Tag clouds and keyword clouds: evaluating zero-interaction benefits

Abstract

Tag clouds are typically presented so that users can actively utilize community-generated metadata to query a collection. This research investigates whether such keyword clouds, and other interactive search metadata, also provide measureable passive support for users who do not directly interact with them. If so, then objective interaction-based measurements may not be the best way to evaluate these kinds of search user interface features. This paper discusses our study design, and the insights provided by a pilot study that led to a series of improvements to our study design.