A Link Back to MemoryLane: The Role of Context in Bookmarking and Refinding

Abstract

Refinding information is a frequent yet difficult task on the Web. Various Web tools have demonstrated that context plays an important role in memorizing cues for retrieval. However, it is not yet sufficiently explored, which type of context is useful for which situations. We carried out a three-stage study to observe how users approach context in bookmarking and retrieval. First, an on-line survey revealed that most users identified some types of context helpful for refinding. Further, an analysis of bookmarks created with a prototypical tool showed that users' choice of types of context depended on the personal relevance of the content. Finally, the success of retrieval depended on the accuracy and specificity of users' recall. Contextual cues seem to improve success rates when there is a gap in semantic memory. These results tentatively imply that contextual indicators should become part of both the bookmarking and retrieval process.