Computer-Aided Information Seeking: Assessing the Value of Information

1983 ◽  
Vol 27 (10) ◽  
pp. 855-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
David R. Morehead ◽  
William B. Rouse
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Value Of Information ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Value Function ◽  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Online Information ◽  
A Value ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Keyword Searching

In order for computer-based information systems to evolve beyond index-oriented, keyword searching, it is argued that it will be necessary for the computer to be able to assess online the value of information relative to particular users and specific goals. A general formulation of a value function for characterizing a user's information needs is presented. Issues considered include the applicability of linear and multi-linear models, the effect of various cognitive biases and limitations, and the effects of context. Problems in incorporating the proposed formulation of a value function into an online information system are considered and results of three applications are discussed.

scholarly journals Online health information seeking behaviours of parents of children undergoing surgery in a pediatric hospital in Rome, Italy: a survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Russo ◽  
Ilaria Campagna ◽  
Beatrice Ferretti ◽  
Elisabetta Pandolfi ◽  
Marta Luisa Ciofi Degli Atti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Major Surgery ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Pediatric Hospital ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey

Abstract Background People increasingly search online for health information. Particularly, parents of patients often use the Internet as a source for health information. We conducted a survey to investigate the online searching behavior of parents of patients < 18 years, admitted for surgery in an Italian pediatric hospital. Methods The cross-sectional survey was nested in a prospective cohort study on surgical procedures. Parents of patients undergoing surgical procedures at Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy, were enrolled and contacted by phone after the procedure. We recorded socio-demographic data, sex, length of stay following surgery, proximity of residence to the hospital, use of the internet to search for information on the surgery before and after the intervention and effect of information found online. Results The majority (91%) of parents of children undergoing surgical intervention used the internet. Of these, 74.3% of parents searched for information before surgery, and 26.1% searched for information after. Most parents searched for information on the care provider’s website. Two thirds of parents reported that information found online had increased their understanding of the child’s condition. Multivariate analyses indicated that families living far from the hospital (> 43 km) were more likely to search for health information (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.34–4.00), as were families of patients undergoing a major surgery (OR = 2.1; 95% CI 1.04–4.11). Conclusions Parents of children undergoing surgery often search online for information on their child’s intervention, in particular those whose child is scheduled for a major surgery and those living far from the hospital. A survey like the present one allows to understand parents’ information needs, to better guide them in online information seeking and to better tailor information provided on the care provider’s website.

scholarly journals Linking physicians’ medical practice information needs, resources and barriers to job satisfaction

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (6) ◽  
pp. 1134-1153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petros Kostagiolas ◽  
Panagiotis Gorezis ◽  
Konstantina Martzoukou ◽  
Dimitrios Deligeorgis ◽  
Dimitris Niakas
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Medical Practice ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Medical Doctors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Overall Job Satisfaction

Purpose Medical doctors seek information in order to satisfy their demanding everyday work practices and professional development endeavours. Information seeking is a continuous goal-related process that has impact on how they perceive and experience their job. The purpose of this paper is to explore the association of doctors’ awareness of medical practice information needs (MPIN), their frequency of using online information resources and the barriers they encountered during information seeking with their overall job satisfaction. More specifically, the research examined the mediating role of these information seeking related variables (information needs, online scholarly resources and information barriers) on doctors’ overall job satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach The study employed a questionnaire survey of 138 medical doctors working within the context of a University Hospital in Greece. The survey took place between February and March 2014. To test the hypotheses the authors conducted regression analysis, hierarchical moderated analysis and bootstrapping using SPSS macro developed by Preacher and colleagues. Findings The statistical analysis found that higher awareness of MPIN had an indirect effect on doctors’ overall job satisfaction when they used online information scholar resources. In addition, this indirect effect was contingent on information-related barriers. Originality/value This study provides evidence for supporting the pivotal role of doctors’ information seeking preferences in fostering job satisfaction. This is an understudied research area that deserves a unique focus particularly with the constantly expanding medical information space that has impact on doctors’ medical practices and professional activities.

Eyes on the frame

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 303-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Heike Kessler ◽  
Lars Guenther
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Framing Effects ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Online Search ◽  
Online Searching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Media Frames ◽  
Online Information Seeking ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Using the internet parallel to or after television (TV) consumption changes the way people receive news. The way information is framed by the media has been found to influence the behavior of news recipients. The purpose of this paper is to hypothesize that the exposure to TV media frames would affect a lay audience’s online information-seeking behavior. Design/methodology/approach In an experiment combining eye tracking and content analysis, participants (n=72) were exposed to one of three TV clips with different media frames (based on a full-sample content analysis) that focused on Alzheimer’s disease. After exposure, participants informed themselves about the issue online. Eye tracking allows to investigate whether individuals mainly scan information, or whether they compute information on a higher level of attention (use more thorough deliberate comparison of information and really reading information). Findings Three different frames of online content were identified. Framing was found to influence the individual online searching and reading of information on a descriptive level (entering search words and viewing website content) to some degree, but not on a procedural level (such as selecting online search results). Research limitations/implications This study makes a significant contribution to the literature embedding an established theoretical process like framing effects into the internet literature. Regarding the broader theoretical context, this study shed some light on cross-media framing effects on online behavior. Applying the psychological perspective of framing theory to explain and predict online searching behavior is beneficial for specific types of online search behavior. Main limitations are the not representative student sample and the forced task that participants had to inform themselves about Alzheimer’s disease online. Practical implications The results have practical implications for the creation of TV-related websites. There can be a positive, profitable synergy of TV and online websites. The websites can complement the TV programs with the focus on information needs of the recipients depending on the TV activated audience frames. Therefore, media managers would do well to plan the contents of their websites as internet-based resources that meet the activated information needs. Originality/value This study is among the first to investigate the framing effects of TV on the online information searching behavior of individuals. A deeper understanding of how media frames, especially from TV, are affecting online information seeking will allow researchers to better explain and predict online user behavior and information needs. But still, more research is needed.

scholarly journals Investigating the Use and Non-Use of Online Information Resources Among Cancer Patients: A Qualitative Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahraa Ahmad Abul ◽  
Abbas Alsalman
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Health Knowledge ◽  
Information Resources ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Cancer Stage ◽  
Low Health Literacy ◽  
Seeking Behavior

This research focuses on examining the use and non-use of information resources among cancer patients. Non-seekers’ information-seeking behavior is analyzed in this research to determine the causes and symptoms of their non-seeking of health knowledge. Cancer patients use a variety of information resources such as the Internet, social media, and medical databases, in order to satisfy their needs. Studies showed that patients’ knowledge of their cancer stage might help them in making their care and treatment choices. Focus groups are commonly used in health research to explore the perspectives of patients or health care professionals; relatively few studies consider methodological aspects in this specific context. The purpose of this research is to investigate the information needs of cancer patients, and to find out reasons for the lack of cancer stage knowledge and desire for information after diagnosis. Expected findings include personal, situational, and psychological reasons, such as: low health literacy, low usage of health information, health instructions and the ways to increase patient awareness of the benefits and ways of seeking information.

An assessment of the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of Members of Parliament (MPs) in Bangladesh

2017 ◽  
Vol 118 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 48-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Uzzal Hossain ◽  
Md Arman Hossain ◽  
Md Shariful Islam
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Information Services ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Members Of Parliament ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviour

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of Members of Parliament (MPs) in Bangladesh. It aimed at determining the information sources, preferred information format, frequency of seeking information and access to information and communication technology and online information services by the MPs. The study also intended to assess the role of parliament library for satisfying the information needs of the MPs. Design/methodology/approach A survey method was adopted for data collection; the respondents were interviewed by the researchers with the guidance of a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was read out for the respondents and filled up by the interviewers based on the answers they received. Fifty MPs were selected for the study using simple random sampling. The data were analysed with the help of weighted mean. Findings The study found that the MPs mainly seek information to make a parliamentary request/inquiry, to make a speech and to make a decision. The most important sources of information were minutes of sessions, mass media, personal letters and information networks; and they preferred printed formats rather than online documents. The result also showed that only a few MPs were aware of the information services provided by the parliament library and were satisfied with the services they received. Originality/value There has been no study carried out on the information needs and information-seeking behaviour of MPs in Bangladesh prior to this research. The study will help the policymakers to improve the library services for MPs in Bangladesh.

scholarly journals Online health information seeking behaviours of parents of children undergoing surgery in a pediatric hospital in Rome, Italy: a survey

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Russo ◽  
Ilaria Campagna ◽  
Beatrice Ferretti ◽  
Elisabetta Pandolfi ◽  
Marta Luisa Ciofi Degli Atti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Major Surgery ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Pediatric Hospital ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey

Abstract Background: People increasingly search online for health information. Particularly, parents of patients often use the Internet as a source for health information. We conducted a survey to investigate the online searching behavior of parents of patients <18 years, admitted for surgery in an Italian pediatric hospital. Methods: The cross-sectional survey was nested in a prospective cohort study on surgical procedures. Parents of patients undergoing surgical procedures at Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, Rome, Italy, were enrolled and contacted by phone after the procedure. We recorded socio-demographic data, sex, length of stay following surgery, proximity of residence to the hospital, use of the internet to search for information on the surgery before and after the intervention and effect of information found online. Results: The majority (91%) of parents of children undergoing surgical intervention used the internet. Of these, 74.3% of parents searched for information before surgery, and 26.1% searched for information after. Most parents searched for information on the care provider’s website. Two thirds of parents reported that information found online had increased their understanding of the child’s condition. Multivariate analyses indicated that families living far from the hospital (> 43 km) were more likely to search for health information (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.34 - 4.00), as were families of patients undergoing a major surgery (OR=2.1; 95% CI 1.04 - 4.11). Conclusions: Parents of children undergoing surgery often search online for information on their child’s intervention, in particular those whose child is scheduled for a major surgery and those living far from the hospital. A survey like the present one allows to understand parents’ information needs, to better guide them in online information seeking and to better tailor information provided on the care provider’s website.

scholarly journals Online health information seeking behaviours of parents of children undergoing surgery in a pediatric hospital in Rome, Italy: a survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Russo ◽  
Ilaria Campagna ◽  
Beatrice Ferretti ◽  
Elisabetta Pandolfi ◽  
Marta Luisa Ciofi Degli Atti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Surgical Procedures ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Major Surgery ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Pediatric Hospital ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey

Abstract Background People increasingly search online for health information. Particularly, parents of patients often use the Internet as a source for health information. We conducted a survey to investigate the online searching behavior of parents of patients < 18 years, admitted for surgery in an Italian pediatric hospital. Methods The cross-sectional survey was nested in a prospective cohort study on surgical procedures. Parents of patients undergoing surgical procedures at Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy, were enrolled and contacted by phone after the procedure. We recorded socio-demographic data, sex, length of stay following surgery, proximity of residence to the hospital, use of the internet to search for information on the surgery before and after the intervention and effect of information found online. Results The majority (91%) of parents of children undergoing surgical intervention used the internet. Of these, 74.3% of parents searched for information before surgery, and 26.1% searched for information after. Most parents searched for information on the care provider’s website. Two thirds of parents reported that information found online had increased their understanding of the child’s condition. Multivariate analyses indicated that families living far from the hospital (> 43 km) were more likely to search for health information (OR 2.3; 95% CI 1.34–4.00), as were families of patients undergoing a major surgery (OR = 2.1; 95% CI 1.04–4.11). Conclusions Parents of children undergoing surgery often search online for information on their child’s intervention, in particular those whose child is scheduled for a major surgery and those living far from the hospital. A survey like the present one allows to understand parents’ information needs, to better guide them in online information seeking and to better tailor information provided on the care provider’s website.

scholarly journals Understanding the Pathway of Cancer Information Seeking: Cancer Information Services as a Supplement to Information from Other Sources

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doreen Reifegerste ◽  
Magdalena Rosset ◽  
Fabian Czerwinski ◽  
Eva Baumann ◽  
Andrea Gaisser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Prior Information ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Services ◽  
Cancer Information ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Information Level ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Cancer Information Seeking

AbstractCancer information services (CISs) can play an important role within the pathway of cancer information seeking, but so far, this role is not well understood. Callers (n = 6,255) who contacted the largest provider of cancer information in Germany participated in a survey in which they reported their information sources, information level, and needs leading to the call. Persons with prior information from a physician (n = 1,507) were compared to people with prior online information (n = 901) and people with prior information from both sources (n = 2,776). Nearly all callers (96.7%) stated prior sources, while physicians and the Internet were the most frequently reported sources. People, who only talked to a doctor before, are more likely to be a patient and in the disease stages during/after the first treatment or with recurrence than prior Internet users. The two groups do not differ in their prior information level but did differ in their information needs. CISs are an important supplement to other sources, while the information repertoire depends on patients’ stages during the cancer journey. Specific characteristics and needs of callers with different prior information sources help to individualize the service of CISs and similar providers.

scholarly journals Online Information Seeking Behavior among Indonesian during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Sulistyawati Sulistyawati ◽  
Herman Yuliansyah ◽  
Surahma Asti Mulasari ◽  
Tri Wahyuni Sukesi
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Immunization Coverage ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Online Behavior ◽  
The Public ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Data Source ◽  
Online Information Seeking

Background: The COVID-19 vaccination movement in Indonesia until mid-2021 has still not reached the expected number, which is less than 20% of the Indonesian population who receive the first dose of vaccine. Meanwhile, the government's target for accelerating herd immunity is to achieve immunization coverage of 70% by November 2021. Several issues have arisen regarding the public's reluctance to accept the COVID-19 vaccine, such as vaccine readiness, efficacy, conspiracy, halal issues, and the negative side of this vaccine. Aims: This study aims to assess the online behavior of the Indonesian community in seeking information related to the COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: Google trends was used as a data source to see the public interest in several issues including COVID, vaccines, and government policies. Analysis: The analysis was carried out descriptively. Results: The results of this study indicate the movement over time of society towards several terminologies in line with events or the implementation of policies in Indonesia. Conclusion: This research contributes to surveillance of the public's information needs on the COVID-19 issue to avoid misinformation.

The Impact of a Highly Publicized Celebrity Suicide on Suicide-Related Online Information Seeking

Crisis ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Arendt ◽  
Sebastian Scherr
Keyword(s):  
Suicide Prevention ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Search Queries ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Search Terms ◽  
Celebrity Suicide ◽  
Online Information Seeking ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Background: Research has already acknowledged the importance of the Internet in suicide prevention as search engines such as Google are increasingly used in seeking both helpful and harmful suicide-related information. Aims: We aimed to assess the impact of a highly publicized suicide by a Hollywood actor on suicide-related online information seeking. Method: We tested the impact of the highly publicized suicide of Robin Williams on volumes of suicide-related search queries. Results: Both harmful and helpful search terms increased immediately after the actor's suicide, with a substantial jump of harmful queries. Limitations: The study has limitations (e.g., possible validity threats of the query share measure, use of ambiguous search terms). Conclusion: Online suicide prevention efforts should try to increase online users' awareness of and motivation to seek help, for which Google's own helpline box could play an even more crucial role in the future.

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