Real life, real users, and real needs: a study and analysis of user queries on the web

We analyzed transaction logs containing 51,473 queries posed by 18,113 user s of Excite, a major Internet search service. We provide data on: (i) sessi ons - changes in queries during a session, number of pages viewed, and use of relevance feedback; (ii) queries - the number of search terms, and the u se of logic and modifiers; and (iii) terms - their rank/frequency distribut ion and the most highly used search terms, We then shift the focus of analy sis from the query to the user to gain insight to the characteristics of th e Web user. With these characteristics as a basis, we then conducted a fail ure analysis, identifying trends among user mistakes. We conclude with a su mmary of findings and a discussion of the implications of these findings. ( C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.