The role of information search in creative problem solving

This study investigates the role that information search behavior plays in the process of creative problem solving. Although models of creative processing posit that information search is a necessary stage of creative problem solving, no research has separated and measured information search from earlier processes to determine the nature of the role it plays in the creative problem solving process. Two hundred twenty-one people participated in a study where active engagement in problem construction was manipulated. Participants were allowed to search for additional information that may facilitate the generation of a creative solution. Measures of information search that have been shown to influence performance on decision-making tasks were captured. The results indicated that the length of time spent searching, the quantity of information viewed, and the breadth of information search mediate the relationship between problem construction engagement and creativity across categories. Furthermore, the relationship between the efficiency of information search and creativity depends upon problem construction engagement. For people who engaged in problem construction, the more efficiently they searched for information, the more creative their solution. The efficiency of information search had no impact on creativity for people who did not engage in information search. The implications of these findings as they relate to the overall field of creative problem-solving are discussed

Factors that influence public engagement with eHealth: a literature review

Purpose: Public engagement with eHealth is generally viewed as beneficial. However, despite the potential benefits, public engagement with eHealth services remains variable. This article explores reasons for this variability through a review of published international literature. Methods: A focused search, conducted in January 2009, of three bibliographic databases, MEDLINE, CINAHL and EMBASE, returned 2622 unique abstracts. Results: Fifty articles met the inclusion criteria for the review. Four main types of eHealth service were identified: health information on the Internet; custom-made online health information; online support; and telehealth. Public engagement with these services appears to depend on a number of factors: characteristics of users; technological issues; characteristics of eHealth services; social aspects of use; and eHealth services in use. Conclusions: Recommendations for policy makers, developers, users and health professionals, include: targeting efforts towards those underserved by eHealth; improving access; tailoring services to meet the needs of a broader range of users; exploiting opportunities for social computing; and clarifying of the role of health professionals in endorsement, promotion and facilitation

Promoting user engagement and learning in amorphous search tasks

Much research in information retrieval (IR) focuses on optimization of the rank of relevant retrieval results for single shot ad hoc IR tasks. Relatively little research has been carried out on user engagement to support more complex search tasks. We seek to improve user engagement for IR tasks by providing richer representation of retrieved information. It is our expectation that this strategy will promote implicit learning within search activities. Specifically, we plan to explore methods of finding semantic concepts within retrieved documents, with the objective of creating improved document surrogates. Further, we would like to study search effectiveness in terms of different facets such as the user’s search experience, satisfaction, engagement and learning. We intend to investigate this in an experimental study, where our richer document representations are compared with the traditional document surrogates for the same user queries

Constraints and Affordances of Online Engagement With Scientific Information—A Literature Review

Many urgent problems that societies currently face—from climate change to a global pandemic—require citizens to engage with scientific information as members of democratic societies as well as to solve problems in their personal lives. Most often, to solve their epistemic aims (aims directed at achieving knowledge and understanding) regarding such socio-scientific issues, individuals search for information online, where there exists a multitude of possibly relevant and highly interconnected sources of different perspectives, sometimes providing conflicting information. The paper provides a review of the literature aimed at identifying (a) constraints and affordances that scientific knowledge and the online information environment entail and (b) individuals\u27 cognitive and motivational processes that have been found to hinder, or conversely, support practices of engagement (such as critical information evaluation or two-sided dialogue). Doing this, a conceptual framework for understanding and fostering what we call online engagement with scientific information is introduced, which is conceived as consisting of individual engagement (engaging on one\u27s own in the search, selection, evaluation, and integration of information) and dialogic engagement (engaging in discourse with others to interpret, articulate and critically examine scientific information). In turn, this paper identifies individual and contextual conditions for individuals\u27 goal-directed and effortful online engagement with scientific information

Patients, Professionals and the Internet: Renegotiating the Healthcare Encounter

The aim of this research was to examine how patient use of internet information impinges on the utilisation of healthcare services. The research had the following objectives: + to quantify the extent, and patterns, of patients use of the internet as a health information resource and identify the factors leading to variations in behaviour. + to identify the search strategies employed by patients in accessing internet health information internet and the evaluative approaches used in assessing information quality. + to analyse the content and dynamics of virtual health communities and how participation in such communities is integrated into engagement with health services. + to document the evolving nature of patient-professional interaction arising from patient access to health information and the subsequent format of the healthcare encounter. + to assess the effect of changing patient access to information and changes in the healthcare encounter on patterns of patient decision making and health behaviours

Position paper: promoting user engagement and learning in search tasks by effective document representation

Much research in information retrieval (IR) focuses on optimization of the rank of relevant retrieval results for single shot ad hoc IR tasks with straightforward information needs. Relatively little research has been carried out to study and support user learning and engagement for more complex search tasks. We introduce an approach intended to improve topical knowledge of a user while undertaking IR tasks. Specifically, we propose to explore methods of finding useful and informative textual units (semantic concepts) within retrieved documents, with the objective of creating improved document surrogates for presentation within the search process. We hypothesize that this strategy will promote improved implicit learning within search activities. We believe that the richer document representations proposed in the paper would help to promote engagement, understanding and learning as compared to more traditional search engine document snippets. We propose a framework for holistic evaluation of our proposed document representations and their use in search

Findings from the DUMA program: internet access, and frequency and nature of use among police detainees

Examining access to and the extent of engagement with the Internet in illicit drug-using populations may provide an indication of the extent to which the online illicit drug market is usurping the physical illicit drug market, according to this report. Summary The advent of the Internet has created opportunities for the global exchange of information and purchase of goods and services. However, it has also facilitated the creation of online illicit drug markets and forums in which drug-related information can be exchanged between users. Bruno, Poesiat & Matthews (2013) reported that illicit drug-specific search terms (such as cocaine, ecstasy, hallucinogens and high) were used, on average, 39,700 times per month in the Google search engine in Australia. Examining access to and the extent of engagement with the Internet in illicit drug-using populations may provide an indication of the extent to which the online illicit drug market is usurping the physical illicit drug market. In 2006, Cunningham, Selby, Kypri & Humphreys examined Internet access in a sample of smokers, drinkers and illicit drug users (n=2,584) derived from the general population in Canada, through a random digit dialling technique. Restricting the findings to illicit drug users, 77 percent of cannabis users and 75 percent of cocaine users reported having Internet access. It would be anticipated that current Internet access rates would be considerably higher in all subgroups of the population, including illicit drug users, than those recorded in 2006

Exploring the information behaviour of users of Welsh Newspapers Online through web log analysis

Purpose – Webometric techniques have been applied to many websites and online resources, especially since the launch of Google Analytics (GA). To date, though, there has been little consideration of information behaviour in relation to digitised newspaper collections. The purpose of this paper is to address a perceived gap in the literature by providing an account of user behaviour in the newly launched Welsh Newspapers Online (WNO). Design/methodology/approach – The author collected webometric data for WNO using GA and web server content logs. These were analysed to identify patterns of engagement and user behaviour, which were then considered in relation to existing information behaviour. Findings – Use of WNO, while reminiscent of archival information seeking, can be understood as centring on the web interface rather than the digitised material. In comparison to general web browsing, users are much more deeply engaged with the resource. This engagement incorporates reading online, but users’ information seeking utilises website search and browsing functionality rather than filtering in newspaper material. Information seeking in digitised newspapers resembles the model of the “user” more closely than that of the “reader”, a value-laden distinction which needs further unpacking. Research limitations/implications – While the behaviour discussed in this paper is likely to be more widely representative, a larger longitudinal data set would increase the study’s significance. Additionally, the methodology of this paper can only tell us what users are doing, and further research is needed to identify the drivers for this behaviour. Originality/value – This study provides important insights into the underinvestigated area of digitised newspaper collections, and shows the importance of webometric methods in analysing online user behaviour

Social media marketing via Facebook and YouTube on information search stage in luxury retail industry

Luxury retails compete for a small group of consumers. This research has focused on investigating the impact that social media marketing via Facebook and YouTube has on information search stage of consumer decision process in luxury retail industry in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The research has used positivism approach, inductive research approach, and descriptive research design and quantitative research method. Data analysis revealed that the independent variables can explain 64.1% of the variability in information search in luxury retail industry in Riyadh. Among the independent variables, target audience, platform selection, follower engagement and publishing schedule had significant positive impact on information search while relevance of content, voice of the content and call to action had positive but insignificant impact on information search stage of consumer purchase decision process in luxury retail industry in Riyadh