"Exploratory search: user behaviour and search engine adaptation" by Alan Medlar and Dorota Głowacka with Martin Vesely as coordinator

Abstract

Exploratory searches are open-ended search tasks where users are learning, investigating or otherwise trying to acquire new knowledge. Exploratory search encapsulates many common search activities, such as conducting a scientific literature review or planning a vacation. However, few information retrieval systems are capable of distinguishing exploratory search from traditional lookup search and, therefore, cannot provide adaptive support for both scenarios. In this article, we briefly outline the behavioural differences between users performing exploratory search and lookup search, and describe how search engines can use this information to transparently tailor search results to support both types of search task.