INST352 Midterm Stuff

What is Google's PageRank algorithm?

- Algorithm gives each webpage returned from the keyword search a weight between 0 and 1. - The higher the weight given to the page, the more likely it is that this page will be displayed first to you.

What are Taylor's four levels of information need?

- Visceral Need - inexpressible sense of vague dissatisfaction - Conscious Need - an ambiguous and rambling statement - Formalized Need - "qualified & rational" statement of need - Compromised Need - query restated using language of the source

What is the difference between context and situation?

Context is the larger environment in which a user's information behavior exists. On the other hand, situation is a number of circumstances under which a need for information arises.

What is the definition of information behavior?

In a simple manner, it is defined as information + a verb/no verb.

What is the difference between incognizance and information avoidance?

Incognizance is the notion of being unaware of having an information need, while, information avoidance is the act of not wanting to know information.

What is the difference between the first 2 frames?

The first frame states that information resources have credibility from their author; the creator's expertise and credibility is assessed based on the information need and context where information is used.

What is the difference between selective exposure and confirmation bias?

These two terms sound a little similar, but selective exposure is where we restrict the type of information we want to be exposed to, while confirmation bias is where we are just being open to information that confirms with our perceptions.

What are some information behavior barriers?

An information barrier is any situation where people are unaware they have an information need, unable to find certain information, unable to assess the veracity of it, and even when they can't locate certain information.

What is the difference between information need and information seeking?

Information needs are when people seek information, while information seeking is an activity that people engage in while satisfying an information need.

What is the difference between information overload and selective attention?

Information overload and selective attention are different in that information overload is about feeling overwhelmed and unable to find the appropriate information and put it to use. Selective attention is where people often purposely choose to pay attention to some information, while ignoring other information.

What is proximity searching?

Proximity searching is a search technique that allows us to include 2 or more terms in search results. For instance, "information behavior" would make a search engine retrieve results that include both words.

What is serendipity?

Searching for information on one topic and happening to come across information on another topic that is of interest to you

How did the information behavior research shift from 1960s to 2000s?

The research shifted from use of systems to user behavior. We saw an increased use of qualitative research methods.

What are boolean operators?

These are search operators which allow us to limit search results to have just the keywords we want.

What is the ACRL framework for information literacy?

This is a framework that has been updated in 2015 to reflect changes that have taken place in higher education institutions. Their Framework consists of six frames: Authority is constructed and contextual; Information creation as a process; Information has value; Research as inquiry; Scholarship as conversation; and Searching as strategic exploration.

What is Zipf's Law?

This is a law that states that people like to minimize the effort they make and that they sacrifice credibility for accessibility.

What are the Big6 Skills?

This is a model that shows how people of all ages solve information problems; it is used widely in K-12 education around the world. This is more like a methodical process where we define a need, search for information and then, evaluate our findings.

What is information poverty?

This is a situation where individuals or communities lack physical or cognitive access to information.

What is information foraging theory?

This is a theory that explains that individuals have a habit of maximizing their attention to pay attention to only that information which is of relevance to them.