Decision making framework for thinking about information seeking behavior

Abstract

At the time of constantly emerging technologies, information professionals need frameworks for modeling users' preferences as well as understanding adoption and usability issues. One such framework, the decision making Expected Utility theory, is reviewed for its ability to offer the logic of mathematical modeling with graphical aids for analyzing information seeking decisions. Major information seeking decisions, including decisions to seek information, select information sources and search strategies, select relevant information objects, and decisions to stop seeking, are analyzed using the four expected utility components: alternatives, outcomes, likelihoods and values. Application of decision theoretic framework helps to identify under-studied areas of information seeking research, as well as offers new ways of analyzing information preferences.