The search experience variable in information behavior research

Abstract

A conceptually relaxed utilization of the variable “search experience” makes it difficult for researchers to perform meaningful cross-study comparisons. The purpose of this study was to examine how search experience is defined and measured when used as a research variable. We implemented a qualitative analysis of 32 library and information science (LIS) research articles. We found that there was inconsistent terminology usage and measurements. Specifically, there were 21 unique labels to describe the search experience and 18 different measurements. The majority of the studies used a generic label “search experience” and relied on the reader to grasp specific context of the electronic information retrieval environment to which the variable applies from the description of the overall research design. In addition, there was a strong preference for measures that represented subjective self-reporting about the level of exposure to some information retrieval system. It is evident that there is a need for articles to contain detailed definitions of search experience variables for readers to truly understand the findings.