Interactions with Search Systems

Information seeking is a fundamental human activity. In the modern world, it is frequently conducted through interactions with search systems. The retrieval and comprehension of information returned by these systems is a key part of decision making and action in a broad range of settings. Advances in data availability coupled with new interaction paradigms, and mobile and cloud computing capabilities, have created a broad range of new opportunities for information access and use. In this comprehensive book for professionals, researchers, and students involved in search system design and evaluation, search expert Ryen White discusses how search systems can capitalize on new capabilities and how next-generation systems must support higher order search activities such as task completion, learning, and decision making. He outlines the implications of these changes for the evolution of search evaluation, as well as challenges that extend beyond search systems in areas such as privacy and societal benefit.

1. Introduction; 2. Collecting and representing search interaction; 3. Modeling interests and intentions; 4. Models and frameworks for information seeking; 5. Helping people search; 6. Exploration, complexity, and discovery; 7. Learning and use; 8. Interaction beyond the individual; 9. Personalization and contextualization; 10. Evaluation measures; 11. Evaluation methodologies; 12. Data, tools, and privacy; 13. New directions and domains; 14. Call to action.

Ryen W. White is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research. His research is focused on understanding search interaction and on developing tools to help people search more effectively. White's doctoral research received the British Computer Society's Distinguished Dissertation Award. He recently received the Karen Spärck Jones Award for contributions to information retrieval. White's research is featured in many Microsoft products.