A Study of Browsing Patterns in an Online Bookstore
Date Issued
2015
Date
2015
Author(s)
Chan, Jia-Ying
Abstract
Browsing is a common information behavior of web users, thus the Internet is a new popular research context of browsing. However, the browsing patterns of web users have not been systematically studied. In addition, the impact of the Internet factors on browsing is not well understood. Accordingly, this study assumes that browsing experience in the web environment may different from the physical environment. Chang (1995) developed a multidimensional framework to describe ten browsing patterns. Chang (1995) identified five dimensions of browsing, including behavior, motivation, cognition, resource and context. Although Chang (1995) provided a systematically taxonomy of browsing pattens, the empirical research was conducted in the physical library. Therefore, the purpose of this research aims to verify the browsing framework of Chang (1995) in an online bookstore, comparing the differences between the web browsing and the physical browsing behavior. To discover browsing patterns in an online bookstore, total of 14 subjects whom has online bookstore experience were recruited. Bookland online bookstore was selected as the research website, because it contains abundant books. The experimental observation was conducted to observe the behavior, resource and context three dimensions. Meanwhile, following a semi-structured interview was employed to collect data from cognition and motivation two dimensions. Finally, online bookstore user’s browsing factors and behavioral characteristics of patterns were identified in the research. The results revealed that online bookstore users will exhibit these ten browsing patterns. The seeking intention of browser can be divided into the following types: looking for a specific item, looking for something with common characteristics, keeping up-to-date, learning and goal-free browsing. Online bookstore browsing patterns are influenced by a number of factors, especially movement factor. Users rely on diverse webpage links as an entry point, and their pathway knowledge, moving rapidly through online bookstore, examining parts of information objects (commodity). Most of the online bookstore information content is short and fragmented, and lack of the physicality of printed books. Nevertheless, online bookstore provides specific web features such as multimedia and book reviews. Moreover, abundant information displayed on the interface, which stimulates or shapes the user’s motivation easily, leading to the changes of seeking objects. It was discovered that the main difference between physical and online bookstore browsing, which is that users frequently change or cross their browsing patterns. In conclusion, online bookstore users often attracted by the new seeking objects when they browsing a website which has wealthy information. Therefore, users rapidly move to the target webpage, through the links or the search function on the website interface. Finally, products information has been examined, in order to satisfy user’s new motivations of browsing. The research gives some suggestions for website design and library service. Website interface could display diverse information and webpage links, for instance, using metadata links to aggregate items in multiple attributes or displaying rich information on homepage to shape browsing paths. Also, advertisements and special section could support user’s browsing purposes and arouse potential interests. On the other hand, it is suggested that library could set a multiple themes book area beside the entrance, design web guidelines for collections, and provide metadata links, abstract of books, recommendations on its online catalog.
Subjects
browsing
browsing patterns
website
online bookstore
information seeking behavior
consumer behavior
SDGs
Type
thesis
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