Analysis of User's Query Expansion in Google search Engine based on " Cognitive Load Theory"

The aim off this research was to investigate user's query expansion in Google search Engine based on the “Cognitive Load Theory” and the extent and types of cognitive loads resulted from suggested keywords/queries presented in Google search engine. In this article, data were collected from 60 postgraduate students in Humanities/Social Sciences and Basic and Applied Sciences - at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran. Nonprobability sampling – especially purposive sampling- was used as the sampling method. Also, individual sessions were administered with each of the students. Findings show that suggested keywords/queries and the retrieved pages do not make any significant problem (or negative cognitive load) for users. Also, there is no significant difference between students of the two fields of study regarding cognitive load in the query expansion process in Google. Approximately most of the suggested keywords/queries and the retrieved pages matched with users’ needs and had direct relationship with their initial keywords. On the whole, the suggested keywords and queries have taken an appropriate approach regading more relevant results in this search engine.