A behavioural model derived from analysis of the informa tion-seeking patterns of academic social scientists is employed to provide recommendations for information retrieval system design. The six major characteristics identified in the informa tion-seeking patterns—starting, chaining, browsing, differenti ating, monitoring and extracting—are descnbed in relation to retrieval system facilities, and the possibility of implementing an experimental system in a hypertext environment is consid ered.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
R. Adam, SocialScience information and its users, Journal of Librarianship3 (1971 ) 150-157.
2.
R. Adam, Language and information retrieval in the social sciences, Aslib Proceedings34 (1982) 394-405.
3.
American Psychological Association, Report on Scientific Information Exchange in Psychology, Volume 1 (American Psychological Association, Washington DC, 1963).
4.
American Psychological Association, Report on Scientific Information Exchange in Psychology, Volume 2 (American Psychological Association, Washington DC, 1965).
5.
American Psychological Association, Report on Scientific Information Exchange in Psychology, Volume 3 (American Psychological Association, Washington DC, 1969).
6.
P. Ayris, The stimulation of creativity: a review of the literature concerning the concept of browsing, 1970-1985. (Department of Information Studies Consultancy and Research Unit (CRUS) working paper no. 5 (University of Sheffield, Sheffield, 1985).
7.
M.J. Bates , Idea tactics, Journal of the American Society for Information Science30 (1979) 205-214.
8.
M.J. Bates , Information search tactics, Journal of the American Society for Information Science30 (1979) 280-289.
9.
M.J. Bates , Search techniques, Annual Review of Information Science and Technology16 (1981) 139-169.
10.
Bath University, Toward the improvement of social science information systems: overview of research carried out 1971-1975. Design of Information Systems in the Social Sciences (DISISS) Research Report, Series A, no. 1 (Bath University Library, Bath , 1980).
11.
N.J. Belkin , Progress in documentation: information concepts for information science, Journal of Documentation34 (1978) 55-85.
12.
N.J. Belkin , Anomalous states of knowledge as the basis for information retrieval, Canadian Journal of Information Science5 (1980) 133-143.
13.
N.J. Belkin , Cognitive models and information transfer, Social Science Information Studies4 ( 1984) 111-129.
14.
N.J. Belkin and A. Vickery, Interaction in information systems: a review of research from document retrieval to knowledge based systems. Library and Information Research Report no. 35 (British Library , Boston Spa, 1985).
15.
N.J. Belkin, H. Brooks and R.N. Oddy, Representing and classifying anomalous states of knowledge. In: M. MacCafferty and K. Gray (Editors), The Analysis of Meaning: Proceedings of Informatics 5. Proceedings of a conference held by the Aslib Informatics Group and the BCS Information Retrieval Specialist Group (Aslib, London, 1979) 227-238.
16.
N.J. Belkin, R.N. Oddy and H.M. Brooks, ASK for information retrieval I: background and theory, Journal of Documentation38 (1982) 61-71.
17.
N.J. Belkin, R.N. Oddy and H.M. Brooks, ASK for information retrieval II: results of a design study, Journal of Documentation38 (1982 ) 145-164.
18.
N.J. Belkin, T. Seeger and G. Wersig, Distributed expert problem treatment as a model for information system analysis and design, Journal ofInformation Science5 (1983) 153-167.
19.
J.L. Bennett , The user interface in interactive systems, Annual Review of Information Science and Technology7 ( 1972) 159-196.
20.
S. Bertrand-Gastaldy and C.H. Davidson, Improved design of graphic displays in thesauri—through technology and ergonomics, Journal of Documentation42 (1986) 225-251.
21.
K.T. Bivins-Noerr and P.L. Noerr, The display device: a user oriented intelligent terminal. In: Proceedings of the 6th International Online Information Meeting, London, 1982 (Learned Information, Oxford , 1982) 373-378.
22.
J.D. Bovey and P.J. Brown, Interactive document display and its use in information retrieval, Journal of Documentation43 (1987) 125-377.
23.
J.M. Brittain , Information and its Users: a Review with Special Reference to the Social Sciences (Oriel, Bath University Press, Bath, 1970).
24.
J.M. Brittain , Information services and the structure of knowledge in the social sciences, International Social Science Journal31 (1979) 714-728.
25.
H.M. Brooks, Developing and using problem descriptions. In: B.C. Brookes (Editor), Intelligent Information Systems for the Information Society: Proceedings IRFIS 6 Conference , Frascati, Italy, 1985 ( North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1986) 141-161.
26.
H.M. Brooks, P.J. Damels and N.J. Belkin, Problem description and user models: developing an intelligent interface for document retrieval systems. In: Advances in Intelligent Retrieval: Proceedings of Informatics 8 ( Aslib, London, 1985) 191-214.
27.
W.B. Croft, An expert assistant for a document retrieval system. In: Recherche d'Informations Assistée par Ordinateur: Actes de la Conférence RIAO 85, Grenoble, France (IMAG, Grenoble, 1985).
28.
W.B. Croft, user specified domain knowledge for document retrieval. In: F. Rabiitti (Editor), Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Research and Development in Information Retrieval (ACM, Washington, 1986) 201-206.
29.
W.B. Croft and R.H. Thompson, 13R: a new approach to the design of document retrieval systems, Journal of the American Society for Information Science38 (1987 ) 389-404.
30.
B. Cronin , The need for a theory of citing, Journal of Documentation37 (1981 ) 16-24.
31.
B. Cronin , Invisible colleges and information transfer: a review and commentary with particular reference to the social sciences, Journal of Documentation38 (1982 ) 212-236.
32.
B. Cronin, TheCitation Process: the Role and Significance of Citations in Scientific Communication (Taylor Graham, London, 1984).
33.
J. Conklin , Hypertext—an introduction and survey, Computer20 (1987) 17-41.
34.
P.J. Daniels , Cognitive models in information retrieval— an evaluative review, Journal of Documentation42 (1986) 272-304.
35.
M. Dover, Public information in rural areas: technology experiment (PIRATE). Library and Information Report 64 (British Library. Boston Spa, 1988).
36.
D. Ellis , The effectiveness of information retrieval systems: the need for improved explanatory frameworks, Social Science Information Studies4 (1984) 261-272.
37.
D. Ellis , Theory and explanation in information retrieval research, Journal of Information Science8 (1984) 25-38.
38.
D. Ellis , Social science information research, Journal of the American Society for Information Science37 (1986) 86-88.
39.
D. Ellis, The denvation of a behavioural model for information retrieval system design . PhD thesis (University of Sheffield, Sheffield, 1987).
40.
D. Ellis , A behavioural approach to information retrieval system design. Accepted for publication in Journal of Documentation (1989).
41.
H.P. Frei and J.F. Jauslin, Graphical presentation of information and services: a user oriented interface, Information Technology Research and Development2 (1983 ) 23-42.
42.
E. Garfield, CurrentContents search: new online version of Current Contents expands your coverage and retrieval options, Current Contents30 (1987) 3-9.
43.
W.D. Garvey and B.C. Griffith, Communication and information processing within scientific disciplines: empirical findings for psychology, Information Storage and Retrieval8 ( 1972) 123-136.
44.
W.D. Garvey , N. Lin and C.E. Nelson, Communication in the physical and social sciences, Science170 (1970) 1166-1173.
45.
W.D. Garvey , N. Lin and C.E. Nelson, A comparison of scientific communication behaviour of social and physical scientists, International Social Science Journal23 (1971 ) 256-272.
46.
W.D. Garvey , S.D. Gottfred and J.G. Simmons, A comparison of two major scientific information exchange processes in psychology: 1962-1976, American Psychologist39 (1984) 11-21.
47.
B.G. Glaser and A.L. Strauss, TheDiscovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research (Aldine, Chicago , 1967).
48.
R.J. Greene , The effectiveness of browsing, College and Research Libraries38 ( 1977) 313-316.
49.
P.J. Hills, J. Hull, J. Pullinger and D. Pullinger, An experiment on the redesign of journal articles for online viewing (British Library Research and Development Department, London, 1983).
50.
R. Hjerppe, Project HyperCatalog: vision and preliminary conceptions of an extended and enhanced catalog. In: B.C. Brookes (Editor), Intelligent Information Systems for the Information Society : Proceedings IRFIS 6 Conference, Frascati, Italy, 1985 (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1985) 211-232.
51.
H.P. Hogeweg de Haart, Characteristics of social science information: a selective review of the literature: part I, Social Science Information Studies4 (1983) 147-164.
52.
H.P. Hogeweg de Haart, Characteristics of social science information: a selective review of the literature: part II, Social Science Information Studies4 (1984) 15-30.
53.
E. Hyatt, Hypertext: a review and evaluation. MSc dissertation ( University of Sheffield, Sheffield, 1988).
54.
M.B. Line, The information uses and needs of social scientists: an overview of INFROSS , Aslib Proceedings23 (1971) 412-434.
55.
C. Moon, Computerized personal information systems for research scientists, International Journal of Information Management8 (1988) 265-273.
56.
D.R. Morehead and W.B. Rouse, Models of human information seeking, Information Processing and Management18 (1982) 193-205.
57.
D.R. Morehead and W.B. Rouse, Human computer interaction in information seeking tasks, Information Processing and Management19 (1983) 243-253.
58.
P.L. Noerr, Information navigation. In: M. MacCafferty and K. Gray (Editors), The Analysis of Meaning: Proceedings of Informatics 5. Proceedings of a conference held by the Aslib Informatics Group and the BCS Information Retrieval Specialist Group (Aslib, London, 1979) 202-205.
59.
P.L. Noerr and K.T. Bivins-Noerr, Browse and navigate: an advance in database access methods, Information Processing and Management21 (1985) 205-213.
60.
R.N. Oddy , Information retrieval through man-machine dialogue , Journal of documentation33 (1977) 1-14.
61.
R.N. Oddy , Retrieving references by dialogue rather than by query formulation, Journal of Informatics1 (1977) 37-53.
62.
R.N. Oddy, Laboratory tests: automatic systems. In: K. Sparck Jones (Editor), Information Retrieval Experiment (Butterworth, London, 1981) 156-178.
63.
A.J. Palay and M.S. Fox, Browsing through databases. In: R.N. Oddy , S.E. Robertson, C.J. van Rijsbergen and P.W. Williams (Editors), Information Retrieval Research (Butterworth, London, 1981).
64.
E. Rich, User modelling via stereotypes, Cognitive Science3 (1979) 329-354.
65.
E. Rich, Users are individuals: individualising user models, International Journal of Man-Machine Studies18 ( 1983) 199-214.
66.
S.E. Robertson , The methodology of information retneval experiment . In: K. Sparck Jones (Editor) Information Retrieval Experiment (Butterworth, London, 1981) 9-31.
67.
W.B. Rouse and S.H. Rouse, Human information seeking and design of information systems, Informations Processing andManagement20 (1984) 313-318.
68.
W.B. Rouse , S.H. Rouse and D.R. Morehead, Human information seeking: online searching of bibliographic citation networks, Information Processing and Management18 (1982) 141-149.
69.
B. Skelton, Comparison of results of science user studies with investigation into information requirements of the social sciences. Design of Information Systems in the Social Sciences (DISISS) working paper no. 1 (Bath University Library, Bath, 1971).
70.
B. Skelton , Scientists and social scientists as information users: a comparison of results of science user studies with the investigation into information requirements of the social sciences, Journal of Librarianship5 (1973) 138-156.
71.
K. Sparck Jones .The Cranfield tests. In: K. Sparck Jones (Editor), Information Retrieval Experiment (Butterworth, London, 1981) 256-284.
72.
K. Sparck Jones , Retrieval system test 1958-1978. In: K. Sparck Jones (Editor), Information Retrieval Experiment (Butterworth, London , 1981) 213-255.
73.
D.F. Swift , V.A. Winn and D.A. Bramer, A sociological approach to the design of information systems, Journal of the American Society for Information Science30 (1979) 215-223.
74.
D.E. Walker (Editor) Interactive Bibliographic Search: the User-Computer Interface (AFIPS Press, Montvale, New Jersey, 1971 ).
75.
L.E. Watson , P. Gammage, M.C. Grayshon, S. Hockey, R.K. Jones and D. Oldma.Sociology and information science, Journal of Librarianship5 (1973 ) 270-283.
76.
V.A. Winn , A case study in the problem of information processing in the social science field: the OSTI-SEA project, Aslib Proceedings23 (1971) 76-88.
77.
K. Wright , Social science information characteristics with particular reference to the Educational Resources Information Centre (ERIC) , Journal of the American Society for Information Science24 (1973) 193-204.
