Selection-based search
A selection-based search system is a
Traditional browser-based search systems require the user to launch a
In its simplest form, selection-based search enables users to launch a search query by selecting text on any application on their desktop. It is commonly believed that selection-based search lowers the user barrier to search and permits an incremental number of searches per user per day.[2] Selection-based search systems also operate on the premise that users value information in context. They may save the user from having to juggle multiple applications, multiple web browsers or use multiple search engines separately.[3]
The term selection-based search is frequently used to classify a set of search engine systems, including a desktop client and a series of
Operation
Selection-based search systems create what is known as a semantic database of trained terms. They do not compile a physical
No two selection-based search systems are alike. Some simply provide a list of links in a
A key challenge for selection-based search is that a long or nested list of categories quickly becomes unwieldy for the user. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the selection-based search system to both categorize the user-selected text and to identify those online services which most naturally apply to the selected text. For example, when the user selects an address, the system needs to identify the address as most suitable for an online mapping service such as
Quality of results
Usability can vary widely between selection-based search systems relying on a large number of variables. Even the most basic selection-based search systems will allow more of the web to be searched by the user in the context of their work than any one stand-alone search engine. On the other hand, the process is sometimes said to be redundant if the system applies no intelligence to categorizing the selected text and matching it to an online service, and simply provides a link for the user to their preferred search engine(s).
See also
- For cloud computing services used by selection-based search systems, see the list of search engines
- Accelerator in Internet Explorer 8
- Microsoft Smart Tags
- Yahoo! Search selection-based search
- Macintosh Spotlight
References
- ISBN 978-0-19-507510-6.
- ^ Steve Lawrence; C. Lee Giles, Accessibility of information on the web, Nature (journal), 1999.
- ^ Mark Zachry and Charlotte Thralls, An interview with Edward R. Tufte, Technical Communication Quarterly, 2004.
- ^ The Click Heard Round The World, Wired (journal), 1993.