Say What? Why users choose to speak their web queries
Abstract
The context in which a speech-driven application is used (or conversely not used)
can be an important signal for recognition engines, and for spoken interface
design. Using large-scale logs from a widely deployed spoken system, we analyze on
an aggregate level factors that are correlated with a decision to speak a web
search query rather than type it. We find the factors most predictive of spoken
queries are whether a query is made from an unconventional keyboard, for a search
topic relating to a users' location, or for a search topic that can be answered in
a “hands-free” fashion. We also find, contrary to our intuition, that longer
queries have a higher probability of being typed than shorter queries.
