Information needs Flashcards
(23 cards)
Early theory: Robert Taylor
Four different levels of need
1. A person‘s actual (underlying) information need (independent of
whether s/he is aware of it).
2. The person‘s general idea of what it is that s/he needs to know (which may be relatively vague)
3. A rationale and precise description of the question requiring an answer.
4. A formal query made to an information system (such as a search engine) in the language the person thinks is required by the system. This represents a compromised form of the question. It is compromised in that it has to take account of the limitations of the information system (the language and syntax perceived by the searcher to be required by it).
Early theory: Nick Belkin (1982)
Anomalous State of Knowledge (ASK)
Anomalous State of Knowledge (ASK) describes the situation where a person recognizes that there’s a gap or anomaly in their knowledge.
challenges people face when trying to specify what they need from an information retrieval system like a search engine?
( the difficulties in making a request to an information retrieval system,)
*specify a request to an information retrieval system –>describing what you don’t know
*a clear awareness of the clear awareness of the anomaly
* Taylor’s level 2: people are not necessarily fully aware of their need
- Linguistic problems (even if a person has a clear idea of the information they need to find)
- General model: Matching in information retrieval systems: Words in the query – words in the index
- Information retrieval models have become much more complex
general retrieval model, there can be problems with matching the exact words in a user’s query to the words in the search system’s index, leading to less accurate search results. However, in more complex information retrieval models, these issues are better addressed
Anomalous State of Knowledge (ASK)
1.A need for information–>as an anomaly in one’s state of knowledge.
2.Information –>required in order to resolve this anomaly.
3. difficult –>for a person to know precisely–> what information is
required to –>resolve the anomaly s/he is experiencing.
4.describe the anomaly itself–>easier
In general, the user is unable to specify precisely what is needed to resolve that anomaly“
Search as an iterative process
finding the right information ->a repetitive process. You start with a guess (called a “tentative hypothesis”) about what you need to know.As you gather information, you might refine or adjust your initial guess. Over time, this helps you get ‘home in’ on a resolution to the anomaly, or a solution to the problem. finding the exact information you need.
If your search is successful, you eventually find a solution to the problem or answer the question you were seeking.
During your search, you might discover sub-problems that need solving before you can solve the initial overall problem.
* Also, during this process, it may be that the very nature of the problem is perceived differently
Nigel Ford (2012): The process of connecting people with the information they need
1.Identifying the Knowledge Gap:People often don’t know what they don’t know.
2.The information that will satisfy the knowledge need(the information need)
3.Choosing the mostappropriate Search Tool
4.Formulating the Search Query: same concepts and ideas can be expressed in many different ways. Although search tools are becoming more intelligent and less reliant on
verbatim matches between query words and index terms, they are still limited in this respect.
5.The search facilities provided by the search tool: Within a particular search tool,.the success of a search may depend on which of a range of search facilities the person is familiar with and uses.
6.The words used by the search tool to describe information sources (index terms):
Search tools categorize information using specific terms. These might not always match the words you use in your search.
- the words the author uses to express his message (the author expresses his message): One and the same message can be expressed in many different linguistic ways.
8.What the author of an information source wishes to communicate (the author’s message):
Even if you find the right information, understanding what the author meant can still be challenging.
Charles Cole (2012): Phases of searching
pre Focus: :1.Picture of the topic investigated is constantly shifting and evolvingYour understanding of the topic is constantly changing and evolving.
2.Exploratory information- seeking strategy: aspects of the information need You are exploring different aspects of the information you need.
- Query will reflect a compromised information need initial query might not be very accurate because you’re still figuring out what you need.
Focus:Person achieves a clearer idea of the topic
Post-Focus
Focused search
* Person’s query will be connected to Taylor’s deeper (1–3) levels
You know exactly what you’re looking for. Your searches are detailed and specific.
Focused search
Brenda Dervin (1980s): Sense-Making
Metaphor of bridging a gap to describe the process of satisfying an information need
* Gaps–>–>the unknown or the information needed.
- Bridges–>the information or process that helps fill the gap.
Broad focus: Making sense of our life situation.
As we travel through life (across time and space)–>we experience discontinuities, of which we constantly try to make sense, and this need drives (leads )information behaviour.
We constantly make, unmake and remake sense of what we are experiencing.
Everyday-Life Information Seeking
Focus on the role of information seeking–> in everyday life
Earlier models –>focused on how people find info for work situations/tasks
Based on the concepts of “mastery of life”
–>a more general and diffuse concept–> than specific problems to be solved, or
knowledge gaps to be filled.
based on concept of mastery of life:how can manage our live to keep it orderly
its not just about solving a specific problem or knowledge gap to be filled.
it stresses our need to keep our live consistent and coherent
Draws on the concept of “the order of things” which results from the choices we constantly make in our lives in order to maintain a relatively coherent and consistent framework of values and practices.
Concept of habitus (Pierre Bourdieu):
Habitus is a relatively stable system of dispositions (سیستم پایداری از تمایلات)by which individuals integrate their experiences and evaluate the importance of different choices.
Habitus is like a stable set of habits and ways of thinking that help us make choices based on our past experiences.
Habitus manifests the **incorporation of norms and social expectations **within an individual; thus, habitus is more than an aggregation of ‘purely’ personal dispositions.
Habitus is the set of habits, values, and ways of thinking that you develop based on your social and cultural environment. It influences the choices you make in everyday life, making some options feel natural or right based on your background. Essentially, it guides how you live your life according to the norms of the social groups you belong to
Viewing Information Needs Through a Johari Window
The Johari Window is a model that helps explain how people understand themselves and their relationships with others. Andrew Shenton (2007) uses this model to think about how people understand their own information needs.
1.The ‘public self’–> aspects of which both the individual and others are aware.(This is the part of yourself that both you and others know about like :you are interested in football and you speak of about it and your friend know it about you)
- The ‘blind self’–> aspects of the individual known to others but not to the individual.(These are things about you that others can see, but you might not be aware of yourself.)like :Maybe you tend to interrupt people during conversations, but you’re not aware of it. Your friends notice this behavior, but you don’t. This is part of your blind self
- The ‘private self’, meaning aspects known only to the individual and not to others.( These are things that only you know about yourself.) like :Suppose you’re interested in learning to play the piano, but you’ve never told anyone about this interest.
- The ‘unknown area’, referring to aspects unknown to both the wider public and the individual him or herself.(This includes things about you that neither you nor others know)
Maybe you’ve never tried public speaking, so you don’t know if you’re good at it or not. Others haven’t seen you do it either. This ability is in your unknown area because it’s an aspect of you that hasn’t been explored yet.
Information needs and basic needs
Focusing on an information need is not necessarily the best starting point for thinking about information behaviour.what about avoiding information
Problem: “information need” has connotations of a basic ”need” qualitatively similar to other basic “human needs” (Wilson, 2006)
Basic human needs:
Physiological needs include our basic requirement for food and shelter and
** Cognitive needs **relate to our drive to engage in intellectual activity such as planning and problem-solving.
* Affective needs are emotional needs such as achievement, reassurance, freedom from anxiety and comfort.(* نیازهای عاطفی نیازهای عاطفی مانند موفقیت، اطمینان خاطر، رهایی از اضطراب و راحتی است.)
§ Information seeking is not a need in itself, but rather takes place in order to satisfy a more fundamental need.
two major external influences on search results:
Paid Search Marketing (PSM)
and
Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
PSM
PSM involves companies paying to have their ads appear in search engine results when users search for specific keywords.
These ads are typically labeled as “Ad” or “Sponsored.”
Text advertisements for individual keywords are sold to advertisers Companies pay to have their ads appear when people search for specific words or phrases (keywords). For example, if a company sells shoes, they might pay for their ad to appear when someone searches for “buy running shoes.”
**Always contextual.
* Also: sponsored search, search
engine advertising (SEA)
Search Engine Optimization
(SEO)
Measures intended(اقدامات در نظر گرفته شده
) to help certain documents or websites achieve
higher visibility in search engines.
* Focus on organic results(without paying for ads.) – also in verticals.
Focuses on improving organic (non-paid) search results
types of browsing:
Directed browsing –>scanning one or more information sources in a systematic way , looking for specific information–>scanning some journal papers for a specific piece of information.
semi-directed browsing
in this situation the person is actively searching but not in an intensive systematic and focused way –>entering a general word into a search engine and browsing through what is retrieved to see if there is anything interesting.
Undirected browsing in this situation the person is not focusing on any specific inforamtion need –>flipping through a magazine.
Dimensions:
browsing marchionini
1.the **specificity ** of the information targeted
2.the extent to which the person makes use of systematic tactics.
Browsing and monitoring (Bates)
Browsing
relatively undirected but more active
Active engagement in scanning one or more information sources
* Strategy for finding information that we do not know we need
When you’re browsing, you are actively looking through information sources, like scanning through books in a library or scrolling through a website. You don’t have a specific goal in mind but are open to discovering something interesting. It’s a way to find information that you might not have known you were looking for.
Monitoring
relatively directed but passive activity
- Topic or question in the background of our mind,
alertness to coming across anything relevant - No active effort to find anything
- Strategy for finding information that we know we need
Monitoring is when you have a specific topic or question in the back of your mind, and you’re alert to anything that might be relevant as you go about your day. However, you’re not actively searching for it. For example, you might keep an eye out for news on a certain topic while reading the newspaper or browsing social media, but you’re not specifically looking for it.
Key Differences
Activity: Browsing is more active (you’re actively looking through information), while monitoring is more passive (you’re just staying alert to relevant information as it comes to you).
Directedness: Browsing is less directed (you’re open to anything interesting), whereas monitoring is more directed (you have a specific topic in mind, even if you’re not actively searching for it).
Ford and Ford (1993): Four types of searchers
1#Deependers:
-they are searchers dived straight into the details of the topic.
When they start their search, they quickly ask specific questions that lead them to the lowest most detailed level in the hierarchy of knowledge about the indexing system they were learning about contained in the database.
2#Midpoolers:
find useful information that is neither too broad to be unhelpful nor too detailed
took almost exclusive interest from the start in a level of detail that avoided extremes of either generality or fine detail
3#Consolidators:
start with general information and gradually move to more specific details. They do not jump straight into the fine details.
then worked back and forth methodically across the levels
4#Shallowenders:
These are searchers who prefer to start with general, high-level information * : They prioritize broad, general information at the beginning of their search
early emphasis on top level overview material
They read summary articles, introductory textbooks, or general reviews to get an overview of the topic.
Heinström (2002)
type of searcher
