Information Seeking Processes and Models

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Information Seeking Processes and Models

• Dr. Dania Bilal
• IS 530
• Fall 2007

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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Information Seeking Models

• Kuhlthaus Information Search Process Model
• 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 naturalistic settings
• Emphasis on user thoughts, feelings, and actions
  rather than on systems
• Undergraduate students validated with high
  school students

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Kuhlthaus ISP Model

• Information search process from the users
  perspectives Six stages
• 1. Task initiation
• 2. Topic selection
• 3. Prefocus exploration
• 4. Focus formulation
• 5. Information collection
• 6. Search closure
• See Kuhlthaus 2004 article, pp. 44-50.

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Ellis Behavioral Model

• David Ellis describes 8 information seeking
  patterns of social scientists, physical
  scientists, and engineers in using hypertext
  (e.g., the Web).
• Starting (Surveying)
• Chaining
• Monitoring
• Browsing
• Differentiating (Distinguishing)
• Filtering
• Extracting
• Verifying
• 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 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

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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 the health field
• Users move from uncertainty to certainty through
  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 aspects that were the reason for
  seeking information and approaching an IR system
  (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 to some
  particular situation is insufficient and
  knowledge 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 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)

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Bates 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

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Bates 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.

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Bates 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

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Bates Berrypicking Model

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