Personalizing Information Retrieval Using Search Behaviors and Time Constraints

Studies have examined how time constraints influence search behaviors; however, no effort has been spent on how time constraints may help predict document usefulness for personalization purposes. This study aims to fill this gap by researching the relationships between time constraints, search behaviors, and usefulness judgments. A controlled lab experiment was conducted with 40 participants searching for four tasks of two types (fact finding and information understanding), under two time conditions (with or without time constraints). Results show that time constraints and usefulness had interaction effects on first dwell time; while usefulness had positive relationship with total dwell time. Results indicate that knowing time constraints helps predict document usefulness from dwell time. The findings provide implications on personalization in information search.