Abstract
Background: In spite of the enormous amount of information available on the Web and the fact that search engines are continuously evolving to enhance the search experience, students are nevertheless faced with the difficulty of effectively retrieving information. It is, therefore, imperative for the interaction between students and search tools to be understood and search strategies to be identified, in order to promote successful information retrieval.Objectives: This study identifies the Web search strategies used by postgraduate students and forms part of a wider study into information retrieval strategies used by postgraduate students at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Pietermaritzburg campus, South Africa. Method: Largely underpinned by Thatcher’s cognitive search strategies, the mixed-methods approach was utilised for this study, in which questionnaires were employed in Phase 1 and structured interviews in Phase 2. This article reports and reflects on the findings of Phase 2, which focus on identifying the Web search strategies employed by postgraduate students. The Phase 1 results were reported in Civilcharran, Hughes and Maharaj (2015).Results: Findings reveal the Web search strategies used for academic information retrieval. In spite of easy access to the invisible Web and the advent of meta-search engines, the use of Web search engines still remains the preferred search tool. The UKZN online library databases and especially the UKZN online library, Online Public Access Catalogue system, are being underutilised.Conclusion: Being ranked in the top three percent of the world’s universities, UKZN is investing in search tools that are not being used to their full potential. This evidence suggests an urgent need for students to be trained in Web searching and to have a greater exposure to a variety of search tools. This article is intended to further contribute to the design of undergraduate training programmes in order to deal with the information retrieval frustrations of novice users.
Highlights
The first phase of this two-phase article studied the Web search tactics used in South African higher education
Phase 2 builds on the findings of Phase 1 by taking the Web search tactics identified in Phase 1 and transforming these into Web search strategies
In Phase 1, many respondents indicated their lack of knowledge on several search tools and tactics
Summary
The first phase of this two-phase article studied the Web search tactics used in South African higher education. The findings revealed that even though a large portion of respondents reported themselves as an intermediate or expert user in retrieving information via the Web, the most frequently used tactics were those that require little cognitive effort and were presumably self-trained, through the process of trial and error. These Web search tactics are frequently related to non-academic Internet usage instead of academic usage. In spite of the enormous amount of information available on the Web and the fact that search engines are continuously evolving to enhance the search experience, students are faced with the difficulty of effectively retrieving information. Imperative for the interaction between students and search tools to be understood and search strategies to be identified, in order to promote successful information retrieval
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
