Information Behavior In Context Research Articles

Information world mapping: A participatory arts-based elicitation method for information behavior interviews

Participatory, arts-based methods generate rich data with which researchers can explore information behavior in context, and may be particularly apt when engaging with youth or participants with low literacy levels. Information world mapping (IWM) is an innovative and interactive drawing-based interview technique for data elicitation. Initially developed for use in a study of young parents’ health information practices, IWM guides participants in depicting their personal social information worlds, including items, places, and relationships. Maps are then used to facilitate critical incident elicitation of participants' stories about, and interpretations of, their information practices. Within the young parent study, three styles of map were commonly seen: the directional map, the mind map, and the symbolic map. Use of IWM requires time and ethical care, but the method enables researchers to center participants’ own perspectives on information practices, triangulate data obtained via more traditional methods, and enrich understanding of social information worlds.

Beyond the search process – Exploring group members’ information behavior in context

This paper reports on the findings from a longitudinal case study exploring Kuhlthau’s information search process (ISP)-model in a group based academic setting. The research focus is on group members’ activities and cognitive and emotional experiences during the task process of writing an assignment. It is investigated if group members’ information behavior differ from the individual information seeker in the ISP-model and to what extent this behavior is influenced by contextual (work task) and social (group work) factors. Three groups of LIS students were followed during a 14 weeks period in 2004/2005 (10 participants). Quantitative and qualitative methods were employed, such as demographic surveys, process surveys, diaries and interviews. Similarities in behavior were found between group members and the individual in Kuhlthau’s ISP-model with regard to the general stages of information seeking, the cognitive pattern associated with focus formulation and the tendency towards an increase in writing activities while searching activities decreased. Differences in behavior were also found, which were associated with contextual and social factors beyond the mere search process. It is concluded that the ISP-model does not fully comply with group members’ problem solving process and the involved information seeking behavior. Further, complex academic problem solving seems to be even more complex when it is performed in a group based setting. The study contributes with a new conceptual understanding of students’ behavior in small groups.

A model for understanding collaborative information behavior in context: A study of two healthcare teams

Collaborative information behavior is an essential aspect of organizational work; however, we have very limited understanding of this behavior. Most models of information behavior focus on the individual seeker of information. In this paper, we report the results from two empirical studies that investigate aspects of collaborative information behavior in organizational settings. From these studies, we found that collaborative information behavior differs from individual information behavior with respect to how individuals interact with each other, the complexity of the information need, and the role of information technology. There are specific triggers for transitioning from individual to collaborative information behavior, including lack of domain expertise. The information retrieval technologies used affect collaborative information behavior by acting as important supporting mechanisms. From these results and prior work, we develop a model of collaborative information behavior along the axes of participant behavior, situational elements, and contextual triggers. We also present characteristics of collaborative information system including search, chat, and sharing. We discuss implications for the design of collaborative information retrieval systems and directions for future work.

Fields and pathways: Contrasting or complementary views of information seeking

This research contrasts two different conceptions, fields and pathways, of individual information behavior in context. These different approaches imply different relationships between actors and their information environments and, thus, encapsulate different views of the relationship between individual actions and contexts. We discuss these different theoretical views, then empirically compare and contrast them. The operationalization of these conceptions is based on different analytic treatments of the same raw data: a battery of three questions based on respondent’s unaided recall of the sources they would consult for information on inherited cancers, a particularly rich information seeking problem. These operationalizations are then analyzed in a nomological network of related concepts drawn from an omnibus survey of 882 adults. The results indicated four clusters for fields and 16 different pathways, indicating increased fragmentation of information environments, with different underlying logics and active ingredients, although the use of the Internet appears to be an emerging common theme. The analysis of the nomological network suggests that both approaches may have applications for particular problems. In the implications, we compare and contrast these approaches, discussing their significance for future methodological, analytical, and theoretical developments.

Emotional design: The influential role of affect in information behavior (SIG USE)

“Emotion is a necessary part of life, affecting how we feel, how we behave and think.” (Norman, 2004). A majority of human information behavior studies have focused on cognitive aspects of information seeking and use, such as search strategy or moves, search term selection, search errors, relevance judgments, and successive searching, among others. Some studies have taken a holistic approach, integrating cognitive, affective and sensorimotor information behavior in context, such as information encountering (Erdelez), information behavior in everyday contexts (Fisher&Durrance), emotional metadata of children (Druin), emotion and children's information seeking on the Web (Bilal), information search process (Kuhlthau), sense-making (Dervin), personal information management (Jones&Bruce) and affective load in searching (Nahl). Affective information behavior drives information thoughts and actions through varying degrees of a person's interest, motivation, feelings, and persistence, among other affective variables. The panelists present analyses from their research of affective information behavior that illustrate its determining effect on thinking and action. A focus on integrated affective information behavior should enable better design of information systems and services.