When two heads are better than one

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences between collaborative and individual search techniques in a scenario-based task focussed on query behavior, cognitive load, search time, and task type about the search. Design/methodology/approach To help understand the influences on searching for relevant information in pairs or individual contexts, the authors conducted an exploratory user study with 30 participants, using two search tasks completed in a controlled laboratory setting. Findings On the basis of the analysis, the authors found that collaborative search teams resulted in more queries, more diverse query terms, and more varied query results compared to those working individually. The study results indicated that the cognitive load imposed on the participants did not differ between a collaborative search and an individual search except for the component of performance on the NASA Task Load Index. The results further showed that the total search time was a significant difference on average between the two conditions (i.e. individual information search and collaborative information search) for the second task. And there were significant differences of the mean of total search time between the two tasks for the both conditions. The authors also found that there was no significant relationship between query behavior and the total cognitive load. Originality/value The findings from this study have implications for a better understanding of collaborative search interface design, searchers’ cognitive load, query behavior, and general collaborative information search.