THE EFFECT OF POSTINGS INFORMATION ON SEARCHING BEHAVIOR

How postings information is used for inverted file searching was inves tigated by comparing searches, made by postgraduate students at the De partment of Information Studies, of the LISA (Library and Information Science Abstracts) database on CD-ROM with and without postings inform ation. Performance (the number of relevant references, precision and r ecall) was not significantly different but searches with postings info rmation took more time, and more sets were viewed, than in searches wi thout postings. Postings information was used to make decisions to nar row or broaden the search; to view or print the references. The same t echniques were used to amend searches whether or not postings informat ion was available. Users decided that a search was satisfactory on the basis of the search results, and consequently many searches done with out postings were still considered satisfactory. However, searchers th ought that the lack of postings information had affected 90% of their searches. Differences in search performance and searching behaviour we re found in participants who were shown to have different learning sty les using the Witkin's Embedded Figures Test and the Lancaster Short I nventory of Approaches to Learning Test. These differences were, in pa rt, explained by the differences in behaviour indicated by their learn ing styles.