Upon reading the literature concerning user studies, user needs and user behaviours, I found that my first perception about user needs and behaviour were totally wrong. When I first encountered the term "user needs and behaviour" during MLIS (since I was not purely from library science background), I never thought that the subject has attracted attention of so many researchers; and with such diverse research perspectives.
I recalled one of former lecturer throwing a simple question to the class I attended; whether children apply similar methods to adults in choosing books from the shelves. I also vaguely remembered two among research topics listed in another lecturer's dissertations list; the use of e-books among library patrons and observation of conference proceedings usage among library patrons. Now I realised that all those mentioned and listed by the lecturers fall under user studies researches, and can be categorised as either studies related to user needs or user behaviour.
Reflecting upon my job as assistant librarian, which was a short stint and an introductory career episode for me in library field, even I had unintentionally and indirectly made some effort to understand the needs and behaviour of library patrons when time and space allowed and required, even though without formal data collection or planned observation. For example, I observed which shelves would be frequented the most by particular individual or group of individuals; what kind of materials would they prefer to borrow; did they borrow the kind of books to solve everyday problems or books to find answers to job-related problems. Without me knowing it, the observations were actually rooted in the problems of user needs and behaviour (Note: The informal observations were made possible by the fact that the library I managed during the time was a very small village library servicing less than 100 patrons daily. However in larger and more complex libraries, formal observations and collection of data must be imperative).
Looking back at those moments, I now understand why T.D. Wilson (1981) stated that "no other areas of information science...had occassioned as much research effort and writing as 'user studies'". Due to the interest, the terms such as "user studies", "information needs" and "information seeking behaviour" had been diversely used to coin all sorts of problems, and this has caused Wilson & Walsh (1996) to suggest limiting the terms based on his theoretical diagram that encompasses the information user, information-related activity (behaviour of users in relation to information) and information processes (e.g. information transfer/exchange). Using his theoretical diagram, later researchers of user needs and behaviour would be more focused and well-planned in choosing aspects of their research.
While historically, it is amazing to find out that Wilson (1994), in tracing the historical timeline of user studies research - either research focused on the use of library system or the users themselves - found surveys pertaining to users dating back as early as 1916, even though the terms that we use today were not applied in those research. Today, research in user studies were not only confined to information science field, but has also been taken and researched by other fields where many instances of inter-disciplinary approach has been discussed. Wilson & Walsh (1996) reported in book-length about this interdisciplinary perspective in a report published by British Library. Ten years later, Dervin & Reinhard (2006) wrote a paper that focuses, among others, on what the researchers and practitioners in the field of library and information science, human computer interaction and communication and media studies saw as the convergences and divergences across disciplinary divides.
The importance or relevance of understanding user needs and information behaviour speaks to us from various places and in various ways: from the literature; by doing observations; and taking steps towards further research.
The literature has such a vast amount of research papers pertaining to the relevance and importance of user needs and information behaviour research in provision of better information services and user interfaces.
Hepworth (2007) showed in his article how some information services and products, including user interfaces, were influenced by the knowledge or observation of information behaviour. Dividing information behaviour into wider cultural and local social context and individual context he observed, among others, that the knowledge were applied in information literacy courses where the information literacy standards and guidelines were developed based on information seeking behaviour research; in a society-related web site for young people or individuals with special needs; in search engines that cater for younger audience, scientific community needs or chaining seeking method; and in virtual learning portals.
What was observed by Hepworth is actually one small portion of the application of user needs and behaviour research to information services and user interface designs. Exploring further into other research efforts made by information scientists and researchers from other disciplines discover a wide range of information theories, user modeling, etc that aimed to increase understanding of user behaviours.
One of the most important theoretical work on information needs and behaviour was written by Wilson (1999). The paper improved the information seeking model of 1981 and laid down important theoretical framework by discussing existing models from the author's perspective. Since 1981, Wilson's paper containing the model was cited more than 100 times in the ISI databases alone, not including numerous book chapters, reports and conference proceedings (Bawden 2006). Using his theoretical framework as the basis, many research had taken place and flourished.
Among noteworthy research on the practical side was the one modeling online searching or information seeking techniques. It was suggested that manual information seeking behaviour in traditional paper environment should be considered and be incorporated into information retrieval system. These manual techniques were the basis of the author's idea of 'berrypicking' technique that she claimed to be better than the old model of information seeking behaviour based on information retrieval (IR) system. Instead of moulding online search techniques of users to suit that of the information retrieval system, she proposed 'berrypicking' technique that reflect users' long standing searching techniques used in traditional information environment to be incorporated into or made available as part of upcoming IR system (Bates 1989).
Bates suggestion hit home these days; if we observe one of the manual search techniques she listed, author searching was among it. Today, if we search Google Scholar, for example by typing 'user studies' as keyword, at the left-hand side we would find at least five authors names from different field of user studies suggested to us. In our case, the famous scholar of user studies of choice would be T. Wilson; and by clicking on his name, we would see that a new set of scholars names from the exact field of user studies that is in our mind and intention during searching will be listed to replace the previous one such as J Trussell, A Spink, D Ellis and N Ford. This list of names would constantly change as we go through the research papers, reflecting the most relevant scholars in certain area of research in user studies.
Another research by Spink et al (1998) attempted to model successive search users in digital environments. Successive search is the process of repeatedly searching over time in relation to a specific, but possibly evolving information problem. The outcomes of the study are the development of appropriate model(s) for IR interactions in successive search episodes and the derivation of as set of design criteria for interfaces and systems supporting successive searching.
At this juncture of my reflections and observations, I would positively conclude that the knowledge of user information needs and information seeking behaviour are very crucial in the course of improving information services and user interface designs. On the other end, the improvement of information services and user interface designs will enhance the search experience of users when using the systems or designs, increase quality to search results in digital environments and solve partly the problems of information overload.
By establishing strong research foundation in user studies, information needs and information seeking behaviour, librarians and information scientists should lead researchers in other related fields to build better information services especially by enhancing digital environment including human computer interface designs. For as early as 1916 as was suggested by Wilson (1994), librarians and information scientists had been the champion of the cause and they should defend the tasks with jealousy and be proud of it.
Bates, Marcia. 1989. The design of browsing and berrypicking techniques for the online research search interface. Online Review, Vol. 13, no. 55: pp. 407-424.
Bawden, David. 2006. A three-decade perspective on Tom Wilson's "On user studies and information needs". Journal of Documentation, Vol. 62, no. 6: pp. 671-679.
Dervin, Brenda & CarrieLyn D. Reinhard. 2006. Researchers and practitioners talk about users and each other. Making user and audience studies matter-paper 1, Information Research, Vol. 12 no. 1 (October)(accessed 10 February 2008).
Hepworth, Mark. 2007. Knowledge of information behaviour and its relevance to the design of people-centred information products and services. Journal of Documentation, Vol. 63 no. 1: pp. 33-56. Emerald Insight (accessed February 7, 2008).
Spink, Amanda, Tom Wilson, David Ellis and Nigel Ford. 1998. Modeling users' successive searches in digital environments. D-Lib Magazine (April)(accessed February 10, 2008).
Wilson, Tom D. 1981. On users studies and information needs. Journal of Documentation, Vol. 62, no. 6: pp. 658-670. Emerald Insight (accessed on February 5, 2008).
Wilson, Tom D. 1994. Information needs and uses: fifty years of progress? In Vickery, B.C. (Ed.), Fifty years of information progress: a Journal of Documentation Review, (pp. 15- 51) London: Aslib, 1994.
Wilson, Tom D. and Christina Walsh. 1996. Information behaviour: an interdisciplinary perspective (accessed February 10,2008).
The author of this web site is a final semester MLIS student at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur. She is currently in charge of a one-man-library in a marine consulting company in Petaling Jaya. Previously she worked as an assistant librarian at a National Library of Malaysia village library in her hometown, Machang, Kelantan.
Technology is so much fun, but we can drown in our technology. The fog of information can drive out knowledge.
Daniel J. Boorstin - American social historian and educator, 1914.
Apart from information retrieval there is virtually no other area of information science that has occasioned as much research effort and writing as "user studies".
Tom Wilson, 1981.
In early days, I tried not to give librarians any trouble, which was where I made my primary mistake. Librarians like to be given trouble; they exist for it, they are geared to it. For the location of a mislaid volume, an uncatalogued item, your good librarian has a ferret’s nose. Give her a scent and she jumps the leash, her eye bright with battle.
Catherine Drinker Bowen (1897–1973), U.S. biographer.