Information Seeking BehaviorInformation Seeking Behavior
Prof. Marti HearstProf. Marti Hearst
SIMS 202, Lecture 25SIMS 202, Lecture 25
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
TodayToday
Information Seeking BehaviorInformation Seeking Behavior Combine tactics into strategies Two parts of a process:
search and retrieval analysis and synthesis of search results
This is a fuzzy area; we will look at This is a fuzzy area; we will look at several different working theories.several different working theories.
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Finding Out AboutFinding Out About
Three phases:Three phases: Asking of a question Construction of an answer Assessment of the answer
Part of an iterative processPart of an iterative process ExamineExamine tactics tactics and and strategiesstrategies for for
each phaseeach phase
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Tactics vs. StrategiesTactics vs. Strategies
Tactic: short term goals and Tactic: short term goals and maneuversmaneuvers operators, actions
Strategy: overall planningStrategy: overall planning link a sequence of operators together
to achieve some end
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Lexis-Nexis InterfaceLexis-Nexis Interface
What tactics did you use?What tactics did you use? What strategies did you use?What strategies did you use?
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Search Tactics and Search Tactics and StrategiesStrategies
Search TacticsSearch Tactics Bates 79
Search StrategiesSearch Strategies Belkin et al. 93, 94 Bates 90 O’Day and Jeffries 93
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Information Search Tactics Information Search Tactics (after Bates 79)(after Bates 79)
Monitoring tacticsMonitoring tactics keep search on track
Source-level tacticsSource-level tactics navigate to and within sources
Term and Search Formulation tacticsTerm and Search Formulation tactics designing search forumulation selection and revision of specific terms
within search formulation
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Term TacticsTerm Tactics
Move around the thesaurusMove around the thesaurus superordinate, subordinate, coordinate neighbor (semantic or alphabetic) trace -- pull out terms from information
already seen as part of search (titles, etc) morphological and other spelling variants antonyms (contrary)
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Search Formulation TacticsSearch Formulation Tactics
Include or exclude termsInclude or exclude terms Boolean focus queriesBoolean focus queries
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Source-level TacticsSource-level Tactics ““Bibble”:Bibble”:
look for a pre-defined result set e.g., a good link page on web
Survey:Survey: look ahead, review available options e.g., don’t simply use the first term or first
source that comes to mind Cut:Cut:
eliminate large proportion of search domain e.g., search on rarest term first
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Source-level Tactics (cont.)Source-level Tactics (cont.)
StretchStretch use source in unintended way e.g., use patents to find addresses
ScaffoldScaffold take an indirect route to goal e.g., when looking for references to obscure
poet, look up contemporaries CleaveCleave
binary search in an ordered file
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Monitoring TacticsMonitoring Tactics(strategy-level)(strategy-level) CheckCheck
compare original goal with current state WeighWeigh
make a cost/benefit analysis of current or anticipated actions
PatternPattern recognize common strategies
Correct ErrorsCorrect Errors RecordRecord
keep track of (incomplete) paths
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Additional ConsiderationsAdditional Considerations(Bates 79)(Bates 79)
Add a Sort tactic!Add a Sort tactic! More detail is needed about short-term More detail is needed about short-term
cost/benefit decision rule strategiescost/benefit decision rule strategies When to stop?When to stop?
How to judge when enough information has been gathered?
How to decide when to give up an unsuccesful search?
When to stop searching in one source and move to another?
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Information Seeking Information Seeking Strategies Strategies (Belkin et al. 93, 94)(Belkin et al. 93, 94)
A multi-dimensional space:A multi-dimensional space: very simple tactic types very simple goal types information vs. meta-information
Create a strategy type by choosing Create a strategy type by choosing a value from each dimensiona value from each dimension
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
ISS DimensionsISS Dimensions
Goal of interactionGoal of interaction learning (browsing to get to know an area) selection (identifying useful items)
Method of interactionMethod of interaction scanning (looking for something interesting) searching (looking for a specific known item)
Resource typeResource type information meta-information
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Information Seeking Information Seeking StrategiesStrategies(Modified from Belkin et al. 93)(Modified from Belkin et al. 93)
ISS Scan Search Learn Select Info Meta-Info
A X X XB X X XC X X XD X X XE X X XF X X XG X X XH X X X
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Example ISS’sExample ISS’s
ISS G: prototypical specific searchISS G: prototypical specific search search through a specific information
source retrieve articles that match a keyword
specification of the topic
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Example ISS’sExample ISS’s
ISS B: prototypical undirected ISS B: prototypical undirected searchsearch user approaches system with some
vague idea about a topic scans through a meta-information
structure learns about general topic
information
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Example ISS’sExample ISS’s
ISS D:ISS D: scan through a table-of-contents of a
journal to select items on a particular topic
ISS A: ISS A: scan through a periodicals shelf to
learn what journals are available on a given topic
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
New strategy typesNew strategy types
What happens if we place Bates’ What happens if we place Bates’ tactic types into Belkin et al.’s tactic types into Belkin et al.’s strategy space?strategy space?
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
““Berry-Picking” as an Berry-Picking” as an Information Seeking Strategy Information Seeking Strategy (Bates 90)(Bates 90) Standard IR modelStandard IR model
assumes the information need remains the same throughout the search process
Berry-picking modelBerry-picking model interesting information is scattered like
berries among bushes the query is continually shifting
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Berry-picking model (cont.)Berry-picking model (cont.)
The query is continually shifting Users may move through a variety of
sources New information may yield new ideas and
new directions The query is not satisfied by a single, final
retrieved set, but rather by a series of selections and bits of information found along the way
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
A sketch of a searcher… “moving through many A sketch of a searcher… “moving through many actions towards a general goal of satisfactory actions towards a general goal of satisfactory completion of research related to an information completion of research related to an information need.” (after Bates 90)need.” (after Bates 90)
Q0
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q5
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
ImplicationsImplications
Interfaces should make it easy to Interfaces should make it easy to store intermediate resultsstore intermediate results
Interfaces should make it easy to Interfaces should make it easy to follow trails with unanticipated follow trails with unanticipated resultsresults
Difficulties with evaluationDifficulties with evaluation
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Orienteering Orienteering (O’Day & Jeffries (O’Day & Jeffries 93)93)
Interconnected but diverse searches on a Interconnected but diverse searches on a single, problem-based themesingle, problem-based theme
Focus on Focus on information deliveryinformation delivery rather than rather than search performancesearch performance
Classifications resulting from an Classifications resulting from an extended observational study:extended observational study: 15 clients of professional intermediaries financial analyst, venture capitalist, product
marketing engineer, statistician, etc.
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
OrienteeringOrienteering (O’Day & Jeffries (O’Day & Jeffries 93)93)
Defined three main search typesDefined three main search types monitoring
a well-known topic over time e.g., research four competitors every quarter
following a plan a typical approach to the task at hand e.g., improve business process X
exploratory explore topic in an undirected fashion get to know an unfamiliar industry
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Orienteering Orienteering (O’Day & Jeffries 93)(O’Day & Jeffries 93)
Trends:Trends: A series of interconnected but diverse
searches on one problem-based theme This happened in all three search modes Each analyst did at least two search types
Each stage followed by reading, Each stage followed by reading, assimilation, and analysis of resulting assimilation, and analysis of resulting materialmaterial
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Orienteering Orienteering (O’Day & Jeffries 93)(O’Day & Jeffries 93)
**Searches tended to trigger new directionsSearches tended to trigger new directions Overview, then detail, repeat Information need shifted between search
requests Context of problem and previous searches
were carried to next stage of search **The value was contained in the The value was contained in the accumulationaccumulation
of search results, not the final result setof search results, not the final result set **Observations verified Bates’ predictionsObservations verified Bates’ predictions
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Orienteering Orienteering (O’Day & Jeffries 93)(O’Day & Jeffries 93)
Triggers: motivation to switch from one Triggers: motivation to switch from one strategy to anotherstrategy to another next logical step in a plan encountering something interesting explaining change finding missing pieces
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Stop Conditions Stop Conditions (O’Day & Jeffries (O’Day & Jeffries 93)93)
Categories not as clear as for triggersCategories not as clear as for triggers People stopped searching whenPeople stopped searching when
no more compelling triggers finished an appropriate amount of searching for the
task specific inhibiting factor
e.g., learning market was too small lack of increasing returns
80/20 rule
Missing information/inferences okMissing information/inferences ok business world different than scholarship
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
After the Search:After the Search:
Analyzing and Synthesizing ResultsAnalyzing and Synthesizing Results Orienteering Study Sensemaking Work
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Analyzing and Synthesizing Analyzing and Synthesizing Search ResultsSearch Results Orienteering Post-Search Behaviors:Orienteering Post-Search Behaviors:
Read and Annotate Analyze
six main types 80% fell into six main types the rest:
cross-referencecross-reference summarizesummarize find evocative visualizationsfind evocative visualizations miscellaneousmiscellaneous
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Post-Search Analysis Types Post-Search Analysis Types (O’Day & Jeffries 93)(O’Day & Jeffries 93)
TrendsTrends ComparisonsComparisons Aggregation and ScalingAggregation and Scaling Identifying a Critical SubsetIdentifying a Critical Subset AssessingAssessing InterpretingInterpreting
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
SenseMaking SenseMaking (Russell et al. 93)(Russell et al. 93)
The process of The process of encodingencoding retrieved retrieved information to answer task-specific information to answer task-specific questionsquestions
CombineCombine internal cognitive resources external retrieved resources
Create a good representationCreate a good representation an iterative process contend with a cost/benefit tradoff
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
““Sensemaking” in the Sensemaking” in the Business Intelligence Business Intelligence Analysis Task Analysis Task (Russell et al. 93)(Russell et al. 93)
Established analysisscheme
Select importantdocuments
Collect documents
Organize documentsby topic
For each topic,instantiate schema
Collect additionalrequired documents
Write report
Evaluate responsesto report
Generate final report
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Sensemaking Sensemaking (Russell et al. 93)(Russell et al. 93)
An An anytime anytime activityactivity at any point a workable solution
available usually more time -> better solution usually more properties -> better
solution
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Sensemaking Sensemaking (Russell et al. 93)(Russell et al. 93)
A A good strategygood strategy maximizes long term rate of gain example:
new technology brings more info faster uniform increase in useful and useless
information best strategy: throw out bad stuff faster
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Sensemaking Sensemaking (Russell et al. 93)(Russell et al. 93)
Most of the effort is in synthesis of Most of the effort is in synthesis of a good representationa good representation covers the data increase usability decrease cost-of-use
Marti A. HearstSIMS 202, Fall 1997
Coming UpComing Up
User Interfaces for Information User Interfaces for Information AccessAccess
Using MetaData in SearchUsing MetaData in Search Hypertext Navigation and SearchHypertext Navigation and Search