The search process was presented in terms of a game-board metaphor where there was strict turn taking demanded of system and user.
Interactive query expansion was added to Okapi's functionality. This allowed users to control which terms extracted from a pool of relevant documents were used for an extended search of the database.
Live evaluation was carried out to investigate the effects of interactive query expansion and also the useability of the graphical interface. Evaluation of the interface focused on such issues as legibility of display fonts, use of colour, ease of navigation and display of windows.
Transaction logs were used to collect information about the interactive query expansion and pre- and -post session online questionnaires were used to accumulate knowledge about users' familiarity with online catalogues, their initial search intentions and their views on the system.
Results indicated that users had few problems with a windowing environment, (perhaps because many were familiar with MS-Windows on a PC), but there was a dissatisfaction with the legibility and with the overlapping window display.
Interactive query expansion was taken up by only a small number of users. Where it was taken up, the effects of term selection seemed to be favourable particularly where the initial search results found only a partial match. Users tended to find choosing terms to add to their query difficult and would often re-select their original query terms.
The next project, ENQUIRE, examined users' search strategies and thesaurus navigation within a graphical environment.