The myth of find: user behaviour and attitudes towards the basic search feature

Abstract

The ubiquitous within-document text search feature (Ctrl-F) is considered by users to be a key advantage in electronic information seeking [1]. However what people say they do and what they actually do are not always consistent. It is necessary to understand, acknowledge and identify the cause of this inconsistency. We must identify the physical and cognitive factors to develop better methods and tools, assisting with the search process. This paper discusses the limitations and myths of Ctrl-f in information seeking. A prototype system for within-document search is introduced. Three user studies portray shared behaviour and attitudes, common between participants regarding within-document searching.