Where a Little Change Makes a Big Difference: A Preliminary Exploration of Children’s Queries

Maria Soledad Pera*, Emiliana Murgia, Monica Landoni, Theo Huibers, Mohammad Aliannejadi

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionAcademicpeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)
12 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

This paper contributes to the discussion initiated in a recent SIGIR paper describing a gap in the information retrieval (IR) literature on query understanding–where they come from and whether they serve their purpose. Particularly the connection between query variability and search engines regarding consistent and equitable access to all users. We focus on a user group typically underserved: children. Using preliminary experiments (based on logs collected in the classroom context) and arguments grounded in children IR literature, we emphasize the importance of dedicating research efforts to interpreting queries formulated by children and the information needs they elicit. We also outline open problems and possible research directions to advance knowledge in this area, not just for children but also for other often-overlooked user groups and contexts.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationAdvances in Information Retrieval - 45th European Conference on Information Retrieval, ECIR 2023, Proceedings
EditorsJaap Kamps, Lorraine Goeuriot, Fabio Crestani, Maria Maistro, Hideo Joho, Brian Davis, Cathal Gurrin, Annalina Caputo, Udo Kruschwitz
PublisherSpringer
Pages522-533
Number of pages12
ISBN (Print)9783031282379
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 17 Mar 2023
Event45th European Conference on Information Retrieval, ECIR 2023 - Dublin, Ireland
Duration: 2 Apr 20236 Apr 2023
Conference number: 45

Publication series

NameLecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume13981 LNCS
ISSN (Print)0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)1611-3349

Conference

Conference45th European Conference on Information Retrieval, ECIR 2023
Abbreviated titleECIR 2023
Country/TerritoryIreland
CityDublin
Period2/04/236/04/23

Keywords

  • Children
  • Queries
  • Query processing
  • Search
  • n/a OA procedure

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Where a Little Change Makes a Big Difference: A Preliminary Exploration of Children’s Queries'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this