Competency J
Describe the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behaviors
Information seeking behaviors have several different models but the one that I find is the most relevant is the berry-picking model. The classic model postulates that the patron has an information need and then translates that need into a query. Using the query the patron conducts a search and finds the document representation in the form of an abstract and is able to access the document itself. Marcia Bates notes that the classic model has provided an excellent basis for understanding the information retrieval process but it is lacking in the features of being true to the process as practiced by humans. Bates suggests her model is a better description of the process of information seeking as it differs from the classic model in a few different ways. Bates mentions that there are four differences: the nature of the query, nature of the overall search process, range of search techniques used, and the domain where the search is conducted.
Bates describes that in contrast to the classic model the searcher may not have a clear idea of what their query is at first. They go through the process of search for the answer to their information need by evaluating different searches and absorbing new information. Through this process the query continues to be revised based on new information. The query might start broad and become more direct and pointed or it may take off in a completely new direction altogether. The overall search process will look more like someone scavenging for berries moving from one bush to another finding the right information. All the information will not often exist in one area but require searching many different areas and combining the best information together. Users during the search may vary the types of their search techniques in the middle of researching their query. Bates gives examples of different tactics such as citation searching, footnote chasing, area scanning, and author searching as some highlighted examples. Depending on what the user has found so far they may decide that information by a particular author is highly relevant and move on to find out who has cited that author’s articles and what footnotes the author includes. Lastly the information domain will differ depending on the search techniques used such that a general information domain will lead the user to search out only specific parts of the larger piece.
Librarians must understand the information retrieval tactics of patrons and assist them in honing their skills. By better understanding the process of searching for information librarians will be better prepared to guide inexperienced patrons in crafting their queries. In my own experience I have learned that the process of information retrieval is a process that everyone goes through in different ways. In taking several of the advanced information technology courses and the web design course I have come away with a better understanding how much the design of interfaces effects how successful patrons are able to find and digest the information that they are looking for. Information-seeking behaviors remind me of the different learning styles that people have. When crafting a seminar to explain a new concept to patrons it is important to provide multiple resources for patrons to absorb the information. For some learning is verbal, mechanical, or visual, and understanding that some people learn better through different tactics provides insights that they conduct their berry-picking search in different ways as well. I have developed some examples of information literacy for coworkers and for children and providing a backdrop for understanding and linking information allows the practitioners for a better experience in formulating their query and reporting on it as it more closely resembles the berry-picking model.
From the course LIBR 251 Web Design I learned that in many ways the Internet and web sites represent a constant berry-picking interface. As librarians and as user interface designers we must understand the concepts of how people search for information, absorb information from a web page, and put that information to good use. When I worked at Ashford University I had the opportunity to critique the bookstore website that school had been using to process its orders. I reviewed the website and wrote down ten of the major flaws I saw. I asked several coworkers to sit down with me as I watched them attempt to order a book I suggested. Once I had collected this information I developed a paper prototype of a new version of the website integrating some of the changes featuring corrections to flaws I saw and some of the user insights. Once I developed my first paper prototype I conducted another user survey having my coworkers interact with the paper as if a real website and revised based on their interaction. What I learned in particular is that information-seeking behaviors are defined by the user’s knowledge of different strategies for finding information and that the design of the service impacts how well they are able to find what they are looking for. As librarians we must also act as user experience experts and look at our physical surroundings as well as information retrieval systems as part of the information-seeking process.
The process of research involves linking many different types of strategies and altering those strategies based on found information. I have been successful in understanding how others learn and absorb information and believe that these skills are relevant to any type of position outside of libraries as well. Research is a fundamental process to learning more about the world and the path is just as important as the answer. By understanding that process one is able to better create products that serve information seeking and developing patron focused initiatives that encourage experimentation and exploration into new tactics and techniques of information manipulation.