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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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Bates Berrypicking Model
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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Bates Berrypicking Model
User information needs are notthe same and they do change
during the search process