Ford, N., Miller, D. and Moss, N. (2001) The role of individual differences in Internet searching: an empirical study. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 52 (12). pp. 1049-1066.
Abstract
This article reports the results of a study of the role of individual differences in Internet searching. The dimensions of individual differences forming the focus of the research consisted of: cognitive styles; levels of prior experience; Internet perceptions; study approaches; age; and gender. Sixty-nine Masters students searched for information on a prescribed topic using the AltaVista search engine. Results were assessed using simple binary relevance judgements. Factor analysis and multiple regression revealed interesting differences, retrieval effectiveness being linked to: male gender; low cognitive complexity; an imager (as opposed to verbalizer) cognitive style; and a number of Internet perceptions and study approaches grouped here as indicating low self-efficacy. The implications of these findings for system development and for future research are discussed.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Information School (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Information Studies |
Date Deposited: | 24 Mar 2009 12:55 |
Last Modified: | 13 May 2009 16:47 |
Published Version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/asi.1165 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Wiley |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1002/asi.1165 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:8118 |