Funding Opportunities for Research in Human Information Behavior

Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science & Technology, Aug/Sep 2005 by Kasprowski, Rafal

The 4th Annual Research Symposium of the ASIS&T Special Interest Group/Information Needs, Seeking and Use (SIG/USE), held in Providence, Rhode Island, at the 2004 Annual Meeting, examined funding opportunities for research in human information behavior (HIB). The symposium had a dual purpose: to help HIB researchers submit successful proposals while making funding agencies more aware of HIB research. In this report, we'll look at some of the thoughts and outcomes from that symposium.

The invited speaker was Gary Marchionini, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who was joined by a panel of representatives from three major funding agencies - Lynn Silipigni Connaway, Online Computer Library Center (OCLC); Joyce Ray, Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS); and Sangtae Kim, National Science Foundation (NSF) - as well as three experienced HIB grant recipients - Karen Fisher, University of Washington, Barbara Wildemuth, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Marchionini. Over 40 participants conducting or preparing research in HIB attended the symposium.

Following the speaker's introduction, the representatives of the funding agencies explained the history and research objectives of their grants. During the question and answer period, they responded to the participants' concerns about the grant application process and provided them with tips for successful submissions. The invited HIB grant recipients took part in these discussions and, in the final segment of the symposium, engaged with the participants in round-table sessions offering research and career guidance.

Perspectives on HIB Research

In his introductory speech, Marchionini presented the fields of human information behavior (HIB) and human information interaction (HII) and discussed current challenges and research opportunities for the future.

Empirical approach. Marchionini argued that practical methods, rather than theoretical frameworks, are best suited for exploring HIB/HII, considering the complex variables involved, such as cultural experience, computer experience, information-seeking skills and metacognitive abilities. Examples of this empirical approach are naturalistic methods, which investigate isolated tasks as they appear in the real world, and scenario-based methods, which reduce the complexity of real phenomena to obtain more predictable results.

Current models in HIB/HII. The current challenge in HIB/HII research is to focus on information analysis and reach a greater understanding of what it really means to interact with information than is possible at the level of information search and retrieval. One of the models currently used is the cost-benefit analysis model, where the effort (cost) required with relation to desired outcomes, such as learning (benefit), is studied. Effort can be measured in terms of time and load, such as perceptual load (e.g., eye tracking, dwell time), cognitive load (time invested to solve the problem at hand), physical load (e.g., fatigue factors) and affective load. Performance and satisfaction measures represent an example of current research model limitations. Satisfaction may not measure quality since people tend to be satisfied with little in terms of the information they find. Similarly, performance can be inversely proportional to satisfaction - users often perform better if given less time, although they may not like to be subjected to time limits. Models need to be improved; classical transaction log data, for example, should be used with interviews, observations, stimulated recall, think-alouds and other methods to understand human thinking.

Research opportunities. HIB/HII researchers have a growing number of research opportunities available to them. Classical approaches such as relevance studies are being applied to multimedia and the World Wide Web. Studies of group behavior have become particularly relevant in the context of online interactions. Today's dynamic and context-rich information has new implications on archiving granularity. Increasing numbers of sensors worldwide make possible more thorough studies of such HII factors as dissemination, information collection and management. Studies of affect have proven useful in understanding users' emotional involvement in information searching. Professional groups or people with special needs exhibit unique information behaviors worthy of separate investigation. Exoinformation - the information that people reveal about themselves knowingly or not as a byproduct of their information-seeking behavior - is another growing research area.

Claim. Marchionini claims that getting humans more actively engaged in the information-seeking process is the only hope for significant advances in HII models, user interfaces and educational models and practices. In general, more collaboration between all key players - users, information professionals and computer specialists - is required to reach this goal.

Laying the Groundwork

Subsequent discussion emphasized that HIB researchers need to develop systematic approaches for obtaining grants, and the community as a whole must promote its work if HIB research is to grow.