J. Information Seeking Behavior
J. describe the fundamental concepts of information-seeking behaviors;
Introduction
Each day humans seek information for a variety of reasons. In this process, they choose certain avenues for finding answers. It is important for the information professional to understand these processes and avenues in order that they can guide people to potential resources. These processes and avenues are known as information seeking behavior
I understand and define this competency to mean that I can describe the theories behind information seeking behaviors in my own words. There are several major theories that are important for the information professional. The first of these theories is the Information Search Process (ISP) which was proposed by Kuhlthau (Rubin, 2004, p. 42). In this theory, she suggests that information seekers have a six stage process, “initiation, selection, exploration, formulation, collection, and presentation” (Rubin, 2004, p. 43). Each stage has different characteristics. Therefore it is important that I know and understand each stage so that I can use tools to help guide the needs of the seeker. Kuhlthau (2012) writes that “one of the important findings of this research was the discovery of a sharp increase in uncertainty and decrease in confidence after a search had been initiated” (Kuhlthau, 2012). Understanding why this decrease in confidence about searching occurs will give an information professional a greater chance of helping the individual.
Another theory in information seeking behaviors is that of the “Principle of Least Effort (PLE)” (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 37). In this theory, people who seek information will do so in the easiest way possible. Haycock and Sheldon (2008) state that one of the consequences of PLE is that people “tend to be very habitual about sources of information” (p. 38). Therefore, it is important for an information professional to understand this habituation and to encourage seekers to look for information in other places. An example of this would be to have an information professional discourage a person’s habit of using Wikipedia as a reliable source of information.
Lastly, Brenda Dervin’s theory is important for any information professional to understand. It suggests that people have gaps in their knowledge and they must cover those gaps with new information. Therefore, Devin suggests that “a person’s information seeking endeavors is to make sense of a current situation” (Information seeking behaviors, 2011). This means that when people search they may just use the answer that makes the most sense as well as the easiest answer.
This competency of learning how people look for information is important to the profession because people seek the information professional for answers. As Haycock and Sheldon (2008) write, “libraries play an important role in filtering and guiding users to the answers to their questions” (p. 41). Training is needed to teach information professionals how to handle a variety of searching behaviors so that they can better serve their patrons.
This competency is important to me as an information professional because there is a large amount of useless information in the world. As a result, if I understand how people search and absorb information, I will be a more valuable employee for the institution in which I work. This in turn, makes the institution more valuable to the community at large.
Two of my graduate classes, LIBR 202, Information Retrieval and LIBR 200, Information and Society, explored how people search for information. These classes, particularly LIBR 202, gave me the foundation of understanding information seeking behaviors. Due to this, the following pieces of evidence come from those two classes
Evidence
The first piece of evidence for competency in information seeking behavior is a paper I wrote for LIBR 200, Information and Society. In this paper I discussed Kuhlthau’s research on how people look for information. For this paper I was required to summarize an article on information behaviors as well as to discuss why or why not it was a good article. This paper shows that I can internalize research material on information seeking behavior and synthesize the ideas into my own words.
The second piece of evidence for competency in information seeking behavior is an evaluation of my database for LIBR 202, Information Retrieval. In this evaluation I wrote about how my collection would be used, the questions that one might ask when searching through my database, and finally what needs my database would serve. This evaluation is included because it shows that I thought about my database from a user’s perspective and how might he or she search through it.
The third piece of evidence for competency in information seeking behavior is a paper I wrote for LIBR 202, Information Retrieval on controlled vocabularies. In this paper, I discuss what controlled vocabularies are, how coordination between vocabularies works, and how a database uses controlled vocabularies. I am providing this paper to show my understanding in how different words are used for searching and therefore understanding the theory behind PLE (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 37).
The last piece of evidence for competency in information seeking behavior is a paper I wrote for LIBR 202 on a comparison between Flickr and WordPress tagging. I have used both systems and each system is effective for the clients’ targeted objectives. This piece of evidence shows competency in information seeking behaviors because I understand how different systems cater to a variety of ways people use the internet to search for information.
Conclusion
The evidence and examples that I have provided are proof that I am competent in information seeking behaviors. Understanding how users seek information will provide me with the understanding how to better serve my patrons.
References
Haycock, K. and B. Sheldon. (2008). The portable MLIS: insights from the experts. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Information seeking behaviors. (2001). In LISWik. Retrieved online from http://liswiki.org/wiki/Information_behavior_theories.
Kuhlthau, C. (2012). Information search process. Retrieved from http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau
/information_search_process.htm.
Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
Introduction
Each day humans seek information for a variety of reasons. In this process, they choose certain avenues for finding answers. It is important for the information professional to understand these processes and avenues in order that they can guide people to potential resources. These processes and avenues are known as information seeking behavior
I understand and define this competency to mean that I can describe the theories behind information seeking behaviors in my own words. There are several major theories that are important for the information professional. The first of these theories is the Information Search Process (ISP) which was proposed by Kuhlthau (Rubin, 2004, p. 42). In this theory, she suggests that information seekers have a six stage process, “initiation, selection, exploration, formulation, collection, and presentation” (Rubin, 2004, p. 43). Each stage has different characteristics. Therefore it is important that I know and understand each stage so that I can use tools to help guide the needs of the seeker. Kuhlthau (2012) writes that “one of the important findings of this research was the discovery of a sharp increase in uncertainty and decrease in confidence after a search had been initiated” (Kuhlthau, 2012). Understanding why this decrease in confidence about searching occurs will give an information professional a greater chance of helping the individual.
Another theory in information seeking behaviors is that of the “Principle of Least Effort (PLE)” (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 37). In this theory, people who seek information will do so in the easiest way possible. Haycock and Sheldon (2008) state that one of the consequences of PLE is that people “tend to be very habitual about sources of information” (p. 38). Therefore, it is important for an information professional to understand this habituation and to encourage seekers to look for information in other places. An example of this would be to have an information professional discourage a person’s habit of using Wikipedia as a reliable source of information.
Lastly, Brenda Dervin’s theory is important for any information professional to understand. It suggests that people have gaps in their knowledge and they must cover those gaps with new information. Therefore, Devin suggests that “a person’s information seeking endeavors is to make sense of a current situation” (Information seeking behaviors, 2011). This means that when people search they may just use the answer that makes the most sense as well as the easiest answer.
This competency of learning how people look for information is important to the profession because people seek the information professional for answers. As Haycock and Sheldon (2008) write, “libraries play an important role in filtering and guiding users to the answers to their questions” (p. 41). Training is needed to teach information professionals how to handle a variety of searching behaviors so that they can better serve their patrons.
This competency is important to me as an information professional because there is a large amount of useless information in the world. As a result, if I understand how people search and absorb information, I will be a more valuable employee for the institution in which I work. This in turn, makes the institution more valuable to the community at large.
Two of my graduate classes, LIBR 202, Information Retrieval and LIBR 200, Information and Society, explored how people search for information. These classes, particularly LIBR 202, gave me the foundation of understanding information seeking behaviors. Due to this, the following pieces of evidence come from those two classes
Evidence
The first piece of evidence for competency in information seeking behavior is a paper I wrote for LIBR 200, Information and Society. In this paper I discussed Kuhlthau’s research on how people look for information. For this paper I was required to summarize an article on information behaviors as well as to discuss why or why not it was a good article. This paper shows that I can internalize research material on information seeking behavior and synthesize the ideas into my own words.
The second piece of evidence for competency in information seeking behavior is an evaluation of my database for LIBR 202, Information Retrieval. In this evaluation I wrote about how my collection would be used, the questions that one might ask when searching through my database, and finally what needs my database would serve. This evaluation is included because it shows that I thought about my database from a user’s perspective and how might he or she search through it.
The third piece of evidence for competency in information seeking behavior is a paper I wrote for LIBR 202, Information Retrieval on controlled vocabularies. In this paper, I discuss what controlled vocabularies are, how coordination between vocabularies works, and how a database uses controlled vocabularies. I am providing this paper to show my understanding in how different words are used for searching and therefore understanding the theory behind PLE (Haycock and Sheldon, 2008, p. 37).
The last piece of evidence for competency in information seeking behavior is a paper I wrote for LIBR 202 on a comparison between Flickr and WordPress tagging. I have used both systems and each system is effective for the clients’ targeted objectives. This piece of evidence shows competency in information seeking behaviors because I understand how different systems cater to a variety of ways people use the internet to search for information.
Conclusion
The evidence and examples that I have provided are proof that I am competent in information seeking behaviors. Understanding how users seek information will provide me with the understanding how to better serve my patrons.
References
Haycock, K. and B. Sheldon. (2008). The portable MLIS: insights from the experts. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.
Information seeking behaviors. (2001). In LISWik. Retrieved online from http://liswiki.org/wiki/Information_behavior_theories.
Kuhlthau, C. (2012). Information search process. Retrieved from http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~kuhlthau
/information_search_process.htm.
Rubin, R. E. (2004). Foundations of library and information science. New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc.
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