Understanding inquiry-based searching behaviors using scan path analysis: A pilot study

The purpose of the study is to explore user’s online information searching behavior via incorporating eye tracking tool with conventional user research methods and an emphasis on how eye tracking data can reveal a deeper understanding of user behaviors, specifically of interest is scan path analysis. The National Central Library (NCL) website was selected to test out two common searching tasks for libraries or library alike. And an eye-tracking device was used to detect the visual pathway. Scan path video was further used to analyze the user’s visual behavior patterns. Eight participants, four male and four female with ages from 24 to 26, were recruited for the study. A Tobii 4C eye-tracker was used to collect eye movement data and a self-developed eye-tracking data analyzer was utilized for data analysis, including fixation data and scan-path visualization. The results showed that participants who completed the task correctly had more regular and strategic searching patterns. On the opposite, participants did not find the correct answer showed no particular patterns regarding the visual path when conducting the task. The paper reported the examination of information search for the two most common inquiry on a live library website by eight Taiwanese participants in regards to search efficiency (i.e. task completion, task time, and browse pages). The paper also illustrated the additional value eye tracking tools can provide in support of user research.