Strategy hubs: Next-generation domain portals with search procedures

Current search tools on the Web, such as general-purpose search engines (e.g. Google) and domain-specific portals (e.g. MEDLINEplus), do not provide search procedures that guide users to form appropriately ordered sub-goals. The lack of such procedural knowledge often leads users searching in unfamiliar domains to retrieve incomplete information. In critical domains such as in healthcare, such ineffective searches can have dangerous consequences. To address this situation, we developed a new type of domain portal called a Strategy Hub. Strategy Hubs provide the critical search procedures and associated high-quality links that enable users to find comprehensive and accurate information. This paper describes how we collaborated with skin cancer physicians to systematically identify generalizeable search procedures to find comprehensive information about melanoma, and how these search procedures were made available through the Strategy Hub for healthcare. A pilot study suggests that this approach can improve the efficacy, efficiency, and satisfaction of even expert searchers. We conclude with insights on how to refine the design of the Strategy Hub, and how it can be used to provide search procedures across domains.