Investigating relations of information seeking outcomes to the selection and use of information sources

Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper reports the findings of a study investigating the relationship between information seekers' selection and use of information sources and their perceptions of information seeking outcomes (i.e., successes and failures) in the context of information seeking barriers as well as contextual factors such as knowledge, emotions and social role. Fifty‐three participants performed four simulated information‐seeking tasks over a two‐day period and reported their experiences and findings in an online logbook. Semi‐structured interviews with 23 participants were also conducted in order to examine the issues that arose from the logbook. Data collected from the study were analyzed by applying both qualitative and quantitative methods. The findings suggest that use of impersonal sources provides a higher likelihood of successful outcomes in information seeking episodes compared to interpersonal sources. Meanwhile, interpersonal sources were found to be more effective in providing personalized information. Moreover, there were no significant associations among users' education, cognitive and emotional characteristics, and other contextual factors and successes and failures in information seeking. Lastly, constraints such as, lack of help from people, unreliable information, and time limitation seemed to influence information seeking outcomes and increase the chances of unsuccessful results.

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