Description of a research study that empirically investigated book index usage behaviors and the extent to which specific print index features affect a user's search for information highlights observable behaviors of a sample of users when consulting different variations of a hard copy book index. (Contains 12 references.) (LRW)

Reports end-users' ratings of the relative importance of 40 relevance criteria as used in their own information-seeking situations, and examines relationships between criteria that they rated most important. A model of relevance with three constructs that contribute to the concept of relevance was proposed using 11 criteria that survey respondents…

Summarizes a presentation that discussed findings and implications of research projects using an Internet search service and Internet-accessible vendor databases, representing the two sides of public database searching: query formulation and resource utilization. Presenters included: Tefko Saracevic, Amanda Spink, Dietmar Wolfram and Hong Xie.…

Illustrates how various key abstractions of information finding, such as document relevance, a desired number of relevant documents, discouragement, exhaustion, and satisfaction can be modeled using the Petri Net framework. Shows that this model leads naturally to a new approach to collection of user data, and to analysis of transaction logs.…

Describes a model of information seeking/retrieval in which the user's quest is seen as a generalized abstract "response function" representing the user's response to the information delivered by the system. The concept of an information quest, "Q," is illustrated with data collected in the Ant World Project at Rutgers…

Addresses foundations of designing a bibliographic database for casual end-users, including the representation of knowledge, hierarchical schemata, cognitive processing of search problems, basic level categories of knowledge, and Boolean strategy in online searching. A hierarchical-based query model, data-item model, and idealized data model for…

Discusses quality in end-user documentation for computer applications and explains four approaches to improving quality in end-user documents. Highlights include online help, usability testing, technical writing elements, statistical approaches, and concepts relating to software quality that are also applicable to user manuals. (LRW)

Proposes a cognitive approach to modeling users' perceptions in situations in which information content, information sources, and users themselves are constantly moving in time and space. A temporal-spatial model is explained and empirical support is provided by the results of a study of weather information users from a variety of occupations.…

Describes a study that examined interactions between users and intermediaries prior to online searching to examine communication about the user's stage in the search process. A model of information seeking that views the information search process as a series of cognitive stages is presented, and implications for user-intermediary interactions are…

Presents findings from a study of how knowledge workers use the Web to seek external information as part of their daily work. Participants were 34 users from seven companies. Findings suggest that a behavioral framework that relates motivation and moves may be helpful in analysing patterns of Web-based information seeking. (AEF)

Forty end-users with individual information problems from an academic environment were observed, interacting with six professional intermediaries searching on their behalf in large operational systems. Conceptual categories of users' reasons for assigning particular value ratings on the value of search results and relationships between these…

Users in this study of two Web browsers had significantly higher success with Internet Explorer than with Netscape Navigator, made a variety of errors in several tasks, and those reporting higher self-confidence had significantly higher success scores. Results confirm the expectation that affective and cognitive measures add valuable user-centered…

Discusses changes of focus, or interaction shifts, (readily observed in mediated database searching) between search intermediaries and users during information retrieval interactions. Presents results in terms of frequency of shifts in each interaction; classification scheme for shifts; frequency of shifts for each class; and intensity of focus on…

Reports findings from a study investigating the information seeking and information needs of low income African American households in Dallas, Texas. Three hundred households were surveyed; results show information seeking behavior, particularly with regard to employment, health, news, and security issues. (Author/AEF)

Reports on an exploratory study that examined the criteria users mentioned in evaluating the results of their own multimedia searches related to weather information. Ten evaluation criteria are described, their relationships to information sources and presentation formats are examined, and directions for future research are suggested. (nine…