Usage scenario to try and fully understand result clicks and record
views
1. User accesses database Academic Search Complete
2. User searches for ‘benefit cuts’ and ‘united kingdom’
3. 113 search results are retrieved
4. User looks at first 10 records
User then undertakes several different actions with these results:
Number
5.
Action
User decides that they will read the first 3
Result Click or Record
view
3 result clicks
articles without looking at the abstracts so
clicks on the Full Text links
(0 record views as detailed
records aren’t viewed and user
navigates directly to full text
from result page)
6.
User decides to read the abstracts of
2 result clicks AND 2
articles 4 and 5.
record views
After reading the abstracts, they decide the
articles aren’t relevant so don’t go any
further.
7.
User decides to read the abstracts of
Initial viewing of abstracts
articles 7, 8 and 9.
3 result clicks AND 3
record views
After reading the abstracts, they decide to
Clicking of full text link
access the articles in full text, by clicking the
from Detailed Record
link to the Full Text from the Detailed
(Abstract) view
Record view
3 record views
(0 result clicks as user is on the
detailed record screen – result
clicks are actions taking place on
initial result screen)
Total: 3 result clicks
and 6 record views
Total number of user actions in this search transaction
Result clicks capturing all user actions:
-
3 result clicks to view Full Text Links
-
2 result clicks to view abstracts
-
3 result clicks to view abstracts
Total result clicks – 8
Record views, capturing user interaction with detailed records within databases
-
2 abstract views
-
3 abstract views
-
3 clicks on full text link from within detailed records
Total record views – 8
_________________________________________________________________________
This scenario was developed by Eric Howard, Information Services
Librarian, Leeds Beckett University, United Kingdom
Article copyright: © 2015 UKSG. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of
Eric Howard copyright: © 2016
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution Licence, which permits unrestricted use and distribution provided the
original is credited.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Andrew Barker, People in the News: Lorraine Estelle, Insights, 2015, 28(3), 1–3; DOI: http://dx.doi.
org/10.1629/
uksg.267
Published by UKSG in association with Ubiquity Press on XX November July 2015