:

Campus (NMSU domain) Off campus (non-NMSU domain) Staff Zuhl & Branson public service areas

Methodology: Data treatment I

Text files imported to spreadsheetImported three columns only

IP address, Date/Time, Search QueryMapped IP’s to library locationsSelected only unmediated, remote

locations to reviewDivided spreadsheet into 3

worksheets All, Unmediated, Staff

Methodology: Data Treatment II

Search_Code = TALL replaced with Search=TitleSearch_Code = JALL replaced with Search=Journal TitleSearch_Code = FT*& replaced with Search=Keyword Search_Code=NAME replaced with Search=AuthorSearch_Code=SUBJECT replaced with Search=SubjectSearch_Code=CALL replaced with Search=Call Number

%2B = replaced with + %3F = replaced with ?%3A = replaced with : %2C= replaced with , %27 = replaced with ‘ %22 = replaced with “

Cgi search syntax translation

1. GETSearch_Arg=tankers+full+of+trouble&Search_ Code=TALL&PID=19913&SEQ=20020314130448&CNT=25&HIST=1&SEARCH_FROM_TITLES_PAGE

2. GETSearch_Arg=tankers full of trouble &Search=TITLE &PID=19913&SEQ= 20020314130448&CNT=25&HIST=1&SEARCH_FROM_ TITLES_PAGE

User searching for the title, “Tankers full of trouble” from the Titles display listing page

Search query translation

Methodololgy: Data Treatment III

Selected “searches” based on

syntax GETSearch_Arg=

Coded searches by search type JT, T, S, A, CN, B, K, C

Tallied searches by type & area

March 14 Tallies

Bran Per 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0Bran Ref 269 88 10 21 3 21 6 27 0 0Bran Stacks 53 28 0 4 6 4 13 0 1 0Campus 421 177 28 31 37 42 25 14 0 0Off Campus 111 30 5 7 2 7 9 0 0 0Zuhl Per 19 9 0 2 1 5 1 0 0 0Zuhl Ref 259 93 6 14 4 25 38 6 0 0Zuhl Stacks 122 41 1 0 0 26 11 3 0 0Total: 1254 466 50 79 53 130 103 50 1 0All Users: 2353Unmediated Inputs % 53

GETSearch_Arg=new mexico litter controll&Search=Keyword

GETv1=1&ti=1,1&Search_Arg=new mexico litter controll&Search=Keyword

GETti=21,0&Search_Arg=new mexico litter controll&Search=Keyword

GETPAGE=sbSearch

GETSearch_Arg=new mexico litter&Search=Keyword

GETti=11,0&Search_Arg=new mexico litter&Search=Keyword



GETSearch_Arg=texas litter&Search=Keyword

GETSearch_Arg=texas litter laws&Search=Keyword

GETSearch_Arg= litter laws&Search=Keyword

Excerpt from search log

Data Analysis

After coding all discrete searches, we then re-coded those searches based on repair types.

Search Repair Levels

WordRepairs occur at word level

ConceptRepairs involve the concept(s)

searched. A concept is typically multi-word or a phrase. It can be multi-concept

SearchRepairs show knowledge of search types

or knowledge of formatting within search types

Word Level Repairs

Spelling (WS) multi-meter multimeter

18th eighteenth

Plural/Singular (WP) duns dun groups group

Capitalization (WC) Doll doll

Word Level Example

GETSearch_Arg=bertrand russel& Search=Keyword

GETSearch_Arg=bertrand russell& Search=Keyword

GET Search_Arg=raceism in unimployment &Search=Keyword &

GET Search_Arg=racism in imployment &Search=Keyword

Concept Level RepairsPunctuation: Add/drop punctuation (CP)

city of ladies “city of ladies”

christine pisan pisan, christine

Broaden: Drop concept/word (CB)

How to use a digital multimeters digital multimeters

Pregnancy—week by week Pregnancy

Change to another concept (CC)

English Men & Manners in the Eighteenth Century 18th Century British Women

Decline and Fall of Rome Edward Gibbon

Narrow: Add concept/word (CN)

“puerto rico” “puerto rico” “English”

pizan pizan city of ladies

Rephrase (CR) English Society in the 18th Century Daily Life in Eighteenth Century England

Ireland travel Ireland guidebook

Concept Level Example

GETSearch_Arg=Patton&Search=Keyword GETSearch_Arg=General Georgo Patton &Search

=Keyword (CN)GETSearch_Arg=Leadership&Search=Subject (CC)GETSearch_Arg=Military Leadership& Search =Subject

(CN, STGETSearch_Arg=General Patton leadership&

Search=Subject (CN)GETSearch_Arg=George Patton leadership&

Search=Subject (CR)GETSearch_Arg=Leadership style of George Patton&

Search=Subject (CR, CN)

Search Level Repairs

Invert words/names (SI)

Edward Gibbon Gibbon, Edward

Add/drop article (SA) A Doll House Doll House

Switch search type (ST)

A Doll House (Subject) A Doll House (Title)

tf 140 s73 (Keyword) tf 140 s73 (Call Number)

Limit search (SL) Home care home care (limited to specific library location or format or language, etc.)

Search Level Example I

GET Search_Arg=child abuse laws&Search=Keyword GET Search_Arg=child abuse laws& Search=Subject

GET Search_Arg=Troy Boone&Search=AuthorGET Search_Arg=Boone, Troy&Search=Author

GET Search_Arg=A Doll House&Search=TitleGET Search_Arg=Doll House&Search=Title

Search Level Example II

GET Search_Arg=Babylonian Mathematics and the Plimpton 322&Search= Keyword

GET Search_Arg=Babylonian Mathematics and the Plimpton 322&Search= Subject

GET Search_Arg=Babylonian Mathematics and the Plimpton 322&Search= Title

…2 minutes pass…

GET Search_Arg=History of Babylonian Mathematics&Search=Title GET Search_Arg=History of Babylonian Mathematics&Search=Journal Title GET Search_Arg=History of Babylonian Mathematics&Search=Subject GET Search_Arg=History of Babylonian Mathematics& Search= Keyword

Preliminary findings: Search types

Although no specific search type emerges as an obvious favorite

Keyword 28% Jrnl Title 15%Subject 19% Author 10%Title 16% Boolean 9%

Call # 3%

44% of all searches are for known items (title, journal title, author & call number)

Preliminary findings: Word level repairs

Repair Code Repair Type TOTAL %

WS Spelling 81 8%WP Plural/Singular 13 1%WC Capitalization 21 2%Total Word Level Repairs 115 12%

Preliminary findings: Concept level repairs


CPPunctuation: Add/drop punctuation 30 3%

CB Change to broader concept 116 12%CC Change to another concept 89 9%CN Narrow: Add concept/word 132 14%CR Rephrase 136 14%Total Concept Level Repairs 503 52%

Preliminary findings: Search level repairs


SI Invert words/names 22 2%SA Add/drop article 7 1%ST Switch search type 270 28%SL Limit search 17 2%SB Boolean Syntax Change 26 3%Total Search Level Repairs 342 36%

Preliminary findings: Overall repairs

Repair Code Repair Type TOTAL

Total Repairs 960 87%R Repeat Searches 145 13%

Total Redone/Repaired 1105

Total Searches 2132

% Searches Repaired 45%% Searches Redone 52%

Preliminary findings

Over 50% catalog uses are non-staff Unassisted user searches.…………….56% Staff/Mediated user searches………..44%

Higher incidence of concept level repairs than word and search level

Preferred repair strategy is to switch search types

High incidence of retyping exact search

Further study

Extend data collection time periods Increase # of data collection

sessionsInclude different user population Extend analysis to include

Length of time spent repairing search Search types leading to more repairs Number of repairs made per search

Questions?

For more information, contact:

Nancy B. Turner at [email protected] E. Beck at [email protected]

search and rescue

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