INFO 414 Information Behavior What is information behavior?

Information behavior  The totality of human behavior in relation to sources and channels of information, including both active and passive information seeking, and information use (Wilson, 2000)

Information seeking behavior  The purposive seeking for information as a consequence of a need to satisfy some goal. (Wilson, 2000)

Information searching behavior  The micro-level of behavior employed by the searcher in interacting with information systems of all kinds (Wilson, 2000)

Information use behavior  The physical and mental acts involves in incorporating the information found into the person’s existing knowledgebase (Wilson, 2000)

Human Information Behavior The study of how individuals need, seek, give and use information in different contexts, such as the workplace, school and everyday living. Embeds cognitive, physical, and affective factors

Why do you care? What happens when the user meets the information professional?

Information practice is about providing information that may become…

The key to effective information provision through resources, services and systems lies not in the increased sophistication of technology, but rather on our increased understanding of human involvement with information. Rational for INFO 414

What/ Who are information users?  Actors  Clients  End-users  User groups  Discourse communities

You are an information user  Introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you. Tell them everything that you know about your characteristics as an information user and about your information using.  Categorize the characteristics of the information user beside you

Conceptual Development Information Need Uncertainty Discontinuity Condition Problem State Anomalous State of Knowledge

Information Needs  Arise in all aspects of everyday, personal and professional life: the home, the office, in relations with family or friends or the insurance company, out of idle curiosity, or as a requirement of work.

Information needs  Arise whenever individuals find themselves in a situation requiring knowledge to deal with the situation as they see it.

Types and characteristics of information needs

Characteristics of Information Needs  Importance (immediate v.s. deferred)  Frequency (recurring v.s. new)  Predictability (anticipated v.s. unexpected)  Complexity (easily resolved v.s. difficult)  Causation (internal v.s. external)

Information need types  By nature of expected answer Known item need – the answer that is required is a known item Subject need – the answer that is required is information on a particular subject  By generator of the need Self need - a need generated by the person who is looking for the answers Proxy need - a need generated by another person (imposed need)

Information Need  Taylor (1968) research into question negotiation in reference interviews examines the psychological state that first motivates a person to engage in information behaviour information need is problematic it hinges on an internal, inexpressible psychological state

Taylor (cont)  Stages of information need development Visceral – a sense of uneasiness Conscious – ill-defined Formalized – can describe the need in concrete terms; can make the need explicit Compromised – need as translated in the system’s language

A problematic situation  Wersig (1979) the situation of an individual whose internal models of environment, knowledge, actions etc are insufficient to attain the appropriate goals - that is, whose model of the situation is such that it may require input from external resources in order to attain the degrees of certainty required for reasonable action

Anomalous State of Knowledge (ASK)  Individuals engage in information behavior when... their states of knowledge concerning some particular situation or topic are considered by them as somehow being insufficient or inadequate for that situation; that is, there are anomalies (gaps, uncertainties, lack of relation or concepts etc) in their conceptual state of knowledge concerning the topic, which they perceive as needing to be resolved in order to achieve their goals. (Belkin et al., 1982)

A Problem State  Belkin, (1984) the state of the user in the problem treatment process the topic and type of problem the user is facing the user’s state of knowledge about the problem the goals intentions and background of the user

A Problem Orientation (Saracevic, 1988)  no such thing as information need in the abstract but rather circumstances that lead to information behavior  there is more to a question than the words expressing it  viewing the problem behind the question rather than the information need as central to the information retrieval interaction

A Problem Orientation (Saracevic, 1988) Internal and cognitive aspects The problem State External and environmental aspects Problem Intent Internal knowledge state Public knowledge expectation

Sensemaking Theory...  assumes a discontinuity condition as constant for human beings  discontinuity forces steps to be taken to construct sense in life situations that are constantly changing

Uncertainty Principle... ( Kuhlthau, 1993 )  the information seeking process is a progression from uncertainty to understanding accompanied by a range of feelings and actions on the part of the information seeker  uncertainty due to lack of understanding, a gap in meaning, or a limited construct initiates the process

Information Seeking How an individual goes about obtaining information

Types of Information Seeking  Purposive – immediate need  Gathering – deferred need  Serendipitous / Accidental Encountering

Factors Affecting Information Seeking  Seeker’s awareness of need and sources  Seeker’s past experiences, professional practice  Source Characteristics: Formal (book) v.s. Informal (conversation) Internal (inside organization) v.s. External Format / Presentation Timeliness Cost (financial, physical, social) Accessibility Trustworthiness (accuracy, quality)

Types of Information Seeking by Level of Purpose  Surfing: Browsing through a source of information, just to see what it has, without a particular information need.  Encountering: “Bumping” into information that can resolve a particular information need when doing other things.

Surfing  Examples: Reading the daily newspaper Watching programs on TV Visiting a bookstore Surfing the Web Other examples?

Encountering  Also called: Accidental discovery of information Incidental information acquisition  Can happen when: Searching for information to resolve another need Surfing Any other activity

Search behavior What people do and/or, as far as can be determined, what they think when they search

Search Process  Kuhlthau (1991) "..the user's constructive activity of finding meaning from information in order to extend his or her state of knowledge on a particular problem or topic."

Search Techniques or Tactics  Bates (1979) a move made to further a search  Belkin and Vickery (1985) methods, heuristics, tactics or plans that can be used by people in searching manual or automated information systems

Search Strategy  Bates (1979) the study of the theory, principles and practice of making and using search strategies and tactics  Belkin and Vickery (1985) a plan for the whole search on a question or topic

Search Strategies  Browsing Strategy: Intuitive scanning following leads by association without much planning ahead.  Analytical Strategy: Explicit consideration of attributes of the information need and of the search system  Empirical Strategy: Based on previous experience, using roles and tactics that were successful in the past

Search Strategies  Known Site Strategy: Entering a URL to retrieve a particular site.  Similarity Strategy: Find successful information based on a previous successful example that is similar to the current need.

Information evaluating  How users decide if the information they obtained is relevant to their need, that is, if it can resolve their need.

Class Exercise  Analyze the searching behavior of the other member of the team: What search strategies were used? What methods were used?

Information evaluating  Major Issues: The subjective nature of relevance judgment The levels of relevance Factors affecting relevance

Information Giving  The act of disseminating messages using different media, including oral, print, electronic, physical gestures  Part of a communicative event

Types of Info Giving Simple:inquirer is given information without further probing Complex:comprises giving the same information but after probing to determine the inquirer's real underlying need

Triggers for Info Giving  A user asks for information directly  A user raises a topic about which the giver has information  A user describes his/her situation to the giver what has information that can help  A user behaves (or shows signs) in a certain way that prompts the giver to give information that will help  A giver expects to receive needed information in return

Strategies for Info Giving  Tailoring complete information to the attributes of a particular need  Planting a nugget (giving in anticipation of a situation)  Pushing, or, making a case for the need of information  Presenting information and asking for feedback

Information Use People’s subsequent actions upon receiving information and how they perceive that information helped (or did not help) in dealing with a situation.

Information use  Outcomes of Information Seeking Satisfy immediate info need/ solve problem Store for future use Create new information need through feedback

Some HIB Principles  The decision to seek or not to seek information is affected by many factors  There are individual differences in how people seek information  People seek information first from their own experience, then from interpersonal sources, especially people like themselves

Some HIB Principles  People seek information that is most accessible, and face-to-face communication is a primary source  People follow habitual patterns when seeking information and use search strategies, institutions and systems which they have used successfully in the past.  People phrase questions and seek information in terms of their mental models of the system or source

Some HIB Principles  People seek information from sources based on the degree to which they are perceived as being helpful, trustworthy, and providing reliable information

Some HIB Principles  How information is provided can be as important as the information itself  People want understanding and sometimes emotional support from the sources they consult, and sources that do so are considered as helpful, despite whether they provided accurate information or not