Question generation and formulation: An indication of information need

Esther E. Home

Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 1983, vol. 34, issue 1, 5-15

Abstract: A methodology is developed and applied to a data collection consisting of questions in order to discern the nature of the cognitive need “to know”: the information need. The experimental design for the generation and formulation of questions was achieved by means of a “closed” problem situation. A “closed” problem situation has within it sufficient and available data with which to reach solution of said problem. The question is an observable behavioral act which reflects information need. Because it is a hypothetical construct, information need had to be operationalized indirectly via the question as the dependent variable and the data input as the independent variable. The varying of this independent variable was achieved by partitioning the “closed” problem. Two experimental hypotheses guided this methodology for a “closed” problem situation: H1 where the number of questions generated varies directly as the Information need varies, and H2 where the number of questions generated varies inversely as the data input varies. The results of the statistical analysis supported the indicated trend to decreasing questioning activity as the data input rose. The results of the linguistic analysis revealed a consistent question formulation pattern between the two “closed” problems. Thus it follows in theory that the nature of information need can be discerned indirectly through question generation and formulation.

Date: 1983
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:jamest:v:34:y:1983:i:1:p:5-15

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