A unified interface for visual and interactive web search

The interfaces used by the top Web search engines have changed very little since the early days of Web search. These interfaces follow the traditional model of information retrieval in which users first formulate their queries and then evaluate the search results. Little support is provided for the users’ tasks of crafting and refining their queries, and subsequently exploring the search results. In this paper, we describe HotMap+WordBars, a next-generation interactive Web search interface that allows users to take an active role in their Web search tasks through visual exploration and manipulation features. KEY WORDS Web search, user interface, interactive query refinement, interactive search results exploration.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2007
• Where: CIIT
• Authors: Orland Hoeber, Xue Dong Yang
• Keywords: CIIT 2007, Communications, Web Search, Web Search Engines, Web Search Interface