Information seeking behaviour

1. Information seeking behaviour Professor T.D. Wilson Professor Emeritus, University of Sheffield

2. Introduction • models of information seeking behaviour • testing the models • use of Web-based resources • a case study of Information Research • conclusions

3. Models of information seeking • the early years of ‘user studies’ research • the switch from studies of library and document use to user behaviour • an early model of ‘information behaviour’

4. Information behaviour - 1981

5. Information seeking behaviour 1981

6. Starting Chaining Browsing Differentiating Monitoring Extraction Verifying Ending Ellis’s ‘characteristics’ - 1989

7. Task initiation Topic selection Pre-focus exploration Focus formulation Information collection Search closure apprehension confusion confusion, doubt optimism confidence relief Kuhlthau’s stages - 1993

8. Testing the models • the ‘Uncertainty’ project was designed to explore the concept of uncertainty in information seeking behaviour, but also to examine the relationships among the various models.

9. Revised 1981 model

10. Problem solving framework

11. Example of findings - 1

12. Example of findings - 2

13. Conclusions from the study • the problem-solving model usefully discriminated among researchers • the three models – Wilson, Ellis, Kuhlthau appear not to overlap in their application – they are not modelling the same thing • the ‘affective’ dimension appears to reduce to positive vs. negative feelings

14. Using Web-based systems • studies generally relate to the use of search engines, showing that the great majority of enquiries consist of only one or two terms. • studies of specific resources that might be called ‘digital libraries’ are much rarer.

15. Use of an electronic journal • Information Research – now in Volume 8, first published in 1995 • The counter service allows one to track users back to the site from which they clicked on the link to the top page of the journal

16. Hits on Information Research

17. Hits on Information Research

18. Implications for digital libraries • fitting systems to the complex behaviour of information users is necessary if DLs are to be successful • the problem solving model suggests that different kinds of searching are taking place at the different stages • Kuhlthau’s stage model may be applied to each problem-solving stage

19. Implications for digital libraries • Ellis’s ‘characteristics’ describe a common set of activities taking place within the overall search process – systems should model that set of activities. • locating the DL within the context of the Web is essential for stimulating use.