The search queries that took Australian Internet users to Wikipedia

This exploratory study analyses the content of the search queries that led Australian Internet users from a search engine to a Wikipedia entry. The study used transaction logs from Hitwise that matched search queries with data on the lifestyle of the searcher. A total sample of 1760 search terms, stratified by search term frequency and lifestyle, was drawn. Each search term was coded to indicate the subject of the query and weighted according to its position in the long tail distribution. Quantitative analysis was carried out using the statistical package SPSS. The results of the study suggest that Wikipedia is used more for lighter topics than for those of a more academic or serious nature. Significant differences among the various lifestyle segments were observed in the use of Wikipedia for queries on popular culture, cultural practice and science. The analysis provides some analytical purchase on the complex nature of information search and the difficulties inherent in assuming a valid distinction between information search and entertainment. It is suggested that the term leisure search be used to identify information search that is in itself a leisure activity and not a search for particular information.