Information Retrieval Behavior Research Articles

An empirical analysis of executive behaviour with hospital executive information systems in Taiwan

Existing health information systems largely only support the daily operations of a medical centre, and are unable to generate the information required by executives for decision-making. Building on past research concerning information retrieval behaviour and learning through mental models, this study examines the use of information systems by hospital executives in medical centres. It uses a structural equation model to help find ways hospital executives might use information systems more effectively. The results show that computer self-efficacy directly affects the maintenance of mental models, and that system characteristics directly impact learning styles and information retrieval behaviour. Other results include the significant impact of perceived environmental uncertainty on scan searches; information retrieval behaviour and focused searches on mental models and perceived efficiency; scan searches on mental model building; learning styles and model building on perceived efficiency; and finally the impact of mental model maintenance on perceived efficiency and effectiveness.

Iterative design of a collaborative 3D virtual information management environment

AbstractThe goal of this paper is to describe the design of a collaborative 3D immersive virtual information management environment. This environment was developed in order to study collaborative information retrieval behavior by users. In the first phase of research we designed and developed this environment in the Virtual Collaboration Arena (VirCA) collaborative space.

A descriptive study of behavioural patterns associated with gastrointestinal illness in the general Swedish population

A nation-wide survey was conducted in 2009 to collect information about behavioural patterns possibly associated with gastrointestinal illness (GI) in the general Swedish population. One-third of the respondents used various internet and/or telephone resources to find information about GI. Nearly eighty percent said that they buy and consume certain food products or beverages, and one-third of the respondents claimed that they buy over-the-counter pharmaceutical products for treatment of GI. In the present study, information retrieval behaviour on the internet and telephone calls to health care advice services appear to be the most relevant indicators of GI in Sweden. Key words: Beverages, consumption patterns, foods, drugs, incidence of foodborne and waterborne gastrointestinal illness, health indicators, information retrieval, outbreak detection, over-the-counter drugs (OTC drugs), surveillance.

Supermarket Savvy: The Everyday Information-Seeking Behavior of Grocery Shoppers

This article examines the information-seeking behaviors of grocery shoppers. Beginning with a review of the historical development of supermarkets in America, it then synthesizes information-seeking behaviors of shoppers in grocery stores with everyday life information-seeking theories. Grocery stores and supermarkets have changed dramatically over time, and business practices evolved in order to meet consumer demands for information. Shoppers’ information-retrieval behaviors, including information seeking, information gathering, and information acquisition, were employed in novel ways as information resources emerged but remained largely unchanged over time.

A Study on the Nanotechnology Researchers’ Information Needs and Information Retrieval Behavior

The purpose of this project is to study the nanotechnology researchers’ information needs and information retrieval behavior. Its Methodology is questionnaire survey. Research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire whose reliability was calculated through Cronbach α (α= 0,914) and whose content validity was analyzed and approved through expert opinions.1225 researchers in nanotechnology are included as the research population out of whom 291 researchers, based on Krejcie and Morgan table, were selected using cluster random sampling method. Out of distributed questionnaires (500), 243 of them (84% of the sample) were returned completed. Statistical analyses were carried out in SPSS and Excel environments. The results of research indicate that, 69.7 % researchers mainly use articles, 58.8 % of them e-journals, and a few of them use bibliographies as formal sources. Their ideal type of resource is e-resources. Their motives to use information are mainly conducting research projects and updating their field-related information. Academic centers are where they usually refer to address their information needs. The major problems to access information are inappropriate internet services and lack of access to certain data bases due to subscription issues.

Revisiting the importance of cognition in information science

For a considerable amount of time the field of information science has employed its own, as well as the knowledge bases and methods of other fields (with productive results). One field that has been appropriated from has been cognitive science. Cognitive science, however, has been in flux over the last few decades, with different conceptual frameworks assuming ascendance at various times. That dynamic implies that information science should pay close attention to what is occurring in cognitive science in order to investigate the most complex of challenges in information retrieval use, behaviour, and other phenomena. This paper includes a review of the frameworks of cognitive science and suggests that some of the most recent work in that field holds promise for development of thought and inquiry in information science. Understanding of the complex individual processes within human brains, the relationships among thinking communicators, and the relationship of brain and mind, is one of the areas where particular attention should be paid.

Not on the Same Page: Undergraduates' Information Retrieval in Electronic and Print Books

Academic libraries are increasingly collecting e-books, but little research has investigated how students use e-books compared to print texts. This study used a prompted think-aloud method to gain an understanding of the information retrieval behavior of students in both formats. Qualitative analysis identified themes that will inform instruction and collection practices.

The information retrieval needs of archival users: a case study from the Jabotinsky Institute, Israel

Archival user needs have been the subject of much professional attention in recent decades but understanding users' information seeking and retrieval behavior is of particular importance now that many archives are in the process of producing web-based finding aids which allow for independent searching from outside the repository. A study at the Jabotinskty Institute Archives Research into the ways in which users define the subject of their searches, and how they build a search strategy has provided valuable information for the future construction of efficient and user-friendly search and retrieval tools. In particular the study identified that personal names, often associated with different variables, were preferred as search terms; that users preferred simple, rather than advanced search interfaces; and that natural language was preferred to the linguistic functions, such as Boolean searching, provided by most systems. Such findings suggest the adaptations that can be made to existing and future systems ...

Browsing and searching in a faceted information space: A naturalistic study of PubMed users' interaction with a display tool

AbstractThe study adopts a naturalistic approach to investigate users' interaction with a browsable MeSH (medical subject headings) display designed to facilitate query construction for the PubMed bibliographic database. The purpose of the study is twofold: first, to test the usefulness of a browsable interface utilizing the principle of faceted classification; and second, to investigate users' preferred query submission methods in different problematic situations.An interface that incorporated multiple query submission methods—the conventional single‐line query box as well as methods associated the faceted classification display was constructed. Participants' interactions with the interface were monitored remotely over a period of 10 weeks; information about their problematic situations and information retrieval behaviors were also collected during this time. The traditional controlled experiment was not adequate in answering the author's research questions; hence, the author provides his rationale for a naturalistic approach.The study's findings show that there is indeed a selective compatibility between query submission methods provided by the MeSH display and users' problematic situations. The query submission methods associated with the display were found to be the preferred search tools when users' information needs were vague and the search topics unfamiliar.The findings support the theoretical proposition that users engaging in an information retrieval process with a variety of problematic situations need different approaches. The author argues that rather than treat the information retrieval system as a general purpose tool, more attention should be given to the interaction between the functionality of the tool and the characteristics of users' problematic situations.

The dynamics of interactive information retrieval, Part II: An empirical study from the activity theory perspective

AbstractHuman information‐seeking behavior is complicated. Activity theory is a powerful theoretical instrument to untangle the “complications.” Based on activity theory, a comprehensive framework is proposed in Part I (Y. Xu, 2007) of this report to describe interactive information retrieval (IIR) behavior. A set of propositions is also proposed to describe the mechanisms governing users' cognitive activity and the interaction between users' cognitive states and manifested retrieval behavior. An empirical study is carried out to verify the propositions. The authors' experimental simulation of 81 participants in one search session indicates the propositions are largely supported. Their findings indicate IIR behavior is planned. Users adopt a divide‐and‐conquer strategy in information retrieval. The planning of information retrieval activity is also partially manifested in query revision tactics. Users learn from previously read documents. A user's interaction with a system ultimately changes the user's information need and the resulting relevance judgment, but the dynamics of topicality perception and novelty perception occur at different paces.

The dynamics of interactive information retrieval behavior, Part I: An activity theory perspective

AbstractHuman information‐seeking behavior is a topic of increasing interest in many disciplines. However, the dynamics of this behavior remain elusive. The extant research has taken cognitive and behavioral perspectives to study information‐seeking behavior, and observed its dynamics in multiple sessions. However, the underlying mechanisms that govern the dynamics of information‐seeking behavior are not well understood. With a focus on interactive information retrieval behavior, this study proposes an integrated framework based on activity theory. This framework is not only comprehensive and integrated, but also offers an explanation of the mechanisms governing the interaction between users' cognitive states and their manifested behavior when using an information retrieval system. A set of four propositions are advanced to describe the mechanisms. The implications are discussed.

Constructing an index of search goal redefinition through transaction log analysis

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to discuss the methodological aspects of a study, the results of which are detailed in a second paper.Design/methodology/approachIndices of search goal revision (or redefinition) were constructed based on the chronological coding of queries logged on the OCLC FirstSearch service. Queries within search sessions were coded according to their conceptual relationships, based on a set of rules designed to identify possible revisions of search goals, as well as strategic reformulations. Given the same user interface, similar types of user, and large datasets, it was assumed that the number of strategic reformulations would be reasonably uniform across databases, so that the indices could be regarded as indicators of relative amounts of goal revision.FindingsThe reliability of the coding used to construct the indices of goal redefinition was tested through parallel coding, and confirmed. Differences between the indices for various databases, on the other hand, were found to be statistically significant, allowing for the conclusion that the indices were able to show differences in the amount of goal redefinition occurring, given the assumption of similar levels of strategic reformulations across databases.Originality/valueTransaction log analysis has mostly focused on syntactic issues; few analyses have examined the semantic content of queries or contextualised individual queries as part of an evolving search session. However, this paper shows that although transaction log analysis is a relatively indirect means of examining users' thoughts and intentions during their interaction with an information retrieval system, logs that provide sufficiently rich data may, in certain controlled situations, be used to provide deeper insights into information retrieval behaviour.

Presente y futuro de los servicios de las bibliotecas médicas. Revisión de la literatura y estudio realizado en un hospital de más de 1.400 camas

More and more information resources exist in electronic format, such as online databases, journals, books, etc., instead of the traditional print format. Advances in information technology have introduced both new capabilities and interesting challenges in the access to medical literature. This has influenced dramatically medical libraries which have changed and will continue to do so. Studies of the impact of the internet on information retrieval behaviour of users in medical environments could provide very valuable information for medical libraries trying to adapt to this rapid evolution. This study aims to explore the real information needs of physicians at the hospital and their medical library use. A review was carried out of literature relating to health libraries in Pubmed, LISA, CINAHL, and Google Scholar. An ad hoc questionnaire was sent to the different hospital services. A systematic sample was made. Results of 118 completed questionnaires collected from 34 different services were analysed. Items regarding: medical information needs; change of information seeking behaviour; use of library services and services offered by the hospital librarian such as quality filtering and users training. Most users are familiar with information technologies such as Internet, online journals, webs, etc., but at the same time traditional systems are used. The assistance of professional medical librarians retrieving new and relevant information from databases and the Internet and teaching skills to retrieve and select information is considered necessary.

Information Retrieval Performance of Probabilistically Generated, Problem-Specific Computerized Provider Order Entry Pick-lists: A Pilot Study

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to preliminarily determine the feasibility of probabilistically generating problem-specific computerized provider order entry (CPOE) pick-lists from a database of explicitly linked orders and problems from actual clinical cases. DesignIn a pilot retrospective validation, physicians reviewed internal medicine cases consisting of the admission history and physical examination and orders placed using CPOE during the first 24 hours after admission. They created coded problem lists and linked orders from individual cases to the problem for which they were most indicated. Problem-specific order pick-lists were generated by including a given order in a pick-list if the probability of linkage of order and problem (PLOP) equaled or exceeded a specified threshold. PLOP for a given linked order-problem pair was computed as its prevalence among the other cases in the experiment with the given problem. The orders that the reviewer linked to a given problem instance served as the reference standard to evaluate its system-generated pick-list. MeasurementsRecall, precision, and length of the pick-lists. ResultsAverage recall reached a maximum of .67 with a precision of .17 and pick-list length of 31.22 at a PLOP threshold of 0. Average precision reached a maximum of .73 with a recall of .09 and pick-list length of .42 at a PLOP threshold of .9. Recall varied inversely with precision in classic information retrieval behavior. ConclusionWe preliminarily conclude that it is feasible to generate problem-specific CPOE pick-lists probabilistically from a database of explicitly linked orders and problems. Further research is necessary to determine the usefulness of this approach in real-world settings.

Retrieving information on the World Wide Web: effects of domain specific knowledge

In this study, we intend to examine information retrieval behaviors from a psychological point of view using a search engine on the World Wide Web (WWW). We investigated information retrieving behaviors in detail based on both the recorded data of retrievers’ web browsing actions and their thinking processes by the “think aloud” method. We focused on selected keywords for retrieving and compared them between retrievers who had enough knowledge about their task and those who did not. Our goal was to learn about the literacy needed for finding required information efficiently on the WWW.

Information retrieval from the World Wide Web: a user-focused approach based on individual experience with search engines

Although search engines are essential tools for finding information on the World Wide Web, the effective use of search engines for information retrieval (IR) is a crucial challenge for any Internet user. Based on the user-focused approach, this study investigates individual information retrieval behaviors using information processing theory. The results show that experience with search engines significantly affects users' attitudes toward search engines for information retrieval, the query-based service is more popular than the directory-based service, users are not completely satisfied with the precision of retrieved information and the response time of search engines, and users' motivation is a key factor that predicts their intention to use search engines for information retrieval. Furthermore, this study proposes a conceptual model for investigating individual attitudes toward search engines for information retrieval.

A comparison of the collaborative information retrieval behaviour of two design teams

The goal of the collaborative information retrieval (CIR) project is to study situations where members of a work team are seeking, searching and using information collaboratively. A field study of two design teams (one at Microsoft and the other at the Boeing Company), guided by cognitive work analysis, has provided preliminary results. These show that: (a) the concept of CIR is elusive and does not easily lend itself to an operational definition; (b) work context has a strong effect on CIR behaviour; and (c) not all activities relating to CIR are carried out collaboratively.

Web information seeking and retrieval in digital library contexts: towards an intelligent agent solution

This paper discusses the role of intelligent agents in facilitating the seeking and retrieval of information in Web‐based library environments. An overview is presented on agents and their current application in library domains to produce a generic agent‐based model for libraries to follow. The model suggests that Web‐based information seeking and retrieval in library contexts could be enhanced through a collaborating network of interface and information agents. Recent research results offer insights on the design of interface agents to support Web‐based browsing and searching. These are applied to the model in terms of the functionality required to facilitate information seeking and retrieval behaviour across library collections. Implications on library policy and digital collections surrounding the use of agents are also discussed.

Beyond logs and surveys: In‐depth measures of people's web use skills

AbstractFinding information on the Web can be a much more complex search process than previously experienced on many pre‐Web information retrieval systems given that finding content online does not have to happen via a search algorithm typed into a search field. Rather, the Web allows for a myriad of search strategies. Although there are numerous studies of Web search techniques, these studies often limit their focus to just one part of the search process and are not based on the behavior of the general user population, nor do they include information about the users. To remedy these shortcomings, this project looks at how people find information online in the context of their other media use, their general Internet use patterns, in addition to using information about their demographic background and social support networks. This article describes the methodology in detail, and suggests that a mix of survey instruments and in‐person observations can yield the type of rich data set that is necessary to understand in depth the differences in people's information retrieval behavior online.

The Design of Metadata Interchange for Chinese Information and Implementation of Metadata Management System

With the development of Internet, digital libraries/museums have received worldwide attention and many developed countries are doing extensive researches on digital libraries/museums. In Taiwan, many institutions have digitized their collections. In addition, major research projects such as Digital Museum Project, Digital Archive Program, Digital Local Document Program, and CMNet are either in progress or about to begin. To digitize resources and present them on the WWW is the first priority; nevertheless, it is more important to organize these resources based on their characteristics, so users may retrieve and use them effectively. In digital library/museum systems, metadata plays a crucial role: its formulation has to begin with understanding the user demands and object characteristics, and standardization is essential for * The work is partially supported by National Science Council under grant NSC 89-2750-P-002-012.