Information Seeking Processes and Models

Dr. Dania BilalIS 530Fall 2007

Charting your information seeking

Class Activity On a piece of paper, chart your

information seeking process from the time you have an information need to fulfill to the time it is met or unmet.

Information Seeking

Process of finding information to fill a knowledge 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

Information Seeking

User interaction with IRs and sources to negotiate information need: Consult a professional human

intermediary User mediation/reference process

Consult friends, colleagues, classmates Self-service

Information Seeking Models Represent how people search for

information in specific environments and how they interact with IRs and/or traditional sources to satisfy information needs

Models vary based on what researchers investigate

Commonality across user information seeking

Information Seeking Models Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process

Model Ellis’ Behavioral Model Marchionini’s Information Process Model Wilson’s Problem-Solving Model Belkin’s Anomalous State of Knowledge

(ASK) Bate’s Berrypicking model

Kuhlthau’s ISP Model

Information Search Process model (ISP)

Based on five studies in naturalistic settings

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

Undergraduate students; validated with high school students

Kuhlthau’s ISP Model

Information search process from the user’s perspectives Six stages:1. Task initiation2. Topic selection3. Prefocus exploration4. Focus formulation5. Information collection6. Search closureSee Kuhlthau’s 2004 article, pp. 44-50.

Ellis’ Behavioral Model David Ellis describes 8 information seeking

patterns of social scientists, physical scientists, and engineers in using hypertext (e.g., the Web).1. Starting (Surveying)2. Chaining3. Monitoring4. Browsing5. Differentiating (Distinguishing)6. Filtering7. Extracting8. Verifying9. Ending

Ellis’ Model

See D. Turnball, 2.1.1.1-2.1.1.2.

Marchionini’s Model

Problem solving approach to understanding information seeking process in the electronic 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 desired information; Reflection, Iteration, and Stopping of search process

Wilson’s Problem-Solving Model

T.D. Wilson’s 1997 model Goal-directed towards problem solving Based on a survey of research in the

health field Users move from uncertainty to certainty

through the problem-resolution process

Wilson’s Problem-Solving Model

Stages: Problem identification Problem definition Problem resolution Solution statement

Model has affective dimensions Stages are sequential and non-linear

Belkin’s ASK Theory

ASK (Anomalous State of Knowledge) “The cognitive and situational aspects that were the reason for seeking information and approaching an IR system” (Saracevic, 1996).

Knowledge gap (anomaly) and the need to solve it

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 to some particular situation is insufficient and knowledge is needed to reduce uncertainty

Contributions of ASK Reinforced the certainty of the user’s needs

ASK Model Recognized the iterative nature of information

retrieval users return to the IR system repeatedly to

satisfy their information needs Move towards system design that is user-

rather than system-centered (people rather than documents)

Bate’s Berrypicking Model

Marcia Bates examined the search behavior of researchers who were experts in a particular field (e.g., engineers, chemists, social scientists)

Researchers do not make a single search across collections…

Bate’s Berrypicking Model they move across a variety of sources as

follows: Bit-at-a-time retrieval: not a direct route from

information need to final retrieved set. Searching changes direction, pauses, and

meanders as the user reads retrieved documents, follows up on leads, and responds to shifts in thinking.

New information gives users new ideas, new directions to pursue, and a new conception of their information needs.

Bate’s Berrypicking Model Researchers’ information needs and the

queries they use to represent them these needs in systems are continually shifting: evolving search, dynamic, non-linear

Bates’ Berrypicking Model

User information needs are not the same and they do change during the search process