Query Reformulation Patterns of Mixed Language Queries in Different Search Intents
Hengyi Fu · 2017
With the increasing number of multilingual resources on the Internet, cross-language information retrieval has become an important research topic. In cultures where people speak both Chinese and English, using mixed language in oral speaking and web searching is a common phenomenon. While queries are the key element of information retrieval process, mixed-language queries have not yet been adequately studied. This study use query log analysis to examine the query reformulation patterns regarding Chinese-English mixed language queries, and how search intents may affect the query reformulation types users employ. The results can inform IR system designers to enhance cross-language controlled vocabularies and develop discovery platforms for multilingual content, and improve search engines to provide users with more relevant, personalized search results. The findings could also be expanded to other language combinations that would improve search engine designs.