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Models and Theories in Info Behaviour Research

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Models and Theories in Info Behaviour Research

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This was a useful chapter as it made clear the terms that I see in a lot of papers and ones which I had perhaps put my own definitions to rather than seeking an informed definition. Metatheories for example are theory's that operate at a high level of abstraction. This chapter also highlighted to me the different levels at which theories may operate from narrow focus to more holistic models.

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THe discussion I had with Prof Fulton on Sense making and the readings I did on sense making with a new outlook on theories due to this class lead me to develop a simple model to explain sens making when deciding what to eat.

Although this is not simply a model of information-seeking behaviour it is made up of four basic elements which are a situation in time and space, a gap between current and desired situations, an outcome which is the consequence of the sense-making process and a bridge that is the means for closing the gap. Using Dervin’s model allows for questioning about the nature of problematic situations, how useful information is in solving the situation and bridge the gap, and the outcomes of bridging the gap.

I sketched the step-takings involved in bridging the gap when deciding where to go for a meal using the restaurants tab of the TripAdvisor website when on holiday in a foreign country.

Situation: Group on holiday in Paris, one member of the group is in charge of locating a restaurant for a meal on a Sunday evening

Gap: The individual is unfamiliar with the city and is unsure of where the best place for the group to eat can be found

Bridge: The individual uses TripAdvisor to decide which is the best option through a process of sense-making and sense unmaking by using the filters such as date, time and number of guests, then reading through the reviews posted by other restaurant goers.

Outcome: The individual decide on the best option restaurant for your group based on the information that they have gained from TripAdvisor and make a reservation for their group to eat there.

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There are two great question posed in Ford CH 7 that get you thinking about my information behavior research stance. Ford poses two statements which I summarize as 1. Info behavior research is all about trying to find consistent repeated patterns and 2. Peoples fantasies and intuitions are a legitimate focus for serious systematic information behavior research. This got me thinking as did the subsequent write up on Dervin's Sense-making, a metatheory, that proposes that the search for consistent repeated patterns in behavior is not the only way or the most effective way to discover useful knowledge of info behavior. Why should information behavior be studied in a rigid manner when info behavior itself is so varied. Dervin's Sense-making  moves away from traditional Positivistic Perspectives (the notion that info seeking and use is simply the movement of facts, views and opinions from source to seeker). Instead sense-making argues that behaviour can be understood by focusing on how people respond to change rather than the typical factors such as demographics or personality traits.

In my opinion it is difficult to adjust to a more fluid research stance which focuses on unstable "non-logical" aspects of human thought and behavior such as hunches, emotions, ideas, which calls on you as the researcher to think about how you think about and frame research questions in relation to different contexts rather than simply suggesting possible research questions.

I alo had a great discussion with Prof Fulton on sense-making which was possibly one of my other light bulb moments during this module as we discussed how the theorysometimes came across as convoluted by with prof. Fulton encouraged me to look at sense-making for what it really is and to strip it back and take the aspects that are relevant to the situations that it could be applied in in my world

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I think that the idea of fake news highlighting the difficulties in access we have to valuable information depends on what information an individual considers to be “valuable”. The distribution of corrections to debunk misinformation often fails due to our own biases as people are more likely to share “fact-checks” that align with their own opinions and this would suggest to me that we all place a different level of value on the information that we receive.  I can totally relate to this - it is human nature to dislike haveing to go back on what one said or to correct ones self. However this is something that we as researchers need to get used to and when it does happen to clearly expalin the reasononig behind why initial information shared is now incorrect. The term "thats research" kept coming to mind when I read this weeks text - that saying I constantky hear about the slog of research and going back over ones work and criteria changes.

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Information Trust - Foot and Mouth Example

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Information Trust - Foot and Mouth Example

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I really enjoyed Hagar's account of the use and trust in information by farmers during the Foot and Mouth crisis. Having worked with farmers my entire professional life and also being born and reared into this realm I can not only remember the panic of this disease but I can most certainly relate to the ways in which farmers interacted with information. Trust is such a huge element of information for all of us but for farmers as self-employed, primary workers, trust in information really has the ability to make or break their business and lively hoods. I can also relate to the way in which farmers rely on their peers for trusted information having seen this first hand in discussion groups as part of my own study, the impact of a farmer explaining their technique for cutting hedges for example is much greater than if I as an advisor was to relay the exact same information.

In addition, farmers although sometimes skeptical of the info provided by the advisory services, are even more cautious of information provided by authoritative bodies such as the department of agriculture. In my experience this is due to the way that the DAFM often make proposals that are then rejigged a few months later - a great example of this is the current Nitrates Derogation which was under review and there was much speculation about what conditions would be placed on farmers to retain their derogations, the trust that the farmers and the advisors had in the department dwindled as the days went by with out any confirmation of T&Cs even though the deadline for submissions was fast approaching.

It was stark the similarities that can be drawn between the crisis situation that Hagar describes and the crisis that we have all faced in recent times with covid-19 especially around the mask wearing debate and the trust that people had in givement guidelins and recommendations.

Clarity from the out set of a crisis is required to ensure that trust is maintained however, as we saw with covid 19 there is so much uncertainty at the beginning of a crisis this can be a hard task.

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Chauvin, Morel, & Tirilly - The use of information and communication technology in the sea fishing industry.

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Chauvin, Morel, & Tirilly - The use of information and communication technology in the sea fishing industry.

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I loved this paper as it was the first one I could really relate to in terms of the theroetical frame work that was used. I think that my mind is very much focused on identifying the applicability of these theores to my own work and the one presentd in this paper excited me as I could see how I w=could take a theory which had been appplied in a hoel different context and apply it to an entirely different context.

Integrating with the fishermen to analyse how they make use of the ICTS available to them with the aim of creating recommendations for their improvement closely aligns with my own studies where I am working with dairy farmers on the communication of biodiversity management using different communication tools in combination to support them in moving towards improved sustainability on their farms. I also found Chauvin et al’s concluding remarks to be aligned with some of my own findings in that primary producers are at risk of “information overload”. This is a major issue and this paper highlights that a new instrument for every one of our information needs is not necessarily a good thing.

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When I joined the class I was apprehensive about how this would fit in with my ow PhD studies and how I can use it to my advantage. The initial meeting put these fears at rest as I felt that the module outlined a very comprehensive overview of what to expect and how the class would work. I was excited to embark on this learning journey and to discover new concepts as well as listen and engage with the class, guest speakers and module coordinator

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I really enjoyed the discussion that was had in class with guest speaker T Wilson. from doing the readings of his book and from listening to him speak I was surprised that the concept of embedding links in text seemed to be such a novel idea in the academic literary world. Perhaps this is something that I have not thought about previously or haven't taken the time to notice but one which seems like it should be such an obvious means of further expanding on information. I was also intrigued by the prohibitive nature of academic writing when it is not available through open access and it was the first time that I gave some real thought to the reason behind this  - It is shocking to think that in the world of discovery as is the world of research that sharing discoveries is so restricted and attached to such financial gains.

In agriculture, specifically in Teagasc, information is freely available from the advisory side of the house to all who wish to avail of it - although there are paid contracts - there is still a free website and free events that are available to all. This approach means that there is greater proliferation of useful information to farmers - which is now more important than ever in improving sustainability

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Possibly my favorite of all guest speakers was Karen Fisher who introduced us to information grounds. For me, this was a wonderful experience as to hear the original developer of a theory bring it to life in such a simplistic way was almost like a light bulb moment for me. Throughout my post-graduate career so far I have struggled the most with the idea of theory but listening to Karen explain where information grounds came from, what it involves, and how it can be applied in so many different scenarios really highlighted to me that it often ties the easy route to over complicate what at the end of the day is an explanation of a simple phenomenon which is something that I am very guilty of myself.

The simple idea of people, place, and information seems almost too good to be true to possibly fall into the realm of theoretics.

My main takeaway from this class was that we need to trust in our data I'm not sure if it was Prof Fulton or Prof Fisher who said "You hear your data and then you use a framework to fit in with it" - "we have to let the data show us what happens and try to figure it out after that"

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Once again the module has lead me to think about everyday situations in a new light. As was the case with urban explorers the video on the air ambulance and the vital flow of information required really got me thinking. I really enjoyed the Air Ambulance video as it highlighted the depth of work that these service providers do not only in their missions but also in the dedication and time they put in before and after. It highlights that clear communication is important in all aspects of their work not only while on missions but also in preparation and debriefing. Their use of information is very interesting and highlights how important clear processes of communication are in providing lifesaving help.

In my opinion, the measures put in place by the air ambulance reduce the need for information seeking and jump directly to the use of information which is simplified by the processes that have been put in place by the workers. What really struck me was the way in which they go through the kit bags -such an obvious task and yet not one that I realized was important. The implementation of processes is evidently essential to the smooth running of any task that requires the use of information especially in a crisis situation.

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This week's topic opened my eyes to an area of which I was totally unaware. Of course, I have heard of Banksy but to learn of such a movement really surprised me. Even more surprising was the way in which information is used in this movement, especially the secrecy that is associated with it. In the world of academia, we are encouraged to draw from trusted sources and perhaps this is where my skepticism on the societal purpose of anonymous information comes from. Similarly, does the withholding of location mean that although the audience can take pleasure from an image posted on a sharing platform they themselves cannot gain any benefits through a lived experience in that location (of course one could argue that in the name of safety the withholding of location information is in itself serving society). Like the hobby itself, the societal purpose of the hobby is “shadowy”. I would agree that there is a societal purpose to urban exploration however the extent to which this societal purpose is capitalized on is in my opinion a function of the nature of the hobby which can be limiting.

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Managing Workplace Information and Communication

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Managing Workplace Information and Communication

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This weeks lecture session really helped me to properly understand positioning theory and this was achieved by the way in which the seminar leaders and prof. Fulton got me thinking about how social positioning occurs in my own life on a daily basis. This got me thinking about how frequently I switch between various social positions. My social position is in flux going between an information seeker (working with advisors) to an information provider (working with farmers). This also got me thinking about the swith that occurs in socia positioning between my work life and personal life and I though that a great example of this is working from home - one minute I am on the phone to a farmer practically begging them to complete an exercise for me as part of my study next things its luch time and Im playing tele-bingo with my grandmother where we are both in the same social position. We place ourselves in positions socially all of the time without even thinking and this can have a huge impact on decision making.

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The personal field trip for me was a much more interesting experience than I first expected even though I did choose to carry it out virtually. I learned a lot about how information centers can adapt from the physical to virtual settings with great impact and upholding their duty to the information seeker in providing clear, understandable and engaging material.

I was curious to investigate how information communication in the NHMI was taking place even though the physical museum, located in Merrion Street, Dublin 2, has been temporarily closed for works since November 2020. I visited here on a school tour when I was in primary school - it was a big event to be taken from such a small rural school in Cork up to Dublin on the train and whisked off to Merrion street to the National Museum of Ireland. It was the displays in the Natural History museum that stuck with me through to my adulthood and has always been on my list to re-visit. Time and location however were not on my side but thanks to their virtual tour option I was taken right back to that experience I had as a child and I felt that was a testament to their chosen communication pathways. As a child the visual is what really stuck with me but now as an adult the additional information provided through the various tabs on the website.

The only issue I had with my personal field trip was understanding how communication is carried out internally within this organisation - something which I would have been interested in as it is unclear if their office are closed and those who work there are doing so on a WHM basis or if they do still have the facilities in the work place to communicate in a physical manner.