Multilingual search strategies

We explored the search strategies of multilingual searchers, i.e., users who use multiple languages when searching for information. We wanted to understand factors that determine the language multilingual searchers choose to search in, if they switch languages within a search task, and if they encounter challenges when searching in a non-native language. Our results indicate that availability and perceived quality of information were the primary reasons for searching in a non-native language. Language switching within a search only occurred when information could not be found with the original search language. We also observed a language-related use case where the goal was not to find information in a typical sense, but rather to check for correct phrases in the non-native language using search engines. Our research highlights several areas of future work for further understanding the multilingual search process.