Premium
Information seeking, use, and decision making
Author(s) -
Mishra Jyoti,
Allen David,
Pearman Alan
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the association for information science and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.903
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 2330-1643
pISSN - 2330-1635
DOI - 10.1002/asi.23204
Subject(s) - information seeking , context (archaeology) , computer science , decision analysis , management science , knowledge management , information needs , decision engineering , point (geometry) , decision support system , r cast , decision theory , business decision mapping , data mining , information retrieval , mathematics , engineering , paleontology , statistics , geometry , world wide web , biology
In this paper we explored three areas: decision making and information seeking, the relationship between information seeking and uncertainty, and the role of expertise in influencing information use. This was undertaken in the context of a qualitative study into decision making in the initial stages of emergency response to major incidents. The research took an interpretive approach in which activity theory is used as an analytical framework. The research provides further evidence that the context of the activity and individual differences influence the choice of decision mode and associated information behavior. We also established that information is often not used to resolve uncertainty in decision making and indeed information is often sought and used after the decision is made to justify the decision. Finally, we point to the significance of both expertise and confidence in understanding information behavior. The contribution of the research to existing theoretical frameworks is discussed and a modified version of W ilson's problem‐solving model is proposed.