The Information User: Past, Present and Future    

The emergence of research on various aspects of `information behaviour' is explored and its growth as a subject of academic research is documented. The origin of the field as a potential aid to the development of library and information services is noted, as is the transition from this status to that of a subject for research at PhD level and beyond. The development of the field has thus led to a division between the needs of academia for theoretically grounded work, and the needs of the field of practice for guidance for service development. There is, today, a disconnection between research and practice, to a significant extent: early research was undertaken by practitioners but today academic research dominates the scene. Suggestions are made as to how this disconnection can be repaired.

Wilson, Tom. Journal of Information Science (2008). Articles>User Centered Design>Information Design>Search

Judgments During Information Seeking: A Naturalistic Approach to Understanding the Assessment of Enough Information    

In this article, theories of human judgement and decision making are reviewed and their use by library and information science researchers examined. A different perspective on judgement and decision making is offered by the field of naturalistic decision making (NDM) and the implications of this approach are considered for an expanded understanding of how judgements and decisions are made during information seeking. This discussion is illustrated by a case from a recent empirical investigation into how judgements of enough information are made in the workplace. The article concludes with a critical evaluation of the NDM approach. It is argued that NDM, a recent development in decision theory, offers a new perspective from which to investigate judgements and decisions during information seeking.

Berryman, Jennifer M. Journal of Information Science (2008). Articles>Information Design>Search>User Centered Design

What is Enough? Satisficing Information Needs    

This paper seeks to understand how users know when to stop searching for more information when the information space is so saturated that there is no certainty that the relevant information has been identified.

Prabha, Chandra, Lynn SilipigniConnaway, LawrenceOlszewski and Lillie R. Jenkins. Journal of Documentation (2007). Articles>Information Design>Search>User Centered Design