What is enough? Satisficing information needs

Abstract

Purpose -This paper seeks to understand how users know when to stop searching for more information when the information space is so saturated that there is no certainty that the relevant information has been identified. Design/methodology/approach -Faculty, undergraduate and graduate students participated in focus group interviews to investigate what leads them to satisfice their information needs. Findings -Academic library users describe both qualitative and quantitative criteria, which lead them to make rational choices determining when "enough" information satisfices their need. The situational context of both the participants' specific information need and their role in academic society affects every stage of their search -from the selection of the first resource, to ongoing search strategies, to decisions on how much information is enough. Originality/value -These findings broaden the scope of earlier user research, which tends to focus on the more static views of habitual information-seeking and -searching behavior, by applying theoretical frameworks for a richer understanding of the users' experiences. IntroductionThe current information environment is rich, characterized by a proliferation of information sources and providers, a multiplicity of methods for accessing information, and a redundancy of content from multiple sources. In this "overloaded" information environment, many information users tend to experience a sense of information inadequacy and anxiety. How do individuals navigate this complex landscape of information? Furthermore, how do individuals assess the information they find as being enough to satisfy their specific need? In this complex information environment, understanding how individuals choose to satisfy their information needs takes on new urgency. Insight into information seeking can be gained by understanding how users seek information sources and how they choose content to meet their needs. Yet the library and information science literature has neglected to study how individuals decide what and how much information is enough to meet their needs or goals.Research on information-seeking and -searching behavior has paid ample attention to sources of information sources used. The process of seeking and searching for information also has received considerable attention from researchers, resulting in

Emotions as motivators for information seeking: A conceptual analysis

“…Studies such as these may shed additional light on the issues of satisficing, for example (Prabha et al, 2007). Finally, since the affective phenomena tend to be intertwined with cognitive and situational factors, the picture of the motivational aspects of emotions, feelings, mood and affective styles can be deepened by looking at these factors together rather than separately.…”

“…In the context of work-related information seeking, the constraining role of negative emotions and feelings has often been conceptualized in terms of satisficing -a portmanteau combining the words satisfying and sufficing, coined by Herbert Simon to describe a decision-making strategy that attempts to meet criteria for adequacy, rather than identify an optimal solution, especially when time is a critical variable (Prabha, Connaway, Olszewski, & Jenkins, 2007). The main question dealing with satisficing behaviors revolves around "what is enough" in information seeking.…”

Cognitive economy and satisficing in information seeking: A longitudinal study of undergraduate information behavior

“…Similarly, Zack (2004) reports on the activities of arts administrators in information seeking, focusing particularly on their approach of stopping when they have sufficient information for the task at hand. Prabha et al (2007) develop an account of satisficing in information seeking based on role theory and rational choice theory. A common feature of all these studies is that they focus on the stopping criterion (when is enough enough?…”

Profiling information behaviour of nursing students: part 2: derivation of profiles

“…Thus the amount of information that creates a 'satisfaction' level (satisfices) is situation specific (Simon, 1956). Dissatisfaction is multi-faceted with 'inconvenience', 'not enough information', and 'search is too difficult' (all these aspects found elsewhere (Prabha et al, 2007)). Satisfaction then is a dynamic, situation-specific component that determines the stopping point of the search process.…”

“…Logically, studies of information seeking may include elements of searching as indicated in Wilson's (1999) nested model. Student information seeking has often been described in terms of comfort or convenience (MacDonald et al (2011);Prabha et al (2007) ; Zach (2005).Models of information seeking behaviour among students include a model of the mediating factors that influenced student use of electronic information services (in particular) (Urquhart and Rowley, 2007). The specific (micro) factors were information literacy (defined in terms of skills and knowledge that students could bring to searching), searching strategies (the type of searching routines normally adopted), academics' information behaviour (and their influence as role models for students), discipline, pedagogy (approach adopted to learning and teaching), and support and training (provided partly by library services, perhaps acting in co-operation with academic staff).…”