Combining query and visual search for knowledge mapping

Searching through information can be done in two ways: by querying and browsing. In the literature these approaches are treated separately. However every search usually consists of a combination of browsing and querying. Therefore this paper is about combining querying and browsing in one search interface. Our hypothesis is that both strategies can be combined and users will be better supported in their search for information. A model is presented how to combine these approaches and this model is evaluated by applying it in the knowledge-mapping domain. We will show that combining both strategies in one model is possible. Based on our evaluation of the application of this model we conclude that the users understand this combination and find it to be helpful. However several technical issues need to be addressed in our future research to confirm the usefulness of this combination