Presented by Deirdre Costello at Internet Librarian 2015. Search results have evolved from a portal to a destination unto them- selves. Users are porting expectations from Google, Amazon, and other open web searches to their library experience, including the expectation that they may learn just as much from the search results list as from the resources listed there. Images, snippets and bolded search terms all serve important roles in making search results an important learning opportunity for users. EBSCO's user research team has been conducting ethnographic research on how users interpret search results on both the open web and library resources. They talk about how user expectations are formed on the open web, what users look for to make decisions about library resources, and why we all need to think about our search results as one of the most important user experiences we can craft for our users.

1. SEARCH
RESULTS
Internet Librarian 2015
Deirdre Costello
Sr. UX Researcher
EBSCO Information Services
@deirdre_lyon
dcostello@ebsco.com
Are The New Black

2. The
Projects
Secondary
Research
Literature
review
of
student,
doctor
&
public
library
patron
habits
Video
Diary
Study
High
school
students
self-­‐
repor;ng
their
research
habits
and
preferences
Contextual
Inquiry
One-­‐on-­‐one
sessions
students,
doctors
and
public
library
patrons
discussing
their
research
habits

3. The
Samples
Public
Focus:
engaging
with
the
library
online
Medical,
Academic
and
Public
Library
Users.
Academic
Focus:
Research
workflow
Medical
Focus:
Searching
at
point-­‐of-­‐care
(similar
to
grad
students)

4. Goals & Emotional States
AUDIENCE

5. • Find
an
overview
• Narrow
down
their
topic
• Find
citable
sources
Students
search
to:

6. How
Students
Feel

7. • Confirm
what
they
already
know
• Find
a
treatment
direcIon
• To
find
trustworthy
sources
Doctors
search
to:

8. • Pressed
for
Ime
• Confident
in
their
own
knowledge
• Seeking
reassurance
How
Doctors
Feel

9. • Find
a
specific
book
• Research
a
big-­‐;cket
purchase
• Support
their
work
Public
Library
Patrons
search
to:

10. • Relaxed
• Focused
• A
sense
of
community
&
ownership
How
Public
Library
Patrons
Feel

11. When searching?
What
influences
users’
BEHAVIORS

12. CompeIng
prioriIes

13. “eye
byte
culture”
-­‐
Dr.
Maryanne
Wolf,
TuWs
University

14. “skimming
and
scanning”

15. With Google?
How
are
users
INTERACTING

16. Top, relevant
results first.
I
trust
it

17. Snippets make it
clear why users see
specific results.
I
get
it
Top, relevant
results first.
I
trust
it

18. Snippets make it
clear why users see
specific results.
I
get
it
Top, relevant
results first.
I
trust
it
URL is a proxy for
credibility.
I’m
the
judge

19. Students:
Scanning
for
Search
Terms

20. &
Learning

21. Doctors:
Looking
for
Trusted
Sources

22. &
ValidaIng
Known
InformaIon

23. Public
Library
Patrons:
Judging
by
URL

24. &
Seeing
What
Others
Are
Asking

25. resources?
So
what
does
this
mean
for
LIBRARY

26. Students:
Start
with
search

27. Students:
Search
terms
in
the
Itle

28. Secondary
“buzzwords”
form
a
“constellaIon”

29. Snippets
are
a
struggle
to
interpret

30. Source
info
doesn’t
provide
clues

31. Doctors:
Navigate
to
known
resources

32. Doctors:
Scan
for
known
quanIIes

33. • Don’t
associate
library
with
online
access
• Are
frustrated
by
logging
in
Doctors

34. Public
Library
Patrons:
Known-­‐item
searches

35. • Library
=
Books
• Less
incen;ve
to
persevere
Public
Library
Patrons

36. Of A Researcher
The
EVOLUTION

37. Motivation: The Turning Point
External Internal

38. Takeaways
Google is hugely influential.
The way users read online is
changing.
Search results have evolved from a
portal to a destination.
Users are “porting” habits
they form on the open web …
… But the experience isn’t as
seamless as they expect.

39. Thank
you!
@deirdre_lyon
dcostello@ebsco.com