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[Jerry Kuntz]

There are some valid arguments for federated search tools--in situations where they combine results of similar topical databases for similar-level audiences--but some promoters of federated searching have used the argument "people want to use something as easy as Google--why shouldn't the library give it to them?" to make it seem like a blanket solution.

The counter to that--as the study in this article shows--is that most users don't make effective use of search engines. That's where they are. So the answer is yes, we either train them or work to create search engines that will lead users beyond the 2 words/first page of results circuit.

---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "K.G. Schneider" <kgs at bluehighways.com>
Reply-To: kgs at bluehighways.com
Date:  Thu, 28 Oct 2004 09:40:51 -0700 (PDT)

>> --Average search is 2 word per query, 2 queries per search session, with
>> only the first page of results viewed.
>> Quote:
>> "We were surprised that people weren't doing more complex searches," Spink
>> said. "If you put a couple of words into the Web, you're going to get
>> hundreds of thousands of results. I think people aren't trained very well
>> to use the search engines."
>> 
>> [Editorial comment: is this the behavior we're trying to encourage with
>> federated search tools?]
>
>Ok, I'll bite. What behavior? How are federated search tools encouraging
>this behavior? Do we meet the users where they are or try to "train" them?
>
>Karen G. Schneider
>kgs at bluehighways.com
>
>
>
>
>

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Jerry Kuntz
Electronic Resources Consultant
Ramapo Catskill Library System
jkuntz at rcls.org

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