Re: What is your favorite search engine - a survey

Sanna (satuomel@raita.oulu.fi)
Mon, 5 Aug 1996 07:52:36 +0300 (EDT)


At 15.17 4.8.1996 GMT, you wrote:
>Hi. I need some experienced web searchers. This list seems like the right
>place to find some.
>
>I am doing this survey by email to do a preliminary study on how people find
>things on the web. I would greatly appreciate your responses. Also, please
>forward this survey any other "experienced" web searchers you know.
>
>To reduce the traffic on this list, you may send this survey back directly
>to me at bsran@admin.nj.devry.edu . I will send the results of the survey
>back to all participants that request them.
>
>The questions are open-ended. You may type your responses under each
>question.
>
>1. What is your name (optional)?
Sanna Tuomela
>2. What is your job title? What types of tasks do you use the internet
for?
Student. I look for all kind of information, I study Internet and with Internet.
>
>3. How often do you use the Internet?
Having now a summer job at University, every day.
>
>
>4. How often do you use the "search engines" or "directories" to look for
> information?
Almost every time I look for information about something. Few times every day.
>
>
>5. How long have you been using the Internet?
Year and a half.
>
>
>
>6. How long have you been using Web search tools? Which ones have you
> tried?
Year and a half. I've tried Infoseek, Alta Vista, Open Text, Excite, Lycos,
WebCrawler, Jahoo, Galaxy,W3VL.

>
>
>7. Characterize the types of searches you do most often by answering the
>following questions.
> a. Which subject area(s)?
Almost about anything, from growing a bonsai to petrology.
> b. How thorough should the search results be?

> c. Other?
>
>
>
>8. What is/are your favorite search tool(s)? Why?
Excite brings me newest documents, Infoseek, Lycos and Alta Vista are good too,
Usually I find at least good starting points with them. Alta Vista has
absolutely best search options.
>
>
>
>
>9. Do you rely solely on the search tools or do find information using
> other means? To answer this question, please write "often",
>"sometimes", or "never" next to each method below:
>
> _often____________a. Following links from a favorite site.
>
> _never____________b. Getting URL's from publications
>
> _sometimes____________c. Getting URL's from other people
>
> _sometimes____________d. Getting URL's from Listserv and newsgroups.
>
> _____________e. Other method. Please describe:
>
>
>
>
>10. Please feel free to add any other comments below.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>11. Would you like for me to send you the results of this survey?
>
Yes please.
>
>
>Thanks for taking time to participate.
>
>Bhupinder S. Sran
>Information Management Department
>Stevens Institute of Technology
>Hoboken, NJ
>
>