The dilemma of the direct answer

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Martin Potthast ◽  
Matthias Hagen ◽  
Benno Stein
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Access ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Information System Design ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Remarkable Progress ◽  
Direct Answer

No Web technology has undergone such an impressive evolution as Web search engines did and still do. Starting with the promise of "Bringing order to the Web" 1 by compiling information sources matching a query, retrieval technology has been evolving to a kind of "oracle machinery", being able to recommend a single source, and even to provide direct answers extracted from that source. Notwithstanding the remarkable progress made and the apparent user preferences for direct answers, this paradigm shift comes at a price which is higher than one might expect at first sight, affecting both users and search engine developers in their own way. We call this tradeoff "the dilemma of the direct answer"; it deserves an analysis which has to go beyond system-oriented aspects but scrutinize the way our society deals with both their information needs and means to information access. The paper in hand contributes to this analysis by putting the evolution of retrieval technology and the expectations at it in the context of information retrieval history. Moreover, we discuss the trade offs in information behavior and information system design that users and developers may face in the future.

Health information needs, sources, and barriers of primary care patients to achieve patient-centered care: A literature review

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 992-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martina A Clarke ◽  
Joi L Moore ◽  
Linsey M Steege ◽  
Richelle J Koopman ◽  
Jeffery L Belden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Search ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Information Access ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Common Information ◽  
Primary Care Patients

To synthesize findings from previous studies assessing information needs of primary care patients on the Internet and other information sources in a primary care setting. A systematic review of studies was conducted with a comprehensive search in multiple databases including OVID MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus. The most common information needs among patients were information about an illness or medical condition and treatment methods, while the most common information sources were the Internet and patients’ physicians. Overall, patients tend to prefer the Internet for the ease of access to information, while they trust their physicians more for their clinical expertise and experience. Barriers to information access via the Internet include the following: socio-demographic variables such as age, ethnicity, income, education, and occupation; information search skills; and reliability of health information. Conclusion: Further research is warranted to assess how to create accurate and reliable health information sources for both Internet and non-Internet users.

scholarly journals Generating Personalized Web Search Using Semantic Context

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Xu ◽  
Hai-Yan Chen ◽  
Jie Yu
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Web Search ◽  
User Profile ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Personalized Search ◽  
User Session ◽  
User Context ◽  
The One

The “one size fits the all” criticism of search engines is that when queries are submitted, the same results are returned to different users. In order to solve this problem, personalized search is proposed, since it can provide different search results based upon the preferences of users. However, existing methods concentrate more on the long-term and independent user profile, and thus reduce the effectiveness of personalized search. In this paper, the method captures the user context to provide accurate preferences of users for effectively personalized search. First, the short-term query context is generated to identify related concepts of the query. Second, the user context is generated based on the click through data of users. Finally, a forgetting factor is introduced to merge the independent user context in a user session, which maintains the evolution of user preferences. Experimental results fully confirm that our approach can successfully represent user context according to individual user information needs.

scholarly journals A personal reflection on researching and writing my dissertation: "The effect of homelessness on information access, identity formation and social interaction".

2012 ◽  
Vol 36 (113) ◽  
pp. 4-14
Author(s):  
Thomas Muggleton
Keyword(s):  
Social Interaction ◽  
Identity Formation ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Public Libraries ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Personal Perspective ◽  
Science Literature ◽  
Library Studies

This is a brief account of research undertaken for a dissertation, The effect of homelessness on information access, identity formation and social interaction, submitted to the University of Strathclyde in 2010 for the degree of M.Sc. Information and Library Studies. The dissertation aimed to add to the information science literature on homelessness, which often focuses on practical information needs, by considering access to information sources – specifically newspapers, television, radio, books and the internet – that may affect ‘higher-level’ needs. The findings contradicted initial expectations regarding the extent to which homelessness would restrict access to these information sources, but the decision to address higher-level information needs proved well-founded, since participants clearly pursued these alongside more basic physiological needs. The research has implications for the provision of information and services within both organisations serving the homeless and public libraries. This paper presents the research and its findings from a personal perspective.

Evidential Learning on Web Search Queries Disambiguation for Active Strategic Decision Making

2019 ◽  
pp. 186-196
Author(s):  
Shahid Kamal ◽  
Jamal Abdul Nasir ◽  
Zia Uddin ◽  
Bakhtiar Khan
Keyword(s):  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Information Access ◽  
Strategic Decision ◽  
Strategic Decision Making ◽  
Software Systems ◽  
Search System ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
The Web

The web search engines are perhaps the most significant of all software systems. True, the vast information needs of the users would not satisfy without a way to represent the data and provide the interface components. The fast growth of the information world and the internet saturation into all fields has increased the importance of the problem of information access. In pursuance of communication being made with a web search system, the user must express his or her needs in the form of queries. However, due to the lack of domain knowledge and the limitation of natural language such as synonym and polysemy, many system users cannot formulate their needs into effective queries. In this chapter, the authors attempt to give detailed description of ambiguity concept, search queries, and then disambiguation process with respect to different types. Disambiguating the search intent and improving the accuracy of resulting information is a crucial issue in the domain of web search systems, especially when most of users are unable to clearly express their information needs.

Classification of means and methods of the Web semantic retrieval

2017 ◽  
pp. 030-050
Author(s):  
J.V. Rogushina ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Search Engines ◽  
Domain Knowledge ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Web Search ◽  
User Interaction ◽  
Query Languages ◽  
Semantic Search ◽  
Semantic Retrieval ◽  
The Web

Problems associated with the improve ment of information retrieval for open environment are considered and the need for it’s semantization is grounded. Thecurrent state and prospects of development of semantic search engines that are focused on the Web information resources processing are analysed, the criteria for the classification of such systems are reviewed. In this analysis the significant attention is paid to the semantic search use of ontologies that contain knowledge about the subject area and the search users. The sources of ontological knowledge and methods of their processing for the improvement of the search procedures are considered. Examples of semantic search systems that use structured query languages (eg, SPARQL), lists of keywords and queries in natural language are proposed. Such criteria for the classification of semantic search engines like architecture, coupling, transparency, user context, modification requests, ontology structure, etc. are considered. Different ways of support of semantic and otology based modification of user queries that improve the completeness and accuracy of the search are analyzed. On base of analysis of the properties of existing semantic search engines in terms of these criteria, the areas for further improvement of these systems are selected: the development of metasearch systems, semantic modification of user requests, the determination of an user-acceptable transparency level of the search procedures, flexibility of domain knowledge management tools, increasing productivity and scalability. In addition, the development of means of semantic Web search needs in use of some external knowledge base which contains knowledge about the domain of user information needs, and in providing the users with the ability to independent selection of knowledge that is used in the search process. There is necessary to take into account the history of user interaction with the retrieval system and the search context for personalization of the query results and their ordering in accordance with the user information needs. All these aspects were taken into account in the design and implementation of semantic search engine "MAIPS" that is based on an ontological model of users and resources cooperation into the Web.

scholarly journals “I actually got my first job through my ex-colleague”: Employment-related information seeking behavior of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada

2021 ◽  
pp. 096100062199280
Author(s):  
Nafiz Zaman Shuva
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Occupational Status ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Immigrant Professionals ◽  
Government Of Canada ◽  
First Job

This study explores the employment-related information seeking behaviour of Bangladeshi immigrants in Canada. Using a mixed-methods approach, the study conducted semi-structured interviews with 60 Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario, Canada, and obtained 205 survey responses. The study highlights the centrality of employment-related settlement among Bangladeshi immigrants in Ontario and reports many immigrants not being able to utilize their education and skills after arrival in Canada. The results show that Bangladeshi immigrants utilize various information sources for their employment in Canada, including friends and professional colleagues, online searchers, and settlement agencies. Although Bangladeshi immigrants utilized a large array of information sources for meeting their employment-related information needs, many interview participants emphasized that the employment-related benefits they received was because of their access to friends and professional colleagues in Canada. The survey results echoed the interview findings. The cross-tabulation results on post-arrival information sources and occupation status as well as first job information sources and occupational status in Canada show a significant association among the use of the information source “friends and professional colleagues in Canada” and immigrants’ occupational status. The study highlights the benefits of professional colleagues among immigrants in employment-related settlement contexts. It also reports the challenges faced by many immigrant professionals related to employment-related settlement because of the lack of access to their professional friends and colleagues in Canada. The author urges the Federal Government of Canada, provincial governments, and settlement agencies working with newcomers to offer services that would connect highly skilled immigrants with their professional networks in Canada, in order to get proper guidance related to obtaining a professional job or alternative career. The author calls for further studies on employment-related information seeking by immigrants to better understand the role information plays in their settlement in a new country.

The information needs and behaviour of the Egyptian elderly living in care homes: An exploratory study

IFLA Journal ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 034003522199156
Author(s):  
Essam Mansour
Keyword(s):  
Elderly People ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
Average Income ◽  
Information Awareness ◽  
Medical Health ◽  
Types Of Information ◽  
Elderly Living

The purpose of this study is to investigate the information-seeking behaviour of the Egyptian elderly, including their information needs. A sample of 63 elderly people living in care homes was taken. It was divided into five focus groups. Of the 63 elderly people, 40 were men (63.5%) and 23 women (36.5%). Almost half (47.6%) ranged in aged from 61 to 70. About a quarter (23%) of them held a high school diploma. The highest percentage (28.6%) was labelled as average-income people. The highest percentage (60.3%) was also found to be widows or widowers. The types of information used most by the Egyptian elderly related to physical, medical/health, social, rational and recreational needs. Their information sources varied between formal and informal sources. Nearly two-thirds (63.5%) of them showed that limited knowledge, lack of interest, poor information awareness, aging, loneliness and health problems were the most significant obstacles they faced when seeking information.

Sanitation game changing: paradigm shift from end-of-pipe to off-grid solutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 497-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. N. Bhagwan ◽  
S. Pillay ◽  
D. Koné
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Developing World ◽  
Universal Access ◽  
Energy Requirement ◽  
Water Security ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
New Paradigm ◽  
Human Waste ◽  
Wastewater Pollution ◽  
Developed Nations

Abstract The toilet-wastewater-pollution nexus – the provision of safe, hygienic and appropriate sanitation solutions – is an emerging, priority issue world-wide. Developed nations have followed a linear design approach to achieve their sanitation needs, with conventional waterborne systems continuously improved to meet more stringent control and pollution regulations while minimising the load on the natural environment. Developing countries, on the other hand, continue to struggle to implement such systems, due to a myriad of factors associated with financing, affordability and revenue, and thus rely heavily on on-site systems. On-site systems pose a different set of technical challenges related to their management, which is often overlooked in the developing world. Whereas, while technology strides increase in conventional sanitation processes towards zero-effluent, these come at a significant cost and energy requirement. Further, climate variability and water security put added pressure on the resources available for flushing and transporting human waste. A new paradigm for sanitation, proposed in this paper, introduces and is based on technology disrupters that can safely treat human excreta, and matches user preferences without the need for sewers, or reliance on large quantities of water and/or energy supplies. Through innovation and smart-chain supply, universal access can be achieved sustainably, and linked to water security and business opportunities. The opportunity arises for leapfrogging these solutions in growing cities in the developing world, reducing water consumption and eliminating pollutant pathways.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document