Questions and Topics We Can Help You Answering; 

There are essentially 3 concepts in this week's readings:  Sense-making, Berry picking, ISP.  Think about how these concepts manifest themselves in everyday life or professional practice.  Share your thoughts. (300 words)


ReadingsBates, M. J. (1989). The design of browsing and berry-picking techniques for online search interface. Online Review, 13, 407-424.

Dervin, B. (1992).  From the mind’s eye of the user: The sense-making qualitative-quantitative methodology.  In Glazier, J. D. & Powell, R. R., Qualitative research in information management (pp. 61-84).  Englewood, CO:  Libraries Unlimited.

Kuhlthau, C. C. (n.d.). Information Search Process: http://wp.comminfo.rutgers.edu/ckuhlthau/information-search-process/

Kuhlthau, C. C. (1991). Inside the search process: Information seeking from the user's perspective. Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42, 361-371.

Respond to the paragraph below in 250 words. (just your opinion)

Bates challenges the classic information retrieval model by stating it doesn't represent all searches, "perhaps not even the majority". Her berrypicking model is her solution to the many limitations of the classic information retrieval process when applied in the real world. One of the strengths of Bates' model is flexibility. It allows for the possibility to create unique solutions for individuals search behaviors. Her work is important when you take in consideration that the information seeker’s situation is a critical factor in determining what methods will be used to close gaps in his/her knowledge. The static model doesn’t seem to work when you image the endless situations of the searcher. The evolving search which is a result of using Bates’ berrypicking method seems more aligned with the behaviors employed in the real world.

However, Bates’ suggestion of an “universe of interest” may be a more relevant in today’s corporate world. My observations in my field of work would indicate the classic model is more appropriate constantly shifting industries. If a situation requires an employee to seek out an answer to close a gap in his or her knowledge, he/she will use the easiest way to obtain the answer if not personally invested in solving the problem. An uninterested employee more than likely will not spend the effort on an evolving search to find the correct answer. The classic model is more realistic due to lack of interest and/or time to properly research. I would argue, depending on the culture of the workplace, a system designed to take in these factors would be highly beneficial. A database with a vast amount of resources is useless if an employee is unwilling or does not have the time to utilize it.