Presentation given at the CHIIR 2019 Workshop on Barriers to Interactive IR Resources Re-use (Glasgow, UK, March 14, 2019).
This experience paper shines more light on a simulated work task approach to studying information seeking stages. This explicit multi-stage approach was first utilized in a CHIIIR 2016 paper to investigate the utility of search user interface (SUI) features at different macro-level stages of complex tasks. We focus on the paper’s terminology, research design, methodology anduse of previous resources. Finally, based on our experience, we reflect on the potential for re-using our multistage approach and on general barriers to re-use in an Interactive Information Retrieval research context.
Proceedings available at: http://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2337/
The Multi-Stage Experience: the Simulated Work Task Approach to Studying Information Seeking Stages
1. The Multi-Stage Experience
The Simulated Work Task Approach to
Studying Information Seeking Stages
Hugo Huurdeman Jaap Kamps Max L. Wilson
@timelessfuture @jkamps @gingdottwitt
Original CHIIR ’16 paper: bit.ly/ActivePassiveUtility
Experience paper: bit.ly/ChiirExperiencePaper
University of Amsterdam / University of Nottingham
14. a
Wealth of potential supportive features
but unknown role in process
(too many = overload)
15. • Valuable, but: difficult to translate to concrete
search systems functionality
Information seeking models
? ?
• We need a more accurate understanding
of what functionality is useful when
task progress
inform
pre-focus focus post-focus
search engine functionality
16. Introduction
•Our study @CHIIR16 investigated the utility of
various SUI features at different macro-level
stages
•Via an explicit multi-stage design
18. Multi-stage approach?
• Kuhlthau’s and Vakkari’s models had been
conceived based on longitudinal settings (Kuhlthau,
04;Vakkari,01)
• monitor process at various time points
19. Multi-stage approach?
• Kuhlthau’s and Vakkari’s models had been
conceived based on longitudinal settings (Kuhlthau,
04;Vakkari,01)
• monitor process at various time points
Versus
20. Multi-stage approach?
• Kuhlthau’s and Vakkari’s models had been
conceived based on longitudinal settings (Kuhlthau,
04;Vakkari,01)
• monitor process at various time points
Versus
• Studies looking at stages in singular sessions
(Diriye et al,10; Niu & Kelly, 14; Huurdeman & Kamps,14, etc.)
• “these studies can be better characterized as focusing
on phases of search or temporal search segments”
(Niu & Kelly, 14)
21. Finding a ‘middle point’
True
longitudinal
study
Stages as
temporal
phases of
singular
sessions
Potentially use many
data collection instruments
Limited number of
data collection instruments
22. Finding a ‘middle point’
True
longitudinal
study
Stages as
temporal
phases of
singular
sessions
Multiple
sessions
representing
stages
Potentially use many
data collection instruments
Limited number of
data collection instruments
23. Finding a ‘middle point’
• Multi-stage Simulated Work Task Approach
• Single simulated work task, multiple subtasks
• “Multi-stage experience”
True
longitudinal
study
Stages as
temporal
phases of
singular
sessions
Multiple
sessions
representing
stages
Potentially use many
data collection instruments
Limited number of
data collection instruments
24. Further outline
• 1. Terminology
• 2. Methodology
• 3. Re-use of previous resources
• 4. Potential for re-use of our approach
• 5. Further discussion points
26. Terminology: Information Seeking Models
• Information seeking modeled in a multitude of ways:
• as behavioral patterns (Ellis)
• as nonlinear activities (Foster)
• as temporal stages (Kuhlthau), ..
• Our main focus:
• temporally based IS models
• Kuhlthau [1991] (Vakkari [2001])
• cognitively complex (work) tasks
• involving learning & construction
• Using definitions Wilson (1999),
Ingwersen & Jarvelin (2005), Byström & Järvelin (1995)
information
search
information
seeking
information
behavior
[Wilson99]
48. Task & task stage validation
• Validating the 2 topics (statistically)
• Various validation questions within the process
(post-task, 3x)
1. Randomized list of activities derived from Kuhlthau’s
model
2. Reported type of information sought (Kuhlthau, Todd)
3. Randomized word list which could represent users
feelings / state of mind (Kuhlthau, Todd)
56. Task descriptions
Initial inspiration:
• Kuhlthau’s book, Vakkari’s articles
• Previous literature survey
(Huurdeman&Kamps,2014)
• Research process / IL literature
• RepAST repository
57. Task descriptions
Initial inspiration:
• Kuhlthau’s book, Vakkari’s articles
• Previous literature survey
(Huurdeman&Kamps,2014)
• Research process / IL literature
• RepAST repository
Kumar, 2010
62. • Experimental system: SearchAssist
• Results, Query Corrections, Query
Suggestions: Bing Web API
• Category Filters, categories: DMOZ
• Tag cloud: Jquery plugin
• Task instructions: Google Doc
• Categorization and analysis:
• Max Wilson’s framework of SUI features
[Wilson11]
76. Re-use (2)
• Gaikwad and Hoeber (2019) used
Vakkari’s model
• as “a design guide, and as a
mechanism for controlling the
laboratory-based evaluation.”
• participants
• explored images (pre-focus)
• selected images (focus formulation)
• organized images (post-focus)
• Task descriptions: holiday plans,
food blogging and self-selected
tasks.
77. 5. Discussion points (1/3)
• Lack of space to document all aspects of our study
• Some in my PhD thesis (2018)
• (now: CHIIR extra pages)
• Typical lack of time within research process and
publication cycle
• at the time, publishing source code SearchAssist, but
not contextual documents or analysis scripts
• A restrictive consent form …
78. • Tension between flexibility in terms of research
questions, and the possibility to re-use
standardized systems and approaches
• Use of search API vs standard collection
• Remuneration of participants
5. Discussion points (2/3)
79. • Tension between flexibility in terms of research
questions, and the possibility to re-use
standardized systems and approaches
• Use of search API vs standard collection
• Remuneration of participants
5. Discussion points (2/3)
80. Discussion points (3/3)
• Maintenance: just four years after our study,
components of system have changed (e.g. Bing
API configurations)
• Persistence: various URLs of used resources
now only available in the Internet Archive
82. The Multi-Stage Experience
The Simulated Work Task Approach to
Studying Information Seeking Stages
Hugo Huurdeman Jaap Kamps Max L. Wilson
@timelessfuture @jkamps @gingdottwitt
Original CHIIR ’16 paper: bit.ly/ActivePassiveUtility
Experience paper: bit.ly/ChiirExperiencePaper
University of Amsterdam / University of Nottingham