Clarifying User Intent of Query Terms of a Search Query

A computer-readable medium bearing computer-executable instructions which, when executed on a computing system comprising at least a processor executing instructions retrieved from the medium, carry out a method for clarifying the intent of a computer user with regard to one or more query terms of a search query, the method comprising:

• analyzing the search query to identify a first query term for clarification by the computer user;
• obtaining clarification data relating to the first query term;
• presenting a clarification user interface comprising at least a subset of the obtained clarification data;
• receiving clarification data from the computer user via the clarification user interface;
• identifying the clarification data as an intent clarification for the identified query term;
• submitting the search query and the intent clarification to a search engine;
• obtaining search results responsive to the search query and intent clarification;
• and
• presenting at least some of the search results to the computer user.

A computer system clarifying the intent of a computer user with regard to one or more query terms of a search query, the computer system comprising a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory as part of or in conjunction with additional components, comprising:

• a search component configured to:
• obtain a search query from the computer user;
• obtain clarification data corresponding to a first query term of the search query and present at least some of the clarification data to the computer user for selection as the computer user's intent with regard to the query term;
• associate clarification data with the first query term as an intent clarification;
• submit the search query to a search engine along with the intent clarification associated with the first query term;
• and
• present search results to the computer user, the search results being obtained from the search engine in response to submitting the search query;
• and
• a query term analyzer that identifies an unclear query term of the search query as the first query term.