ScentTrails: Integrating Browsing and Searching on the World Wide Web
Christopher Olston and Ed H. Chi
Abstract
The two predominant paradigms for finding information on the Web are
browsing and keyword searching. While they exhibit complementary
advantages, neither paradigm alone is adequate for complex information
goals that lend themselves partially to browsing and partially to
searching. To integrate browsing and searching smoothly into a single
interface, we introduce a novel approach called ScentTrails. Based on the
concept of information scent developed in the context of information
foraging theory, ScentTrails highlights hyperlinks to indicate paths to
search results. This interface enables users to interpolate smoothly
between searching and browsing to locate content matching complex
information goals effectively. In a preliminary user study, ScentTrails
enabled subjects to find information more quickly than by either searching
or browsing alone.
Full paper in ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, Sept
2003:
[PDF]. Citation: [BibTeX]