Medical Image Users’ Search Tactics across Different Search Tasks

摘要

Image searching behaviors are complex interactions amongmany factors. This study sheds light on the effects of twokey factors (domain knowledge and search tasks) on searchtactics in order to provide implementation guides fordesigning medical image information systems. 41participants were recruited to perform on three types ofimage search tasks. The preliminary results demonstratedthat domain knowledge and search tasks have significanteffects on two types of search tactics: Term SelectionTactics and Search Monitoring Tactics. More specifically,domain experts are more likely to use self-generatedqueries, spend longer time in reading instructions(preparation for searching). Novices were found to usemore given or derived queries and to re-read instructionsmost in order to compensate for their inability to understandand memorize search topics. This study found that SpecificTasks result in more use of search tactics such as RereadingInstructions than General Tasks and Abstract Tasks.