What Is Human Information Interaction?

Abstract

Researchers in human information interaction investigate the interaction between people and information with its multiple forms and purposes. That is, they focus on the relationships between people and information , rather than on those between people and technology (as in human-computer interaction) or between people and the information agency (as in librarianship). As a research area, HII is of interest to scholars from various research traditions and disciplines, but it is still in its formative years, awaiting an initial consensus about its nature and attributes (e.g., W. Jones et al. 2006). Human information interaction (HII) is inherently a multidisciplinary area, and the boundaries among the accounts of HII in various fields are usually fuzzy. Some examples illustrate the many contributors to HII. The field of human-computer interaction (HCI) is an example of a relatively new field that is part of the HII area. It focuses on users of computers with the aim of defining principles and ways to present information that facilitate effective human information interaction. Computer interface is, therefore, the central object of study. HCI researchers develop models and theories of interaction, as well as methodologies and processes for designing interfaces and for implementing and evaluating them. In their work they rely on both technological developments and human sciences, such as psychology, physiology, organizational sciences, sociology, anthropology, and industrial design. The degree to which HCI researchers actually investigate HII varies. At the same time, the boundaries of HCI are elastic and constantly expanding. Two other fields address HII with a focus on the machines used to support it: computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and human factors. Both fields concentrate on tools used at work, and both overlap with HCI. Researchers in CSCW investigate how collaborative activities and their coordination can be supported by computer systems. Those with expertise in areas such as social psychology, sociology, and computer science study the ways people work in groups