Characteristics of Information on the Web Dania Bilal IS 530 Spring 2005

The Web is  heterogeneous  dynamic  hypertext-based may create a cognitive overload and disorientation on users has a high level of abstraction

The Web  lacks structure  has redundant information  lacks authority  contains inappropriate materials that require filtering

The Web has  a search engine space  a Web browser space H These spaces requires adequate knowledge of navigation

Web Spaces Search engine Web browser

The Web is  predominantly text-centered (i.e., time for online reading is needed to locate information)  full of ads that may distract users

The Web requires  mental maturity to discern between content and advertisements  ability to read long texts online  ability to compose search requests  ability to evaluate results

The Web requires  patience!  ability to browse hierarchies with multiple layers Q Placing a topic within an appropriate subject hierarchy may be difficult for young users, for example.

The Web  Requires ability to make relevance judgment Q system-based relevance is misleading Q System-based relevance varies among search engines

Web vs. Databases  Speed (Simple interface)  System relevance is misleading  Sponsored sites appear on top of results regardless of relevance  Lack of structure (no thesauri, controlled vocabulary, etc.)  Lack of authority  Speeds varies  System relevance is based on specific methods  No sponsored sites; relevance may be more objective  Well-structured (thesauri, controlled vocabulary, metadata standards, etc.)  Authoritative

Web vs. Databases  Information overload H Cognitive overload H negative affect  General with few specialized databases  Item availability is questionable  Simple and advanced feature  Less information overload H Less cognitive overload H Positive affect  Specialized databases with a few general ones  Item availability can be linked  Simple and advanced features

How Search Engines Work? Search Engine Resources  article.php/ (how search engines work) article.php/  source.htm (search engine resources) source.htm  ml (recommended search engines) ml