Citation: Erdelez, S. and Makri, S. ORCID: 0000-0002-5817-4893 (2020). Information encountering re-encountered: A conceptual re-examination of serendipity in the context of information acquisition. Journal of Documentation, This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Permanent repository link: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/23843/ Link to published version: http://dx.
AbstractPurpose: In order to understand the totality, diversity and richness of Human Information Behavior, increasing research attention has been paid to examining serendipity in the context of information acquisition. However, several issues have arisen as this research subfield has tried to find its feet; we have used different, inconsistent terminology to define this phenomenon (e.g., Information Encountering, Accidental Information Discovery, Incidental Information Acquisition), we have not clearly defined the scope of the phenomenon and we have not fully understood or fleshed-out its nature.Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, we propose information encountering (IE) as the preferred term for serendipity in the context of information acquisition.
Findings:We present a re-conceptualized definition and scope of IE, a temporal model of IE and a refined model of IE that integrates the IE process with contextual factors and extends previous models of IE to include additional information acquisition activities pre-and post-encounter. Originality/value: By providing a more precise definition, clearer scope and richer theoretical description of the nature of IE, we hope to make the phenomenon of serendipity in the context of information acquisition more accessible, encouraging future research consistency and thereby promoting deeper, more unified theoretical development.
Background
Effectiveness of clinical information systems to improve nursing and patient outcomes depends on human factors including system usability, organizational workflow, and user satisfaction.
Objective
To examine to what extent residents, family members, and clinicians find a sensor data interface used to monitor elder activity levels usable and useful in an independent living setting.
Methods
Three independent expert reviewers conducted an initial heuristic evaluation. Subsequently, 20 end users (5 residents, 5 family members, 5 registered nurses, and 5 physicians) participated in the evaluation. During the evaluation each participant was asked to complete three scenarios taken from three residents. Morae recorder software was used to capture data during the user interactions.
Results
The heuristic evaluation resulted in 26 recommendations for interface improvement; these were classified under the headings content, aesthetic appeal, navigation, and architecture, which were derived from heuristic results. Total time for elderly residents to complete scenarios was much greater than for other users. Family members spent more time than clinicians, but less time than residents to complete scenarios. Elder residents and family members had difficulty interpreting clinical data and graphs, experienced information overload, and did not understand terminology. All users found the sensor data interface useful for identifying changing resident activities.
Discussion
Older adult users have special needs that should be addressed when designing clinical interfaces for them, especially information as important as health information. Evaluating human factors during user interactions with clinical information systems should be a requirement before implementation.
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