Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Information Searching Behavior: Between Two Principles

  • Conference paper
Context: Nature, Impact, and Role (CoLIS 2005)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 3507))

  • 797 Accesses

Abstract

The paper considers different types of model and real-life information searching behavior. Only two behavioral principles correspond to all the diversity of information searching: the principle of least effort describing a model unmediated search and the principle of guarantied results describing a model mediated search. It is shown that real-life searching follows the same principles and that the principle of least effort describes not only unmediated search but also team and pseudo-mediated searches. To explain information searching behavior the ‘coverage space’ is considered. This model explains both choice of the principle and non-monotonicity of this choice. As an application of these results, the universally accepted myth about differences between searching on the Web and searching in ‘traditional’ IR systems is reevaluated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Bates, M.: Information Search Tactics. JASIS 30(4), 205–214 (1979)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Bates, M.: Where should the person stop and information interface start? Information Processing & Management 26(5), 575–591 (1990)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  3. Bates, M.: Task force recommendation 2.3. Research and design review: improving user access to library catalog and portal information. Final Report (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bates, M.: The Getty end-user online searching project in the humanities: Report #6. College&Research Libraries 57(6), 514–523 (1996)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. Bates, M.: Toward an integrated model of information seeking and searching. In: Proc. of 4th Conf. on Information Seeking in Context, pp. 2–14 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bell, D., Ruthven, I.: Searchers’ assessments of task complexity for Web searching. In: McDonald, S., Tait, J.I. (eds.) ECIR 2004. LNCS, vol. 2997, pp. 57–71. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  7. Bruce, H., Fidel, R., Pejtersen, A.M., Dumais, S., Grudin, J., Poltrock, S.: A comparison of the collaborative information retrieval behaviour of two design teams. New Review of Information Behaviour Research 4(1), 139–153 (2003)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Buckland, M., Florian, D.: Expertise, task complexity, and artificial intelligence: A conceptual framework. JASIS 42(9), 635–643 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Fenichel, C.: Online searching: Measures that discriminate among users with different types of experience. JASIS 32, 23–32 (1981)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Fidel, R.: Moves in Online Searching. Online Review 9(1), 61–74 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fidel, R., Pejtersen, A.M., Cleal, B., Bruce, H.: A multidimensional approach to the study of human-information interaction. JASIST 55(11), 939–953 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Hsieh-Yee, I.: Effects of search experience and subject knowledge on the search tactics of novice and experienced searchers. JASIST 44(3), 161–174 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Holscher, C., Strube, G.: Web search behavior of internet experts and newbies. Int. J. Comput. Telecommun. Networks 33(1–6), 337–346

    Google Scholar 

  14. Jansen, B., Pooch, U.: A review of Web searching studies and a framework for future research. JASIST 52(3), 235–246 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Jansen, B., Spink, A., Saracevic, T.: Real life, real users, and real needs: a study and analysis of user queries on the Web. Information Processing&Management 36(2), 207–227 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Jones, S., Cunningham, S., McNab, R., Boddie, S.: A transaction log analysis of a digital library. Int. J. on Digital Libraries 3(2), 152–169 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Koenemann, J., Belkin, N.: A case for interaction: a study of interactive information retrieval behavior and effectiveness. In: Proc. of CHI 1996, pp. 205–212 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kuhlthau, C.: A principle of uncertainty for information seeking. Journal of Documentation 49(4), 339–355 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Kuhlthau, C.: Seeking meaning: a process approach to library and information services. Ablex, Noewood (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Niu, X., Bizants, A.: The effects of search environment and task realism on search behavior. In: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 45th Annual Meeting (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Nordlie, R.: Unmediated and Mediated Information Searching in the Public Library. In: ASIS 1996 Annual Conf. Proc. (1996), http://www.asis.org/annual-96/ElectronicProceedings

  22. Sandstrom, P.: Scholars as subsistence foragers. Bulletin of ASIS 25(3), 17–20 (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Seiden, P., Szymborski, K., Norelli, B.: Undergraduate students in the Digital Library: Information seeking behavior in an heterogenous environment. In: ACRL National Conference (1997), http://www.ala.org/acrl/paperhtm/c26.html

  24. Siegfried, S., Bates, M., Wilde, D.: A profile of end-user searching by humanities scholars. JASIS 44(5), 273–291 (1993)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Spink, A., Jansen, B., Wolfram, D., Saracevic, T.: From e-sex to e-commerce: Web search changes. Computer, 107–109 (March 2002)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Spink, A., Ozmutlu, H.C., Ozmutlu, S.: Multitasking information seeking and searching processes. JASIST 53(8), 639–652

    Google Scholar 

  27. Spink, A., Wilson, T.D., Ford, N., Foster, A., Ellis, D.: Information seeking and mediated searching study. Part 1. JASIST 53(9), 695–703 (2002)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Spink, A., Wolfram, D., Jansen, B., Saracevic, T.: Searching the Web: The Public and their queries. JASIST 52(3), 226–234 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Vakkari, P.: eCognition and changes of search terms and tactics during task performance. In: Proc. of RIAO 2000, pp. 894–907 (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Vakkari, P.: Task complexity, problem structure and information actions. Information Processing & Management 35(6), 819–837 (1999)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Wildemuth, B., Jacob, E., Fullington, A., de Blieck, R., Friedman, C.: A detailed analysis of end-user search behaviors. In: Proc. of 54 ASIS Annual Meeting, pp. 302–312 (1991)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Wolfram, D., Spink, A., Jansen, B., Saracevic, T.: Vox populi: the public searching of the Web. JASIST 52(12), 1073–1074 (2001)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Zipf, G.: Human behavior and the principle of least effort. Addison-Wesley, Cambridge (1949)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of System Analysis, Russian Academy of Science, 9 prospect 60 Let Oktyabrya, 117312, Moscow, Russia

    Nick Buzikashvili

Authors
  1. Nick Buzikashvili
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer and Information Science, University of Strathclyde, Scotland

    Fabio Crestani

  2. Dept. of Computer and Information Sciences, University of Strathclyde, G1 1XH, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

    Ian Ruthven

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Buzikashvili, N. (2005). Information Searching Behavior: Between Two Principles. In: Crestani, F., Ruthven, I. (eds) Context: Nature, Impact, and Role. CoLIS 2005. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3507. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11495222_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11495222_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-26178-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-32101-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation