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Web usage mining analysis of federated search tools for Egyptian scholars

Article Information:

Title:

Web usage mining analysis of federated search tools for Egyptian scholars

Author(s):

Khaled A. Mohamed, Ahmed Hassan

Journal:

Program: electronic library and information systems

Year:

2008

Volume:

42

Issue:

4

Page:

418 - 435


ISSN:

0033-0337


DOI:

10.1108/00330330810912098

Publisher:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Acknowledgements:

The author wish to acknowledge the Information and Communication Technology Project (ICTP) in the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in Egypt for facilitating the log files. The researcher also would like to acknowledge Eng. Sherehan and other contributors who provided resources and helped in the preparation of this research.

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Abstract:

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the behaviour of the Egyptian scholars while accessing electronic resources through two federated search tools. The main purpose of this article is to provide guidance for federated search tool technicians and support teams about user issues, including the need for training.

Design/methodology/approach – Log files were exploited to examine the behaviour of users of information retrieval systems. This study examined two log files extracted from federated search tools available to the Egyptian scholars' community for accessing electronic resources. A data mining approach was implemented to investigate user behaviour through deep analysis of these logs.

Findings – Results show that: none of the available tools provide error messages for dummy queries; most of the Egyptian scholars had short queries; Boolean operators are not used in about 50 per cent of the queries; federated search tools do not provide techniques for query reformation; the optimal days for system maintenance are the non-weekend vacations; and early morning is the best time for maintenance.

Practical implications – To maximise the value of the federated search tools by understanding user trends when utilising federated search tools. The study shows that more attention should be given to the search capabilities through ongoing training and awareness in order to maximise the benefit from the available resources and tools.

Originality/value – The hypothetical value of the federated search tools has not been previously examined and analysed to understand user trends.

Keywords:

Egypt, Information retrieval, Optimization techniques


Article Type:

Research paper


Article URL:

http://www.emeraldinsight.com/10.1108/00330330810912098

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