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In particular, it seeks to discover the extent to which the constructs <jats:italic>locus<\/jats:italic> of control and attribution theory might provide useful frameworks for understanding searchers' perceptions.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title><jats:p>A combination of inductive and deductive approaches were employed. Perceptions of failed and successful searches were derived from the inductive analysis of using open\u2010ended qualitative interviews with a sample of 37 biologists at the University of Sheffield. These perceptions were classified into \u201cinternal\u201d and \u201cexternal\u201d attributions, and the relationships between these categories and \u201csuccessful\u201d and \u201cfailed\u201d searches were analysed deductively to test the extent to which they might be explainable using <jats:italic>locus<\/jats:italic> of control and attribution theory interpretive frameworks.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Findings<\/jats:title><jats:p>All searchers were readily able to recall \u201csuccessful\u201d and \u201cunsuccessful\u201d searches. In a large majority of cases (82.4 per cent), they clearly attributed each search to either internal (e.g. ability or effort) or external (e.g. luck or information not being available) factors. The pattern of such relationships was analysed, and mapped onto those that would be predicted by <jats:italic>locus<\/jats:italic> of control and attribution theory. The authors conclude that the potential of these theoretical frameworks to illuminate one's understanding of web searching, and associated training, merits further systematic study.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title><jats:p>The findings are based on a relatively small sample of academic and research staff in a particular subject area. Importantly, also, the study can at best provide a prima facie case for further systematic study since, although the patterns of attribution behaviour accord with those predictable by <jats:italic>locus<\/jats:italic> of control and attribution theory, data relating to the predictive elements of these theories (e.g. levels of confidence and achievement) were not available. This issue is discussed, and recommendations made for further work.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title content-type=\"abstract-heading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title><jats:p>The findings provide some empirical support for the notion that <jats:italic>locus<\/jats:italic> of control and attribution theory might \u2013 subject to the limitations noted above \u2013 be potentially useful theoretical frameworks for helping us better understand web\u2010based information seeking. If so, they could have implications particularly for better understanding of searchers' motivations, and for the design and development of more effective search training programmes.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/00220410710827745","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,9,22]],"date-time":"2007-09-22T07:02:20Z","timestamp":1190444540000},"page":"659-679","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":30,"title":["Web searchers' attributions of success and failure: an empirical study"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"63","author":[{"given":"Yazdan","family":"Mansourian","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]},{"given":"Nigel","family":"Ford","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2022020520142685600_b1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Bandura, A. 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