A Comparison of the relevance of retrieved resources using expansing search ASK engine query and general terms from the viewpoints of Library & Information Science student users

The development of information databases and emergence of a variety of earch engines led to an increase in the need for using efficient practices and strategies. In this research, the impact of expanding quesry on the accuracy of the retrieved items and satisfaction of the users are investigated in two phases. In the first stage, general vocabulary and expressions found before and after subject words in Web resources were identified. In the second stage, asurvey was conduced through which the data was obtained through the list of key words and general expressions extracted in the first stage and by search sheets. The study population consisted of LIS fourth year and third year students of Shiraz University. Findings showed that out of the 272 key words and general expressions 168 and 104 key words and general expressions were used before and after the searched subject key words, respectively. There were no significant differences between non-expanded search, expansion using ASK search engine’s suggested patterns and expanded query using key words and general expressions in terms of accuracy. However, users’ satisfaction was significantly increased when using expanded query in ASK suggested patterns and key words and general expressions compared to non-expanded query.