Query modifications patterns during web searching

We examine 2,465,145 interactions from 534,507 users of Dogpile.com submitted 6 May, 2005. We compare querv reformulation patterns. We investigate the type of query modifications and query, modification transitions within sessions. Searchers most often modified their query by changing querv terms (nearly 23% of all query modifications). Searchers' queries undergoing modification typically, transition from Web to Image collections in content shifts (37% of all content transitions), and searchers typically implement assistance at the start of a session or when switching content collections (21% of all assistance usage). This research sheds light on the more complex aspects of Web searching involving query modifications.