دانلود رایگان ترجمه مقاله اکتشاف گسترده یا خاصیت دقیق – وایلی 2006

جست و جوی کلی یا جست و جوی جزیی: دو الگوی اساسی اطلاع یابی در میان دانشجویان

Broad Exploration or Precise Specificity: Two Basic Information Seeking Patterns Among Students

مجله انجمن آمریکایی علوم و فناوری اطلاعات 

Journal Of The American Society For Information Science And Technology

Introduction

No matter how fast information technology evolves or how sophisticated search systems we learn to master, our basic human reactions remain as they have been through centuries. Our behavior, even in seemingly rational activities such as information seeking, is influenced by our holistic being as a creature of physiological, cognitive, and affective processes. This characteristic has important implications for the development of user-centered information services. The user can learn to adapt to search systems, but more importantly search systems should be adapted to users’ natural ways of seeking information. The traditional approach in library and information science has been to support users to overcome their possible weaknesses in search ability. Equally important is to recognize particular strengths in the users’ habitual ways of information seeking and adjust systems to support these tendencies. An understanding of information behavior would account for the broad interaction of contextual, sociological, and psychological factors that influence information seeking in any given situation. If we find patterns in information behavior and gain insight in explaining underlying variables, we are further on our journey toward an increased understanding of the user. A psychological perspective may reveal reasons behind habitual preferences for particular information seeking styles. This article focuses on patterns of broadness versus specificity in students’ information seeking by relating information behavior to students’ academic discipline, study approach, and personality characteristic. Finding general styles of information seeking and relating them to explanatory variables would be highly beneficial for the further development of information services. Students are important users of information services, as they need to retrieve information in order to expand their knowledge. Extensive research has convincingly shown the influence of context and search task on information seeking (for an overview see Solomon, 2002). The academic field university students are working in forms an important context for their information seeking. Information seeking patterns are usually quite standardized within a certain discipline and the newcomer is trained in those patterns. Drawing on previous research (Entwistle & Ramsden, 1983; Ford, Wilson, Foster, Ellis, & Spink, 2002; Julien, 1999; Kuhlthau, 1993, 2004; McDowell, 2003), the most common patterns in students’ information seeking can be described along a dimension of broadness versus specificity. Broad exploration may indicate that students are exploring a new research topic and need a wide overview in order to get acquainted with the field. At times, a broad search pattern may also reflect the way students build their knowledge. Several models of cognitive processing point to two basic styles of cognition and problem solving, either a convergent rational, problem-focused style or a divergent intuitive, creative broad style (Edwards, 2003; Kolb, 1984). Typical for students with a divergent learning style would be to start their learning process through an overall understanding of a topic to which further pieces of information can be linked. This need induces a broad search pattern throughout project stages. A precise search approach may indicate that students have found a focal point of particular interest after the initial exploration of a new topic. Controlled and systematic seeking with a precise goal may also be typical for students with a serialist learning style. Both broad exploration and specific searching have their particular benefits dependent on stage of the research process, or the preferred way of learning. Students’ personal interest and motivation for their study topic are reflected in the depth of their information need. They may pursue information either because they want to fill a specific knowledge gap or because they enjoy learning more about the topic. This reflects two motivational processes of either wanting or liking (Litman, 2005). Individual styles of seeking information in order to meet information needs could be related to a more pervasive influence on behavioral patterns, personality. Styles can be described as stable patterns that arise from the transaction between the individual and his/her environment (Kolb, 1984, pp. 95–98). Personality inclination is likely to form characteristic styles of information seeking preferences that interact with contextual factors in any given search situation. This article links master’s thesis students’ information seeking to their disciplinary context, approaches to studying, and personality traits in order to analyze typical patterns in their information seeking. The specific research questions were the following: • Do information seeking features form patterns of broadness versus specificity? • Can patterns of information behavior be explained by discipline differences? • Can patterns of information behavior be explained by approaches to studying? • Can patterns of information behavior be explained by personality? Information seeking is studied here through three layers: from the contextual influence of discipline, through the motivational impact of study approach, to the inner inclination of personality disposition.