The following survey is the THIRD in a series of four short surveys and questionnaires, aimed at understanding how users search for information on the World-wide Web, and how they feel about both their search methods and the resulting information they find.  NOTE: It is essential that you complete the first two TAM Surveys before this questionnaire.
  TAM Survey: Information Retrieval & the World-wide Web
  TAM Survey: Information Quality & the World-wide Web

If you have completed both TAM surveys, you are ready to complete the information seeking behaviour questionnaire.  
Information Seeking Behaviour Questionnaire
....Before you Begin....
Fill in the Assigned Username and Registered e-mail fields to validate your results
  Assigned Username: 
    This is the Username that was sent to you when
you first registered.  It is used to validate all your
survey/questionnaire results

  forgotten your username? email s.knight@ecu.edu.au,
providing the email address you registered with. Your username will be sent out to you ASAP.
  Registered e-mail: 
    Use the same email address as when you first
registered.  This is used to validate your identity
and survey/questionnaire results.
Computer Experience
1.  How many years experience do you have using computer related technology
  less than 1 year 5 - 8 years
  1 - 2 years 9 - 12 years
  3 - 5 years more than 12 years
WWW & Search Engine Experience
2.  How many years experience do you have using the World-wide Web?
  less than 1 year 5 - 8 years
  1 - 2 years 9 - 12 years
  3 - 5 years more than 12 years

3.  How many years experience do you have using WWW Search Engines?
  less than 1 year 5 - 8 years
  1 - 2 years 9 - 12 years
  3 - 5 years more than 12 years

4.  How often do you use the following Internet search engines?
  Indicate usage by selecting the most oppropriate description for ALL the websites listed below.
Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never

Always Often Ocassionally Never
other (specify): not required
Always Often Ocassionally Never
5.  Which Search Engine is your search engine of choice?
  (note: it may not necessarily be listed above)

6.  Why do you use Internet search engines? (select the most approriate response)
I find them to be highly effective at retrieving the information I am searching for
there is no other choice if I do not know a Webpage's URL
habit... it's what I've always done when searching for information on the Internet
convenience... it's much easier than heading down to the library
Search Engine Strategies
Please answer the questions in the context described in each question
7.  You have made a query and received a list of results (ranked) from your search engine.
  At this early stage, how do you select which results to "click through" to?
I usually click on the first result listed
I skim read the first four or five results on the list and then select one of them
I skim read the first four or five results on the list and select one of them, even if it does not really seem to be what I want
I skim read the first four or five results but do not click on any of them if none seem to be what I want

8.  Search engines typically provide a title-link, followed by a short description/summary, URL
  information, byte size data, and a Cached / more from this site /similar pages alternative
 
  How would you use the presented information (above) to determine which result would be appropriate to 'click thru' to?
I use the title-link when deciding whether to click-thru to the result
I use the title-link and the description of the webpage
I use the title-link and URL information
I use the title-link, description and URL information

9.  In what circumstances do you use the Cached / more from this site (yahoo) / Similar pages (google)
  alternative feature?
 
I have never used the Cached / more... / Similar pages links
If the title-link proved to be a good link, I may go back to the search engine (Google) and use the Similar pages link
If I click-thru the title-link and I get a 404 type error I will go back to the Search Engine and click-thru to the Cached version of the link
If the URL listed appears to have merit I may choose the more from this site link
Information Retrieval Strategies
10.  What search strategy do you most often use when initially starting a search?
one keyword
  e.g.
(more than one) keywords
  e.g.
a phrase search (using quotations)
  e.g.
boolean search
  e.g.

11.  If your initial search does not yield satisfactory results, how do you modify your search strategy?
  (select the action you would most often take)
I choose a different keyword(s)
I change the search engine
I change the strategy type, (i.e. from keyword to boolean, or keyword to phrase)
I assume there are no satisfactory results and stop searching
Selecting and judging results to a query
Please answer the questions in the context described in each question
Context 1: Your perceptions and experience as a Searcher...
12.  From your experience as a searcher, the list of results a search engine returns to your query
  represents?
Links to the most relevant WebPages to my query on the Internet
A selection of links to WebPages containing content relevant to my query
A selection of links to content that may or may not be relevant to my query
A selection of links to WebPages containing content that match my chosen keywords

Context 2: You have selected a link from a list of results to a query made of a search engine
13.  When you open the selected result (hyperlink), what does the URL suggest to you about the potential
  quality of the Webpage?
What is a URL?
I do not use the URL to help me make a value judgment about the webpage
I use the URL to help work out the source of the Webpage content, but I do not use this knowledge to make a value judgment about its content
I use the URL to help work out the source of the Webpage content, AND then use this knowledge to make a value judgment about its content

14.  How often do you expect to successfully find relevant information when utilising a Web
  search engine?
every time
most times
sometimes
rarely

15.  A "successful" search outcome to a search engine query is the result of...
good luck
a good search engine
my good searching strategies
the information environment of the WWW
  Please check that you have answered all the questions marked
with a and then click on the "Submit Survey" button below
 


www.informationqualityonline.com
© Shirlee-ann Knight (Edith Cowan University)