Information Seeking & Models

7/27/2019 Information Seeking & Models

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Information Seeking Processesand Models

Dr. Dania Bilal

IS 530

Fall 2007


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Charting your information seeking

Class Activity

On a piece of paper, chart yourinformation seeking process from the

time you have an information need tofulfill to the time it is met or unmet.


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Information Seeking

Process of finding information to fill aknowledge gap

Need information to make a decision

Need to learn about something

Need to answer a question

Need to increase own knowledge about a

subject of interest Need information to fill other needs


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Information Seeking

User interaction with IRs and sourcesto negotiate information need:

Consult a professional humanintermediary

User mediation/reference process

Consult friends, colleagues, classmates

Self-service


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Information Seeking Models

Represent how people search forinformation in specific environmentsand how they interact with IRs and/or

traditional sources to satisfyinformation needs

Models vary based on whatresearchers investigate

Commonality across user informationseeking


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Information Seeking Models

Kuhlthaus Information Search ProcessModel

Ellis Behavioral Model

Marchioninis Information Process Model Wilsons Problem-Solving Model Belkins Anomalous State of Knowledge

(ASK)

Bates Berrypicking model


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Kuhlthaus ISP Model

Information Search Process model(ISP)

Based on five studies in naturalisticsettings

Emphasis on user thoughts, feelings,and actions rather than on systems

Undergraduate students; validatedwith high school students


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Kuhlthaus ISP Model

Information search process from theusers perspectives Six stages:1. Task initiation

2. Topic selection

3. Prefocus exploration

4. Focus formulation

5. Information collection

6. Search closureSee Kuhlthaus 2004 article, pp. 44-50.


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Ellis Behavioral Model

David Ellis describes 8 information seekingpatterns of social scientists, physicalscientists, and engineers in using hypertext

(e.g., the Web).1. Starting (Surveying)2. Chaining

3. Monitoring

4. Browsing

5. Differentiating (Distinguishing)

6. Filtering

7. Extracting

8. Verifying

9. Ending


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Ellis Model

See D. Turnball, 2.1.1.1-2.1.1.2.


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Marchioninis Model

Problem solving approach to understandinginformation seeking process in theelectronic environment

Eight processes that may work in parallel: Problem recognition, Problem definition,

Selection of system/source, Problem articulation(query formulation), Search execution,

Examination of results, Extraction of desiredinformation; Reflection, Iteration, and Stoppingof search process


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Wilsons Problem-Solving Model

T.D. Wilsons 1997 model

Goal-directed towards problem solving

Based on a survey of research in thehealth field

Users move from uncertainty to certaintythrough the problem-resolution process


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Wilsons Problem-Solving Model

Stages:

Problem identification

Problem definition

Problem resolution

Solution statement

Model has affective dimensions

Stages are sequential and non-linear


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Belkins ASK Theory

ASK (Anomalous State of Knowledge)The cognitive and situational aspectsthat were the reason for seekinginformation and approaching an IRsystem (Saracevic, 1996).

Knowledge gap (anomaly) and the

need to solve it


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ASK Model

Definition A recognition by an individual that his/her

model of some aspect of the external world

and of her/her position in it with respect tosome particular situation is insufficient andknowledge is needed to reduce uncertainty

Contributions of ASK

Reinforced the certainty of the users needs


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ASK Model

Recognized the iterative nature of informationretrieval

users return to the IR system repeatedly tosatisfy their information needs

Move towards system design that is user-rather than system-centered (people ratherthan documents)


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Bates Berrypicking Model

Marcia Bates examined the searchbehavior of researchers who were

experts in a particular field (e.g.,engineers, chemists, socialscientists)

Researchers do not make a singlesearch across collections


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Researchers information needs and thequeries they use to represent them theseneeds in systems are continually

shifting: evolving search, dynamic, non-linear


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User information needs are notthe same and they do change

during the search process

Documents

Information Seeking & Models