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Search Success in Special Libraries

Again, we don’t see enough research on the search needs and success of ‘professionals’ and this is of great interest to special libraries. Convera commissioned a report and they’re providing the insights at no charge. This is a bespoke online survey of 1,000 U.S. “professionals” in publishing, advertising, marketing, healthcare, finance and government. It focused on work-related search behaviour and success. Here’s the release:
Professionals Reveal Their Search Failures, Successes
Professionals have a strange relationship with search engines. They use them for work and even find them to be an overall aid. But would they rely on search engines the way a surgeon would rely on a life-saving medical tool? Not likely.
A new survey of more than 1,000 professionals by Convera examines this question further, revealing the challenges that stand between search queries and relevant answers. For example:
– Only 21 percent of professionals feel that their search query is always understood.
– Just one in 10 professionals always finds exactly what he or she is looking for on the first attempt.
– About 70 percent admit getting sidetracked during the search process and end up on sites they didn’t expect to visit and are not relevant to their work.
– When searches do not return precise information, more than half of professionals believe the information they’re seeking exists, but they do not have the skills to find it.
– One third of professionals will make decisions without all the facts they need after a series of search attempts fails to help them.
These are just a few of the key survey findings. Get the full report, for free, THE SEARCH FOR PROFESSIONAL SEARCH – A Convera® Survey, 2006.
At 7 pages it’s a quick read and should be of interest to every library sector.
Stephen

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Posted on: December 20, 2006, 6:18 am Category: Uncategorized

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