The "Known" in known-item searches: Empirical support for user-centered design

Abstract

Traditionally, the catalog record for an item has been based on the cataloger's inspection of the item and has contained a complete description of the item. An alternative approach-user-centered design-would require the study of user behaviors and cognition related to interaction with the catalog and using the results of those studies to inform design decisions. To support known-item searches, one would need to study users' conceptions of the item being sought, what the user knows about the item, and which pieces of known information are viewed by the user as most appropriate for inclusion in a search. A pilot study was conducted to develop methods that can be applied to these questions. During the three phases of the study, 103 catalog users described 386 searches. Any written information known by the searchers was photocopied. The searchers generally knew the title, publication date, page numbers (particularly for journals), and/or the author (particularly for books). The information known by the searcher was usually accurate. Results from the study indicated that the method was feasible and valid, and provided a preliminary picture of known-item searching in one library's catalog.