Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: With the introduction of the Internet and the World Wide Web (www), information can be
easily accessed and retrieved from the web using information retrieval systems such as
web search engines or simply search engines. There are a number of search engines
that have been developed to provide access to the resources available on the web and
to help users in retrieving relevant information from the web. In particular, they are
essential for finding text information on the web for academic purposes. But, how
effective and efficient are those search engines in retrieving the most relevant text
information from the web? Which of the search engines are more effective and efficient?
So, this study was conducted to see how effective and efficient search engines are and
to see which search engines are most effective and efficient in retrieving the required
text information from the web. It is very important to know the most effective and
efficient search engines because such search engines can be used to retrieve a higher
number of the most relevant text web pages with minimum time and effort.
The study was based on nine major search engines, four search queries and relevancy
judgments as relevant/partly-relevanUnon-relevant. Precision and recall were calculated
based on the experimental or test results and these were used as basis for the
statistical evaluation and comparisons of the retrieval effectiveness of the nine search
engines. Duplicated items and broken links were also recorded and examined
separately and were used as an additional measure of search engine effectiveness. A
response time was also recorded and used as a base for the statistical evaluation and
comparisons of the retrieval efficiency of the nine search engines.
Additionally, since search engines involve indexing and searching in the information
retrieval processes from the web, this study first discusses, from the theoretical point of
view, how the indexing and searching processes are performed in an information
retrieval environment. It also discusses the influences of indexing and searching
processes on the effectiveness and efficiency of information retrieval systems in general
and search engines in particular in retrieving the most relevant text information from the
web. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Met die koms van die Internet en die Wêreldwye Web (www) is inligting maklik
bekombaar. Dit kan herwin word deur gebruik te maak van inligtingherwinningsisteme
soos soekenjins. Daar is 'n hele aantal sulke soekenjins wat ontwikkel is om toegang te
verleen tot die hulpbronne beskikbaar op die web en om gebruikers te help om
relevante inligting vanaf die web in te win. Dit is veral noodsaaklik vir die verkryging van
teksinligting vir akademiese doeleindes. Maar hoe effektief en doelmatig is die
soekenjins in die herwinning van die mees relevante teksinligting vanaf die web? Watter
van die soekenjins is die effektiefste? Hierdie studie is onderneem om te kyk watter
soekenjins die effektiefste en doelmatigste is in die herwinning van die nodige
teksinligting. Dit is belangrik om te weet watter soekenjin die effektiefste is want so 'n
enjin kan gebruik word om 'n hoër getal van die mees relevante tekswebblaaie met die
minimum van tyd en moeite te herwin.
Heirdie studie is baseer op die sewe hoofsoekenjins, vier soektogte, en
toepasliksheidsoordele soos relevant /gedeeltelik relevant/ en nie- relevant. Presiesheid
en herwinningsvermoë is bereken baseer op die eksperimente en toetsresultate en dit is
gebruik as basis vir statistiese evaluasie en vergelyking van die herwinningseffektiwiteit
van die nege soekenjins. Gedupliseerde items en gebreekte skakels is ook aangeteken
en apart ondersoek en is gebruik as bykomende maatstaf van effektiwiteit. Die
reaksietyd is ook aangeteken en is gebruik as basis vir statistiese evaluasie en die
vergelyking van die herwinningseffektiwiteit van die nege soekenjins.
Aangesien soekenjins betrokke is by indeksering en soekprosesse, bespreek hierdie
studie eers uit 'n teoretiese oogpunt, hoe indeksering en soekprosesse uitgevoer word
in 'n inligtingherwinningsomgewing. Die invloed van indeksering en soekprosesse op
die doeltreffendheid van herwinningsisteme in die algemeen en veral van soekenjins in
die herwinning van die mees relevante teksinligting vanaf die web, word ook bespreek.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/53740 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Weldeghebriel, Zemichael Fesahatsion |
| Contributors | Van Der Walt, M. S., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. Dept. of Information Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 63 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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