Knowledge acquisition and modification during students' exploratory Web search processes for career planning

Introduction. This paper reports on patterns of knowledge modification and utilization during students' exploratory search processes for career planning. Method. The screen shifts and eye movements of fourteen students' Web-search processes were captured. Post-search interviews were conducted in which students viewed their recorded eye movements superimposed on the screen shifts to stimulate recall. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using a bottom-up strategy involving the constant comparative technique. Results. The taxonomy of knowledge modification was expanded and a taxonomy of knowledge utilization developed using timeline matrices of action, thought and feeling, generated from each student's Web-search process. Conclusions. Modification of knowledge tends to occur when browsing either the search results lists or the site contents. This leads to either a change in search behaviour or termination of the search. Among ten patterns of knowledge identified from the data, transforming and interpreting seem to require a high level of domain knowledge. Recalling, clarifying, correcting and verifying may require some domain knowledge, whereas adding, limiting, relating and specifying may require little.