Lexical analysis for modeling web query reformulation

Abstract

Modeling Web query reformulation processes is still an unsolved problem. In this paper we argue that lexical analysis is highly beneficial for this purpose. We propose to use the variation in Query Clarity, as well as the Part-Of-Speech pattern transitions as indicators of user's search actions. Experiments with a log of 2.4 million queries showed our techniques to be more flexible than the current approaches, while also providing us with interesting insights into user's Web behavioral patterns.