Dimensions of tasks: influences on information-seeking and retrieving process

نویسنده

  • Iris Xie
چکیده

Purpose – Previous research has demonstrated that task is the driving force for information retrieval (IR). However, few studies investigate how people engaged in work and search tasks define their decisions and behaviors in the IR process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how dimensions of tasks affect the information-seeking and retrieving process. Design/methodology/approach – In total, 40 participants are recruited for the two studies conducted in a corporate setting as well as an academic setting. Multiple methods are applied to collect data related to participants’ tasks and the information-seeking and retrieving process: web surveys, questionnaires, diaries, and telephone interviews. Both qualitative and quantitative data are analyzed. Findings – This paper identifies nature (routine, typical, and unusual), stages (pre-focus, formation, and post-focus), and timeframe (extremely urgent, urgent, and non-urgent) as dimensions of work tasks as well as origination (self-generated and assigned), types (updating information, looking for specific information, looking for items with common characteristics, and looking for known items), and flexibility (very flexible, flexible, and inflexible) as dimensions of search tasks. Moreover, the relationships between dimensions of work and search tasks and the information-seeking process – in particular, the extent of planning, the application of different types of information-seeking strategies, and shifts in search-task-related goals – are explored. Originality/value – This paper fills in a gap in current research – the impact of dimensions of task on the information-seeking and -retrieving process.

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

منابع مشابه

An Investigation into Digital Library Users' Collaborative Information Seeking (CIS) of Graduate Students of Kharazmi University with an emphasis on two easy and difficult scenarios

Background and Aim: Understanding collaborative information seeking behaviour requires knowing about personal characteristics, differences between users, and the type of interactions occur during a collaborative behaviour. The aim of this study is to investigate dimensions of collaborative information seeking behaviour of graduate students of Kharazmi University when using a digital library bas...

متن کامل

Sources of anxiety during information seeking process

Background and Aim: the current study aims to determine factors which may cause negative feeling such as fear, uncertainty and anxiety during information seeking process. Method: In this review paper, different library resources and databases were searched in the areas of library anxiety, Internet anxiety, computer anxiety, information seeking, information searching and information retrieval t...

متن کامل

Information-Seeking Process of Shahid Chamran University Graduate Students and Their Use of Electronic, Print, and Human Information Resources

Background and Aim: This study attempted to investigate the information-seeking process of Shahid Chamran University postgraduate students, and how they use various information sources. The research also investigated he role of demographic characteristics in students' information-seeking process, as well as the problems and barriers they encounter in the process. Method: The population of the s...

متن کامل

Music Mood and Theme Classification - a Hybrid Approach

Music perception is highly intertwined with both emotions and context. Not surprisingly, many of the users’ information seeking actions aim at retrieving music songs based on these perceptual dimensions – moods and themes, expressing how people feel about music or which situations they associate it with. In order to successfully support music retrieval along these dimensions, powerful methods a...

متن کامل

Health Information-Seeking Behavior of Pregnant Women: A Grounded Theory Study

Background and Aim: In studies of special groups’ information seeking behavior, there is not a complete understanding of pregnant women's information seeking process. The purpose is to gain a deeper understanding of health information seeking behavior of the pregnant women. Method: This is an applied qualitative method using Grounded Theory approach. Data were collected through semi- structured...

متن کامل

ذخیره در منابع من


  با ذخیره ی این منبع در منابع من، دسترسی به آن را برای استفاده های بعدی آسان تر کنید

برای دانلود متن کامل این مقاله و بیش از 32 میلیون مقاله دیگر ابتدا ثبت نام کنید

ثبت نام

اگر عضو سایت هستید لطفا وارد حساب کاربری خود شوید

عنوان ژورنال:
  • Journal of Documentation

دوره 65  شماره 

صفحات  -

تاریخ انتشار 2009