Monitoring Online Dictionary User Activities

In view of the strong needs of a scientific research tool to collect dictionary usage information, this study is devoted to developing a monitoring system. This system aims at unobtrusively recording user's activities of Hong' en Online Dictionary. Based on unobstructed network, it can better reveal the process that a user understands and determines a specific meaning of a word under certain context in a more authentic way. The user's reading process is almost un-interrupted. The window displaying the texts the user is reading will remain in focus. All that the users need to do is to move the mouse over some word, and click some dictionary definition of it, and then information including the word, the meaning, part of speech of this meaning and the context are recorded into a database. Meanwhile, how often a user selects some dictionary definition is calculated. Therefore, as all the usage information is recorded automatically and completely, lexicographers in dictionary use research are able to control irrelevant factors more effectively. Thus they can obtain convincing findings and collect data in real time. And dictionary compilers also can improve dictionary content and the way it should be presented on the basis of knowledge thus gained.