Evaluation of User Search in a Web-Database

The number of Web-databases has exploded during the last years. In order to justify the development of new information resources, it is essential to know if the use of existing resources has followed a similar trend. This paper presents an analysis of the use of a national statistical webdatabase made to support Web site improvement efforts. The study is based on log data taken during 2 time periods in 1999 and 2000. In this period, the number of registered users increased 5-fold and the number of sessions more than double. During September 2000, active users spent 4,320 hours on the Web-DB and initiated 14,998 topic-sessions giving an average of 7 hours and 25 sessions per user. Definition of a session has proved difficult since the log data available is based on registered organizations, rather than on tasks or individual persons. Ideally, a session should be defined as a search and retrieval for the information required for a task. We have used a topic-session, defined as the seque...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2002
• Where: HICSS
• Authors: Joan C. Nordbotten, Svein Nordbotten
• Keywords: Biometrics, HICSS 2002, Log Data, National Statistical Webdatabase, Site Improvement Efforts