Foster, A. and Ford, N. (2003) 'Serendipity and information seeking: an empirical study', Journal of Documentation 59(3) pp.321-340 RAE2008 Foster, A.E. & Ford, N.J. (2003). Serendipity and information seeking: an empirical study. Journal of Documentation, 59(3), 321-340. Sponsorship: AHRB?Serendipity? has both a classical origin in literature and a more modern manifestation where it is found in the descriptions of the problem-solving and knowledge acquisition of humanities and science scholars. Studies of information retrieval and information seeking have also discussed the utility of the notion of serendipity. Some have implied that it may be stimulated, or that certain people may ?encounter? serendipitous information more than others. All to some extent accept the classical definition of serendipity as a ?fortuitous? accident. The analysis presented here is part of a larger study concerning the information seeking behaviour of interdisciplinary scholars. This paper considers the nature of serendipity in information seeking contexts, and reinterprets the notion of serendipity as a phenomenon arising from both conditions and strategies ? as both a purposive and a non-purposive component of information seeking and related knowledge acquisition.preprintpreprintpreprintpreprintpreprintpreprintpreprintpreprintpreprintpreprintpreprintPeer reviewe

He has published widely in the field of learning styles and individual differences in relation to computer-based learning environments. He was co-director of the British Library research project "Information Skills for Studentcentred Learning", and is currently researching individual differences in relation to Internet use. Email: N.Ford@sheffield.ac.uk; tel: +44 114 222 2637; fax: +44 114 278 0300. Sherry Y. Chen is a PhD student at Sheffield University's Department of Information Studies. Her current research focuses on the role of individual differences and levels of learner control in hypermedia learning environments, particularly related to learning styles. She has worked as a system analyst in the parliamentary library of Taiwanese government, and as a part-time lecturer in Fu Jen Catholic University, Taiwan. Email: LIP96YC@sheffield.ac.uk; tel: +44 114 222 2665; fax: +44 114 278 0300. AbstractThis paper presents results of a research project that explored the relationship between matching and mismatching instructional presentation style (breadthfirst and depth-first) with students' cognitive style (field-dependence/-independence) in a computer-based learning environment. 73 postgraduate students were asked to create Web pages using HTML, using instructional materials that were either matched or mismatched with their cognitive styles. Significant differences in performance on a multiple choice test of conceptual knowledge were found for students learning in matched and mismatched conditions. Performance in matched conditions was significantly superior to that in mismatched conditions. However, significant effects were found for gender, matching mainly affecting male students. Performance on a practical test of Web page creation was not linked to matching or mismatching, but was linked to an interaction between gender and instructional presentation style. The findings provide support for the notion that matching and mismatching can have significant effects on learning outcomes. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research. IntroductionFor long educational practitioners and researchers have sought to provide instruction optimally matched to each learner's individual needs. Whilst we are still far from such an ideal, a number of models of individual differences have been developed over the years and we are arguably better placed than ever before to study, refine and implement

This article explores the relationship between the concept of uncertainty in information seeking, within a model of the problem-solving process proposed by Wilson (1999a) and variables derived from other models and from the work of Ellis and Kuhlthau. The research has involved longitudinal data collection in the United States and United Kingdom employing three interview schedules (incorporating self-completed questionnaires) used for pre-and postsearch interviews: and postsearch interviews with the information seeker and the search intermediary. In addition, the Sheffield team employed a fourth set of instruments in a follow-up interview some 2 months after the search. Related search episodes, with a professional search intermediary using the Dialog Information Service and other sources were audiotaped, and search transaction logs were recorded. The mediated search clients were faculty and research students engaged in either personal or externally supported research projects. The article concludes that the problem solving model is recognized by such researchers as describing their activities and that the uncertainty concept, operationalized as here, serves as a useful variable in understanding information-seeking behavior. It also concludes that Ellis's concept of "search characteristics" and Kuhlthau's information-seeking stages are independent of the problem stage, and that a set of affective variables, based on those of Kuhlthau, appear to signify a generalized positive or negative affective orientation towards the course of the information problem solution.

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Research by Pask has suggested that matching and mismatching teaching strategies with learners’preferred learning strategies may have considerable effects of learning. The study reported here sought to explore the extent to which a group of experienced and successful learners, such as postgraduate students, might be expected to be versatile learners, in the sense of being able to learn equally well from holist and serialist learning materials. Eighty‐three postgraduate students completed two questionnaires designed to assess learning styles. Twenty‐six students also took two tests designed to assess their competence in learning from materials designed to suit holist and serialist learning strategies. Only two out of 26 students scored equally well on the tests of holist and serialist competence. The study also examines the extent to which holist and serialist competence may be predicted by relatively‘quick and easy’questionnaire instruments. In 19 out of 23 cases such competence could be predicted from responses to a number of items from one of the questionnaires. Implications for further research are discussed.

This is the fourth in a series resulting from a joint research project directed by Professor Tom Wilson in the United Kingdom and Dr. Amanda Spink in the United States. The analysis reported here sought to test a number of hypotheses linking global/analytic cognitive styles and aspects of researchers' problem-solving and related information-seeking behavior. One hundred and eleven postdoctoral researchers were assessed for Witkin's field dependence/independence using Riding's Cognitive Styles Analysis and for Pask's holist/serialist biases using items from Ford's Study Processes Questionnaire. These measures were correlated with the researchers' perceptions of aspects of their problem-solving and information-seeking behavior, and with those of the search intermediary who performed literature searches on their behalf. A number of statistically significant correlations were found. Field-independent researchers were more analytic and active than their field-dependent counterparts. Holists engaged more in exploratory and serendipitous behavior, and were more idiosyncratic in their communication than serialists.

The research reported here was an exploratory study that sought to discover the effects of human individual differences on Web search strategy. These differences consisted of (a) study approaches, (b) cognitive and demographic features, and (c) perceptions of and preferred approaches to Web-based information seeking. Sixtyeight master's students used AltaVista to search for information on three assigned search topics graded in terms of complexity. Five hundred seven search queries were factor analyzed to identify relationships between the individual difference variables and Boolean and best-match search strategies. A number of consistent patterns of relationship were found. As task complexity increased, a number of strategic shifts were also ob-

Our project has investigated the processes of mediated information retrieval (IR) searching during human information-seeking processes to characterize aspects of this process, including information seekers' changing situational contexts; information problems; uncertainty reduction; successive searching, cognitive styles; and cognitive and affective states. The research has involved observational, longitudinal data collection in the United States and the United Kingdom. Three questionnaires were used for pre-and postsearch interviews: reference interview, information-seeker postsearch, and search intermediary postsearch questionnaires. In addition, the Sheffield team employed a fourth set of instruments in a follow-up interview some 2 months after the search. A total of 198 information seekers participated in a mediated on-line search with a professional intermediary using the Dialog Information Service. Each mediated search process was audiotaped and search transaction logs recorded. The findings are presented in four parts. Part I presents the background, theoretical framework, models, and research design used during the research. Part II is devoted to exploring changes in information seekers' uncertainty during the mediated process. Part III provides results related to successive searching. Part IV reports findings related to cognitive styles, individual differences, age and gender. Additional articles that discuss further findings from this complex research project, including: (1) an integrated model of information seeking and searching, (2) assessment of mediated searching, and (3) intermediary information-seeker communication, are in preparation and will be published separately.