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This paper reports on the results of a comparative study of user search logs in two large-scale, domain-specific digital libraries functioning in the United States: the National Science Digital Library and Opening History. Results demonstrate varying levels of use of advanced search options and substantial differences in the search query lengths, search query frequencies, and distribution of search categories in queries. The empirical data on how the members of the target communities search can be used in deriving important information for domain-specific digital library developers' decisions regarding both the details of information organization and support of various search features.
A growing number of large-scale digital libraries, portals that aggregate millions of digitized or bom-digital items of historical, cultural, or educational value that are organized into digital collections, have been developed in recent decades. While many of these large-scale digital libraries have been created for the general public, some serve more specific audiences of scholars and educators in different disciplines or domains, for example, history, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), etc.
To improve user interaction with large-scale digital libraries and to make sure they successfully meet their users' information needs, the design and development of large-scale digital libraries' discovery and access systems should be informed by general user tasks such as finding, identifying, selecting, and obtaining information as well as by the needs and information-searching patterns of their specific intended user communities.1 Various groups of users (e.g., researchers, educators, and enthusiasts) may use digital libraries differently because of their varying information needs; moreover, users' information-searching strategies may differ in the large-scale digital libraries that function in distinct domains, or subject areas. These differences may require specific policies regarding the organization and description of information objects in large-scale digital libraries.
The extensive digitization and organization of large-scale digital libraries require in-depth research of current trends in use of these emerging and rapidly developing resources. However, systematic investigation into the user searching in the context of large-scale digital libraries is in its infancy. In particular, virtually no research studies have compared user searching in domain-specific large-scale digital libraries. The study reported in this article sought to begin bridging this gap by answering the following research question: What are the differences and similarities in user searching behavior...