A Goal based classification of web infromation tasks

A goal based classification of web information tasks
Melanie Kellar – Dalhousie University

This was interesting because of the development of a customized browser for tracking user behvaior on the web. I think this tool could be used internally to study usage of the KWeb over time, specific search and navigation behavior. In conjunction with our web logs, search logs and other metrics we might be able to get a better understanding of how users interact with our tools and where the major pain points are.

Trying to define a framework for the high level tasks people perform on the web. Looking for implicit behavior

Choo
1 – informal search
2- formal search
3- undirected viewing
4 – conditioned viewing

Morrison
1-Find
2- Collect
3- explore
4- monitoring

Sellen
1-Finding
2 Information Gathering
3- browsing
4-
5- transaction

Used a custom web browser that annotated usage and allowed people to notate the purpose of the web session.

Used – fact finding, info gathering, just browsing, monitoring, other / transaction

Used a focus group to develop a new set of categories (card sort)

Looking for specific information, entertainment, transactions, information gathering, routine/hobby, monitoring

Developed a new classificiation system
Web information classification
Information seeking information exchange

Generalizability vs realism vs precision

http://www/cs/dal.ca/~melanie