Information seeking by experimentation: Trying something out to discover what happens

Abstract

AbstractExperimentation is the process of trying something out to discover what happens. It is a widespread information practice, yet often bypassed in information‐behavior research. This article argues that experimentation complements prior knowledge, documents, and people as an important fourth class of information sources. Relative to the other classes, the distinguishing characteristics of experimentation are that it is a personal—as opposed to interpersonal—source and that it provides “backtalk.” When the information seeker tries something out and then attends to the resulting situation, it is as though the materials of the situation talk back: They provide the information seeker with a situated and direct experience of the consequences of the tried‐out options. In this way, experimentation involves obtaining information by creating it. It also involves turning material and behavioral processes into information interactions. Thereby, information seeking by experimentation is important to practical information literacy and extends information‐behavior research with new insights on the interrelations between creating and seeking information.