Improving the effectiveness of voice search systems through partial query modification

This paper addresses the importance of improving the effectiveness of voice search systems through partial query modification. A user‐centered experiment was designed to compare the effectiveness of an experimental system using partial query modification feature to a baseline system in which users could issue complete queries only, with 32 participants each searching on eight different tasks. The results indicate that the participants spent significantly more time preparing the modification but significantly less time speaking the modification by using the experimental system than by using the baseline system. The participants found that the experimental system (a) was more effective, (b) gave them more control, (c) was easier for the search tasks, and (d) saved them time than the baseline system. The results contribute to improving future voice search system design and benefiting the research community in general. System implications and future work were discussed.