Information Seeking Research Articles

Quantum Approach for Contextual Search, Retrieval, and Ranking of Classical Information.

Quantum-inspired algorithms represent an important direction in modern software information technologies that use heuristic methods and approaches of quantum science. This work presents a quantum approach for document search, retrieval, and ranking based on the Bell-like test, which is well-known in quantum physics. We propose quantum probability theory in the hyperspace analog to language (HAL) framework exploiting a Hilbert space for word and document vector specification. The quantum approach allows for accounting for specific user preferences in different contexts. To verify the algorithm proposed, we use a dataset of synthetic advertising text documents from travel agencies generated by the OpenAI GPT-4 model. We show that the "entanglement" in two-word document search and retrieval can be recognized as the frequent occurrence of two words in incompatible query contexts. We have found that the user preferences and word ordering in the query play a significant role in relatively small sizes of the HAL window. The comparison with the cosine similarity metrics demonstrates the key advantages of our approach based on the user-enforced contextual and semantic relationships between words and not just their superficial occurrence in texts. Our approach to retrieving and ranking documents allows for the creation of new information search engines that require no resource-intensive deep machine learning algorithms.

Exploring the digital gray zone of online medicinal markets emerging from search

AbstractThis explorative study investigates the emergence of gray zone markets from search engines amidst the global expansion of online markets. With the analytical approach of infrastructural inversion, we examine how the search infrastructure constructs access to a gray zone market including both authorized online pharmacies and unauthorized vendors. Using Sweden and Google Search as a case, we explore the online presence of three products (vitamin D, paracetamol, and Viagra), through search engine result page analysis, web crawling, and network analysis. Infrastructural inversion unveils the typically invisible mechanisms of search engines, considering user queries, algorithmic priorities, SEO practices, and pharmacy regulations. We find gray zones only emerge in searches for erectile disfunction medicinal products and information, where unauthorized vendors successfully competed for visibility in search engine rankings. A complex web of conditions can steer consumers toward gray zone markets, complicating the access to safe and regulated medicinal products. This can expose individuals to risks associated with unverified medicinal products, but also challenges the integrity of the online health information infrastructure.

Predictors of emergency medical transport refusal following opioid overdose in Washington, DC.

Patient initiated transport refusal during Emergency Medical Service (EMS) opioid overdose encounters has become an endemic problem. This study aimed to quantify circumstantial and environmental factors which predict refusal of further care. In this cross-sectional analysis, a case definition for opioid overdose was applied retrospectively to EMS encounters. Selected cases had sociodemographic and situational/incident variables extracted using patient information and free text searches of case narratives. 50 unique binary variables were used to build a logistic model. Prehospital EMS overdose encounters in Washington, DC, USA, from July 2017 to July 2023. Of EMS encounters in the study timeframe, 14 587 cases were selected as opioid overdoses. Predicted probability for covariates was the outcome variable. Model performance was assessed using Stratified K-Fold Cross-Validation and scored with positive predictive value, sensitivity and F1. Prediction accuracy and McFadden's pseudo-R squared are also determined. The model achieved a predictive accuracy of 78% with a high positive predictive value (0.83) and moderate sensitivity (0.68). Bystander type influenced the refusal outcome, with decreased refusal probability associated with family (nondescript) (-28%) and parents (-16%), while presence of a girlfriend increased it (+28%). Negative situational factors like noted physical trauma (-62%), poor weather (-14%) and lack of housing (-14%) decreased refusal probability. Characteristics of the emergency response team, like a prior crew member encounter (+20%) or crew experience <1year (-36%), had a variable association with transport. Refusal of emergency transport for opioid overdose cases in Washington, DC, USA, has expanded by 43.8% since 2017. Several social, environmental and systematic factors can predict this refusal. Logistic regression models can be used to quantify broad categories of behavior in surveillance medical research.

‘Living in a post-truth era’? Online misinformation in everyday life in rural and urban China

ABSTRACT This paper investigates everyday information seeking and misinformation among Internet users in rural and urban China. The research employs both quantitative and qualitative methods to identify user demographics and categories of misinformation encountered on mobile devices online. The paper makes two contributions: one is to bridge hitherto unconnected research on everyday information practices with the literature on misinformation. The second is to demonstrate that, despite the assumption that China’s tightly controlled online space leads to less of a misinformation problem, this is not the case in everyday life contexts. The findings may have wider implications, especially in the Global South.

Developing a cyberchondria severity scale to promote self-care among university students during COVID-19

Cyberchondria is a hybrid term signifying a state in which individuals compulsively search for health-related information online because of health distress or anxiety, further aggravating their worries. This study develops a Cyberchondria Severity Scale (CSS) to assess the current situation of university students. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted using 145 valid questionnaires. Subsequently, a nationwide survey was conducted at various universities in Taiwan, and 802 questionnaires were used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The EFA led to the development of a CSS for college students with four constructs: increased anxiety (α = 0.91), obsessive-compulsive hypochondria (α = 0.87), perceived controllability (α = 0.88), and online physician-patient interaction (α = 0.86), with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.92 and variance of 66.81%. The CFA indicated that item reliability ranged from 0.50 to 0.86, factor loadings ranged from 0.71 to 0.93, and the composite reliability for latent variables ranged from 0.83 to 0.90 (p < .001). The extracted average variance ranged from 0.46 to 0.60. There were significant differences in various dimensions: perceived controllability had the highest score and obsessive-compulsive hypochondria had the lowest (F3,2403=256.26, p < .001). Therefore, CSS has emerged as a reliable and valid measure. Future studies should explore the factors that influence cyberchondria, promote online health information searches, and enhance reading comprehension skills.

OSSEOINTEGRATIVE PROSTHETICS: OPPORTUNITIES, CHALLENGES, AND PROSPECTS FOR ITS APPLICATION IN THE REHABILITATION OF PATIENTS WITH AMPUTATED LIMBS (LITERATURE REVIEW)

Rehabilitation of patients with amputated limbs is a pressing medical and social issue in modern society. A novel method for partial restoration of limb function is osseointegrative prosthetics. Its main advantage lies in the fact that the implant allows mechanical loads and forces to be transmitted directly to the bone, whereas in traditional prostheses, they mainly act on soft tissues. Despite nearly 30 years of experience with osseointegrative implants globally, these technologies have not yet been implemented in either scientific or clinical practice in Ukraine. Objective. To conduct a literature review of the global practical experience with the use of osseointegrative prosthetics in patients with amputations and to identify its main features, advantages, and disadvantages. Methods. The information search was performed in the bibliographic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar. Results. The analysis of literature sources allowed us to distinguish the main types of osseointegrative implants, which differ in terms of design, materials, and surgical techniques: either single-stage or two-stage procedures, and fixation by threading or press-fitting. The rehabilitation period ranges from 6 months to 2 years. Within the first two years, certain complications such as bone infections and skin inflammation should be expected. Hфowever, most of these pathological conditions can be effectively managed. Conclusions. Successful fixation of osseointegrative implants requires optimizing the patient’s bone, the prosthetic surfaces, and the ‘skin-implant’ interface. The implementation of these technologies requires multidisciplinary teams of specialists, including physicians, engineers, and rehabilitation experts. Osseointegrative implants significantly enhance patients’ functional abilities and quality of life, opening up greater opportunities for the use of bionic and robotic prosthetics.

Do News Reports and Google Searches Impact Bitcoin Prices? An Analysis of Granger Causality

Objective: to analyze the Granger causality relationship between the number of Bitcoin news articles, the number of Google searches related to the term "Bitcoin," and the price of the cryptocurrency. The study aims to understand how these variables influence each other using an econometric time series model. Theoretical framework: the paper is based on studies on financial market efficiency, cryptocurrencies, and Granger causality theory. It reviews research that explores the impact of media information and online searches on the price of financial assets, such as Bitcoin, while also discussing Bitcoin’s role as both a speculative asset and a transactional currency. Method: the construction of a time series with weekly data, from 2015 to 2018, covering Bitcoin price, the number of news articles, and Google searches. The Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model was used to conduct the Granger causality test and verify if there are causal relationships between these variables. Results and Discussion: the findings indicate a triple causality relationship among the studied variables. Bitcoin's price influences both the number of news articles and Google searches, and in turn, the articles and searches also influence Bitcoin's price. This suggests that increased interest and media coverage of Bitcoin drive its demand and price. Research implications: the research suggests that Bitcoin's price behavior is influenced not only by traditional economic factors but also by media information and the volume of online searches. This highlights the importance of informational factors in the cryptocurrency market and the influence of digital media on asset pricing. Originality/value: the study proposes integrating data from news articles and Google searches with Bitcoin price behavior, applying Granger causality analysis. Its contribution lies in demonstrating the importance of media in the dissemination and pricing of cryptocurrencies, providing a new perspective for the literature on digital assets and speculative behavior.

Public responses and parasocial relationships following senator John Fetterman's depression disclosure.

Research has found that when a public figure discloses an illness, it can motivate members of the public to reconsider their own health behaviors, particularly when they have a parasocial relationship with the public figure. When the public figure is a politician, it is possible that partisan differences may also influence emotional, attentional, and behavioral responses to health news. We empirically examined public responses to Democrat John Fetterman's disclosure of his treatment for depression shortly after he was inducted into the United States Senate as the junior senator from Pennsylvania in 2023. Using a survey of adult Pennsylvania residents who identified as eligible voters in April 2023, we found that 204 respondents were aware of the news of Fetterman's diagnosis of and treatment for depression. Our data revealed that differences in demographics and parasocial relationships-both positive and negative-with Fetterman predicted different patterns of emotional responses to the news. In addition, age, anger, a negative parasocial relationship, and a positive parasocial relationship were associated with additional outcomes, including attention to news about the disclosure and depression-related information seeking. Mental health advocates could use politicians' depression disclosures to provide information at a time when people are paying more attention to the condition; however, they may need to find other public figures to counteract negative responses to partisan officials. Policymakers could also consider funding mental health campaigns, which could be launched alongside public figure disclosures.

Edge Caching Placement Strategy based on Evolutionary Game for Conversational Information Seeking in Edge Cloud Computing

In Internet applications, network conversation is the primary communication between the user and server. The server needs to efficiently and quickly return the corresponding service according to the conversation sent by the user to improve the users’ Quality of Service. Thus, Conversation Information Seeking (CIS) research has become a hot topic today. In Cloud Computing (CC), a central service mode, the conversation is transmitted between the user and the remote cloud over a long distance. With the explosive growth of Internet applications, network congestion, long-distance communication, and single point of failure have brought new challenges to the centralized service mode. People put forward Edge Cloud Computing (ECC) to meet the new challenges of the centralized service mode of CC. As a distributed service mode, ECC is an extension of CC. By migrating services from the remote cloud to the network edge closer to users, ECC can solve the above challenges in CC well. In ECC, people solve the problem of CIS through edge caching. The current research focuses on designing the edge cache strategy to achieve more predictable caching. In this article, we propose an edge cache placement method Evolutionary Game based Caching Placement Strategy (EG-CPS). This method consists of three modules: the user preference prediction module, the content popularity calculation module, and the cache placement decision module. To maximize the predictability of the cache strategy, we are committed to optimizing the cache hit rate and service latency. The simulation experiment compares the proposed strategy with several other cache strategies. The experimental results illustrate that EG-CPS can reduce up to 2.4% of the original average content request latency, increase the average direct cache hit rate by 1.7%, and increase the average edge cache hit rate by 3.3%.

Special Issue on Conversational Information Seeking

In this article, we provide an overview of ACM TWEB’s Special Issue on Conversational Information Seeking. It highlights both research and practical applications in this field. The article also discusses the future potential of conversational information seeking technology.

OPERA: Harmonizing Task-Oriented Dialogs and Information Seeking Experience

Existing studies in conversational AI mostly treat task-oriented dialog (TOD) and question answering (QA) as separate tasks. Towards the goal of constructing a conversational agent that can complete user tasks and support information seeking, it is important to develop a system that can handle both TOD and QA with access to various external knowledge sources. In this work, we propose a new task, Open-Book TOD (OB-TOD), which combines TOD with QA and expands the external knowledge sources to include both explicit sources (e.g., the web) and implicit sources (e.g., pre-trained language models). We create a new dataset OB-MultiWOZ, where we enrich TOD sessions with QA-like information-seeking experience grounded on external knowledge. We propose a unified model OPERA ( Op en-book E nd-to-end Task-o r iented Di a log) which can appropriately access explicit and implicit external knowledge to tackle the OB-TOD task. Experimental results show that OPERA outperforms closed-book baselines, highlighting the value of both types of knowledge. 1

Preventive health-care behavior: a serial multiple mediation analysis

Purpose Preventive health-care behavior (PHB) adoption as a primordial prevention to stay healthy and avoid lifestyle disease risk is a global trend. This paper aims to use the PHB model and stimulus-organism-response theory to empirically examine the role of individual and technological factors in influencing primordial PHB. Design/methodology/approach A sequential mixed-method was adopted to identify the primordial PHB adoption and propose a conceptual framework. The identified determinants and the hypothesized relationships were empirically tested using a convenience sample of 406 urban Indians. Partial least square structural equation modeling is used for data analysis. Findings The derived conceptual framework was empirically tested to assess the role of health literacy (HL), health value (HV) and digital health information seeking (DHIS) on primordial PHB. Findings confirmed the significant influence of DHIS on HL, HL on HV and PHB and HV on PHB. The direct effects of DHIS on PHB and HV were insignificant. HL solely mediated the indirect effect of DHIS on PHB, while the mediation of HV was insignificant. HL and HV fully mediated the relationship between DHIS and PHB. Research limitations/implications The impact of DHIS on PHB adoption and the serial multiple mediating roles of HL and HV are significant in understanding primordial PHB adoption for both academic theory and practice. However, the cross-sectional study on urban Indians needs further validation across geographies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this pioneering study is among the first to propose and validate a comprehensive model of primordial PHB adoption.

The impact of news media coverage on voluntary disclosure

AbstractThis study investigates whether and how firm‐specific news media coverage affects corporate voluntary disclosure. I predict that media coverage influences managers' disclosure decisions by directing investor attention toward firms and increasing investor demand for firm information. I find that managers are more likely to issue earnings guidance if their recent earnings guidance receives more media coverage. The relation between media coverage and guidance issuance is stronger for news articles that purely disseminate information quickly and are published by news outlets that target institutional investors. Consistent with my hypothesis that media coverage influences investor demand for information, I find evidence that media coverage of guidance positively relates to subsequent institutional information search activity, which in turn positively relates to future guidance issuance. Examining sources of plausibly exogenous variation in media coverage, I find further corroborative evidence of a positive relation between media coverage and earnings guidance. Overall, these analyses indicate that the news media influence managers' provision of voluntary disclosure.

Retraction Note: Optimization of book information search in intelligent library system management based on cellular network

Retraction Note: Optimization of book information search in intelligent library system management based on cellular network

The Good and Bad of AI Tools in Novice Programming Education

As AI coding tools become more prevalent in programming, it is essential to understand how they influence programming education. This study, conducted in a first-semester Introduction to Programming course, aimed to determine the positive and negative effects of these tools on students’ learning experiences and their ability to develop essential programming skills. Using a mixed-methods approach, we collected data from 73 teams of engineering students over a 12-week period. Students completed surveys and reported on their AI tool usage. We analyzed this data quantitatively to identify trends in tool familiarity, usage, and student satisfaction. Additionally, qualitative analysis of student reports provided insights into the specific ways AI tools were used and their perceived benefits and drawbacks. The findings revealed a significant increase in AI tool familiarity (from 28% to 100%) and usage among students. Students’ satisfaction with AI tools improved over time. The most prevalent tasks for which novice programmers used AI tools included creating comments (91.7%), identifying and correcting bugs (80.2%), and seeking information (68.5%), while other tasks were less common. While these tools offered benefits like assisting in learning and enhancing real-world relevance, they also raised concerns about cheating, over-reliance on AI tools, and a limited understanding of core programming concepts.

Automating the search for legal information in Arabic: A novel approach to document retrieval

Automating the search for legal information in Arabic: A novel approach to document retrieval

MALAKOK: A MODEL OF ETHNIC RELATIONS BETWEEN NIAS AND MINANGKABAU PEOPLE IN PADANG CITY AND PADANG PARIAMAN REGENCY, WEST SUMATERA PROVINCE

The distribution of the population in West Sumatra is almost over 80 percent of the Minangkabau indigenous people who are Muslim. The remaining 20 percent are non-Minangkabau people and have religions other than Islam, even if there are other ethnicities and religions, they can still live and live side by side. This ethnic and religious diversity needs to be managed to maintain diversity as the achievement of national goals. The purpose of this research is to examine more deeply the relationship model between Nias and Minangkabau ethnic groups in Padang City and Padang Pariaman Regency. The research method was carried out through a literature review through the search for secondary information. From the literature studied, it is known that malakok has been proven to be able to act as a model of local wisdom in relation to diversity, both ethnically and religiously based for social harmony, both internally Minangkabau and with non-Minangkabau who are Muslim and with non-Minangkabau who are not Muslim. Malakok, commonly referred to as the Minang kabaustyle assimilation. The existence of this malakok system means that the kinship system in Minangkabau proves that it is actually an open system.

Language learners’ expectations and satisfaction level in a telecollaboration project

The aim of this paper is to analyse the data collected in a six-week telecollaboration project between 9 Spanish-speaking learners of English and 5 international students from the Erasmus+ programme, who engaged in both synchronous and asynchronous activities with 10 English-speaking learners of Spanish. Data was gathered through a pre-questionnaire enquiring about learners’ expectations at the beginning of the project and a post-questionnaire seeking information about students’ satisfaction at the end of the project. The results revealed that students’ expectations mostly aligned with the perceived benefits after carrying out the exchange. However, some of the participants found it difficult to meet on a weekly basis with their virtual partners as was required. This suggests that students participating in telecollaboration projects may need further guidance and help to plan their meetings. Despite this, most of the comments received at the end of the project were positive and showed participants’ overall satisfaction.

Reflective and Formative Indicators of Information Credibility on Social Media

ABSTRACTAs part of a larger project to develop a scale for measuring web credibility perceptions, this poster reports on preliminary findings of a literature analysis to identify reflective and formative indicators of information credibility on social media. Of 90 papers found by a systematic database search and screening, this poster examines 20 papers focused on information credibility on microblogs (e.g., Twitter, Weibo) as a popular source for online users' information seeking. Our analysis identified 22 reflective indicators (e.g., fair, accurate) and 31 formative indicators (e.g., reputable, attractive), eight (e.g., trustworthy, unbiased) of which overlapped. Given the intertwined, often blurred border between these two sets of items, the coding scheme developed in the present study can help determine the relevance and type of the items. Future research directions are discussed.

The Experiences of Pregnancy Among Adolescent Girls in Jordan

ObjectiveTo explore the experience of pregnancy among adolescent girls ages 16 to 19 years in Jordan. DesignDescriptive exploratory qualitative design. SettingParticipants were recruited from antenatal clinics and postpartum wards in Ministry of Health primary health care clinics and hospitals across Jordan. This included a wide geographic area in Jordan that covered several cities: Amman, Zarqa, Irbid, As-Salt, and others. ParticipantsThe total number of participants was 13. Most participants were primiparous, and three were multiparous. Five participants were recruited during the postpartum period, seven in the second and third trimester, and one during the first trimester. MeasurementsData were collected using semistructured and audio-recorded interviews and analyzed concurrently. Thematic analysis was used. A total of 13 interviews were conducted. ResultsTwo core themes emerged from the study: Navigating the Change and Reflecting on the Experience of Pregnancy. The first theme included four subthemes: Making Adjustments, Seeking Support, Searching for Information, and Feeling the Responsibility. ConclusionConsidering the impact of pregnancy on adolescent girls and their fetuses, early marriages should be reconsidered in legal and health policies in Jordan and worldwide. Adolescents expressed a need for more information about pregnancy. Age-appropriate comprehensive sexual education that includes discussion of gender issues and women’s empowerment is needed. Online sources of pregnancy information targeting the needs of adolescents are also recommended. More research is needed to explore the needs of pregnant adolescents in different social and cultural contexts.