---
_id: '11895'
abstract:
- lang: eng
  text: In this paper we present an analysis of an AltaVista Search Engine query log
    consisting of approximately 1 billion entries for search requests over a period
    of six weeks. This represents almost 285 million user sessions, each an attempt
    to fill a single information need. We present an analysis of individual queries,
    query duplication, and query sessions. We also present results of a correlation
    analysis of the log entries, studying the interaction of terms within queries.
    Our data supports the conjecture that web users differ significantly from the
    user assumed in the standard information retrieval literature. Specifically, we
    show that web users type in short queries, mostly look at the first 10 results
    only, and seldom modify the query. This suggests that traditional information
    retrieval techniques may not work well for answering web search requests. The
    correlation analysis showed that the most highly correlated items are constituents
    of phrases. This result indicates it may be useful for search engines to consider
    search terms as parts of phrases even if the user did not explicitly specify them
    as such.
article_processing_charge: No
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Craig
  full_name: Silverstein, Craig
  last_name: Silverstein
- first_name: Hannes
  full_name: Marais, Hannes
  last_name: Marais
- first_name: Monika H
  full_name: Henzinger, Monika H
  id: 540c9bbd-f2de-11ec-812d-d04a5be85630
  last_name: Henzinger
  orcid: 0000-0002-5008-6530
- first_name: Michael
  full_name: Moricz, Michael
  last_name: Moricz
citation:
  ama: Silverstein C, Marais H, Henzinger MH, Moricz M. Analysis of a very large web
    search engine query log. <i>ACM SIGIR Forum</i>. 1999;33(1):6-12. doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/331403.331405">10.1145/331403.331405</a>
  apa: Silverstein, C., Marais, H., Henzinger, M. H., &#38; Moricz, M. (1999). Analysis
    of a very large web search engine query log. <i>ACM SIGIR Forum</i>. Association
    for Computing Machinery. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/331403.331405">https://doi.org/10.1145/331403.331405</a>
  chicago: Silverstein, Craig, Hannes Marais, Monika H Henzinger, and Michael Moricz.
    “Analysis of a Very Large Web Search Engine Query Log.” <i>ACM SIGIR Forum</i>.
    Association for Computing Machinery, 1999. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/331403.331405">https://doi.org/10.1145/331403.331405</a>.
  ieee: C. Silverstein, H. Marais, M. H. Henzinger, and M. Moricz, “Analysis of a
    very large web search engine query log,” <i>ACM SIGIR Forum</i>, vol. 33, no.
    1. Association for Computing Machinery, pp. 6–12, 1999.
  ista: Silverstein C, Marais H, Henzinger MH, Moricz M. 1999. Analysis of a very
    large web search engine query log. ACM SIGIR Forum. 33(1), 6–12.
  mla: Silverstein, Craig, et al. “Analysis of a Very Large Web Search Engine Query
    Log.” <i>ACM SIGIR Forum</i>, vol. 33, no. 1, Association for Computing Machinery,
    1999, pp. 6–12, doi:<a href="https://doi.org/10.1145/331403.331405">10.1145/331403.331405</a>.
  short: C. Silverstein, H. Marais, M.H. Henzinger, M. Moricz, ACM SIGIR Forum 33
    (1999) 6–12.
date_created: 2022-08-17T08:53:02Z
date_published: 1999-01-01T00:00:00Z
date_updated: 2023-02-17T14:46:04Z
day: '01'
doi: 10.1145/331403.331405
extern: '1'
intvolume: '        33'
issue: '1'
language:
- iso: eng
main_file_link:
- open_access: '1'
  url: https://doi.org/10.1145/331403.331405
month: '01'
oa: 1
oa_version: Published Version
page: 6-12
publication: ACM SIGIR Forum
publication_identifier:
  issn:
  - 0163-5840
publication_status: published
publisher: Association for Computing Machinery
quality_controlled: '1'
scopus_import: '1'
status: public
title: Analysis of a very large web search engine query log
type: journal_article
user_id: 2DF688A6-F248-11E8-B48F-1D18A9856A87
volume: 33
year: '1999'
...