Wilson (2005) points out an interesting difference between information retrieval and information seeking. The objective of information retrieval is matching queries to data collections for the retrieval of information, whereas information seeking is concerned with the discovery of pertinent information regardless of the delivery method. For example, he notes that more information is communicated by word of mouth than is ever retrieved from databases.
Information does not come from scholarly literature alone. It comes from talking with and networking with peers, from reading grey literature, from personal sources, and from social information retrieval. Social information retrieval makes use of other users’ knowledge or search experience. Examples include the sharing of queries, social bookmarking, and social tagging that combine collective intelligence with expert knowledge. Greer, Grover, and Fowler (2007) state that these areas offer the possibility of additional avenues of information retrieval.
References
Greer, R. C., Grover, R. J., & Fowler, S. G. (2007). Introduction to the library and information professions. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited.
Wilson, T.D. (2005). [Review of the book The turn: Integration of information seeking and retrieval in contex by P. Ingwersen and K. Järvelin]. Information Research, 11(1). Retrieved March 30, 2008, from http://informationr.net/ir/reviews/revs189.html
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3 comments:
The act of retrieval and seeking are entirely different. When I think about retrieving information, I think about going through some type of collection to find exactly what I am looking for. But if I am seeking information, I can just ask a question and findhope someone knows the answer. More information is passed on by word of mouth than any other information. That's how most information is relayed.
It makes sense that if people knew how to do information retrieval, they wouldn't even have to do information seeking.
Unlike Amy, I think information seeking is important. It is exploratory, less concrete and direct than retrieval. Sometimes we have an idea, but don't know exactly what information we're looking for. The information seeking process allows us to, as you say Carol, discover information along the way, using a variety of sources.
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