Information in the Digital Environment Information Seeking Models

1. Information in the Digital EnvironmentInformation Seeking Models Dr. Dania Bilal IS 530 Spring 2005

2. Information Options • Print • CD-ROM databases • Remote databases (e.g., Dialog) • Web

3. Print Option • Inexpensive • Owned by library • Easily accessible

4. CD-ROM Databases • Purchase or lease • Subscription • Library responsible for software & hardware • Most common is CD-ROM

5. CD-ROM • High storage (650 mg to over a gigabyte) • 650 mg equivalent to 250,000 pages of text or 1 million catalog records • Can be loaded on stand-alone or networked computers. • Site license is needed

6. Remote Databases • Known as commercial databases • Up-to-date • Access to >100s of databases • Low up-front cost • Cost per search varies with database used • Requires expertise in searching

7. Web Information • Global access to information • Low up-front cost • Requires an ISP • GUI interface • Hypertext • Access to full text information

8. Information Retrieval System (IR) • A set of components that interact to provide feedback • Comprised of interlinked entities • Agency that creates the databases • People • Documents

9. Interlinked Entities Agency People Documents

10. IR Information Transfer • Inputs • Processes • Objectives of the system • Outputs

11. The IR Cycle

12. The IR Cycle • Documents are analyzed, translated, indexed, and stored. • Documents are organized • Cataloging (description/representation of docs.) • Subject indexing

13. The IR Cycle • Subject indexing a) Determination of subject content (conceptual analysis) b) Translation of content into language of the system (controlled vocabulary) c) Abstracting

14. The IR Cycle • Language of the system (controlled vocabulary) • List of subject headings (Pre-coordinate) • Thesauri (Pre-coordinate) • Classification scheme

15. The IR Cycle • Documents are represented by other entities • Author(s) • Date of publication • Language • Identifiers

16. The IR Cycle • Entities may become access points • Documents are stored after indexing • Document representation is entered into the matching mechanism

17. The IR Cycle • A file of document surrogates is established • File becomes available for searching using a variety of access points

18. The IR Cycle • User Query • Analyzed for conceptual content • Translated into the language of the system (matched against controlled vocabulary and keywords) • Matched against document surrogates in the database

19. Explanation of the IR Cycle • Output • A set of records found and deemed relevant to a user query • User judgment of retrieval

20. User Judgment • Relevance to information need • Relevance ranking by IR system • Relevance vs. pertinence

21. Document-Based IRs • Input, output, and matching mechanisms • Selection of documents (done by indexers) • Analysis of documents (done by indexers)

22. Document-Based IRs • Document representation (done by indexers) • Analysis of user query (done by system) • Matching user query with relevant documents (done by system) • Delivery of documents (output)

23. Information Seeking

24. Information Seeking • Process of finding information to fill a knowledge gap • User requests • Known item searches • Unknown item searches  Subject searches

25. Information Seeking Models • Ellis’ Behavioral Model • Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process Model • Nahl’s ACS Model • Marchionini’s Information Process Model • Wilson’s Problem-Solving Model • Belkin’s Information Seeking Strategies (ISS) • Belkin’s Anomalous State of Knowledge (ASK)

26. Ellis’ Behavioral Model • Describes 8 information seeking patterns of social scientists, physical scientists, and engineers in using hypertext (e.g., the Web) • Starting (Surveying), Chaining, Monitoring, Browsing, Differentiating (Distinguishing), Filtering, Extracting, Verifying, Ending.

27. Kuhlthau’s ISP Model • Information search process from the user’s perspective in traditional environment • Affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor • Six stages: • Initiation, Selection, Exploration, Formulation, Collection, Presentation

28. Nahl’s ACS Model • Taxonomic approach for identifying the levels of information seeking behaviors • Searcher’s feeling (A), thinking (C), and see or do (S) is termed “information behavior” • Levels are sequential and continuous

29. Marchionini’s Model • Problem solving approach to understanding information seeking process in the electronic environment • Eight processes: • Problem recognition, Problem definition, Selection of system/source, Problem articulation (query formulation), Search execution, Examination of results, Extraction of desired information; Reflection, Iteration, and Stopping of search process

30. Wilson’s Problem-Solving Model • Goal-directed behavior of problem solving that advances from uncertainty to certainty through the stages of the problem-resolution process: • Problem identification, Problem definition, Problem resolution, Solution statement (has affective dimensions) • Stages are sequential and non-linear

31. Belkin’s ISS Model • Task-oriented with 4 sets of tasks: • Browsing: scanning or searching a resource • Learning: expanding knowledge of goal, problem, & system used • Recognition: identifying relevant items • Meta information: interaction with items that map the boundaries of the task • Dynamic process

32. Belkin’s ASK Theory • ASK (Anomalous State of Knowledge) “The cognitive and situational aspects that were the reason for seeking information and approaching an IR system” (Saracevic, 1996). • Knowledge gap (anomaly) and the need to solve it • Implications for system design