ERIC Number: EJ1082047
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Oct
Pages: 23
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1368-1613
EISSN: N/A
Information Behaviour That Keeps Found Things Found
Bruce, Harry; Jones, William; Dumais, Susan
Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, v10 n1 Oct 2004
This paper reports on a study that the researchers call: "Keeping found things found on the Web" or "KFTF". The research focuses on the classic problem of ensuring that once a useful information source or channel has been located, it can be found again when it is needed. To achieve this goal, individuals engage in information behaviour that the research team refers to as keeping and re-finding. The research study observed both types of information behaviour. To study keeping, the researchers designed an observational study to record what people do in their offices when they are searching or browsing the Web and they find information they want to keep for re-use. This behaviour was observed and then analysed for its underlying purpose in the first phase of the KFTF study (the keeping study). In the second phase of the study (the re-finding study), the researchers designed a delayed recall observation which required participants to re-find information on the Web that they had located during the observations of phase 1. This delayed recall study focused upon observations of re-finding information. Finally, the researchers conducted a survey to validate and augment the data from the keeping study. Two hundred and fourteen individuals participated in the survey.
Descriptors: Internet, Access to Information, Information Management, Information Seeking, Recall (Psychology), Surveys, Observation, Interviews, Questionnaires, Individual Characteristics, Web Sites, Professional Personnel, Researchers, Librarians, Administrators
Thomas D. Wilson. 9 Broomfield Road, Broomhill, Sheffield, S10 2SE, UK. Web site: http://informationr.net/ir
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A