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Information seeking and mediated searching. Part 4. Cognitive styles in information seeking

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  • Nigel Ford
  • T.D. Wilson
  • Allen Foster
  • David Ellis
  • Amanda Spink

Abstract

This is the fourth in a series resulting from a joint research project directed by Professor Tom Wilson in the United Kingdom and Dr. Amanda Spink in the United States. The analysis reported here sought to test a number of hypotheses linking global/analytic cognitive styles and aspects of researchers' problem‐solving and related information‐seeking behavior. One hundred and eleven postdoctoral researchers were assessed for Witkin's field dependence/independence using Riding's Cognitive Styles Analysis and for Pask's holist/serialist biases using items from Ford's Study Processes Questionnaire. These measures were correlated with the researchers' perceptions of aspects of their problem‐solving and information‐seeking behavior, and with those of the search intermediary who performed literature searches on their behalf. A number of statistically significant correlations were found. Field‐independent researchers were more analytic and active than their field‐dependent counterparts. Holists engaged more in exploratory and serendipitous behavior, and were more idiosyncratic in their communication than serialists.

Suggested Citation

  • Nigel Ford & T.D. Wilson & Allen Foster & David Ellis & Amanda Spink, 2002. "Information seeking and mediated searching. Part 4. Cognitive styles in information seeking," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 53(9), pages 728-735.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jamist:v:53:y:2002:i:9:p:728-735
    DOI: 10.1002/asi.10084
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    Cited by:

    1. Jin Ha Lee, 2010. "Analysis of user needs and information features in natural language queries seeking music information," Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 61(5), pages 1025-1045, May.
    2. Guo, Bin, 2011. "The scope of external information-seeking under uncertainty: An individual-level study," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 137-148.

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