The Cool and Belkin Faceted Classification of Information Interactions Revisited

Submitted by Isto Huvila on Sun, 12/19/2010 - 14:43

Publication Type:

Conference Paper

Authors:

Isto Huvila

Source:

Information Research 15 (4). Special Supplement: Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science – Unity in diversity – Part 2 (2010)

URL:

http://informationr.net/ir/15-4/colis724.html

Abstract:

Introduction. The complexity of human information activity is a challenge for both practice and research in information sciences and information management. Literature presents a wealth of approaches to analytically structure and make sense of human information activity including a faceted classification model of information interactions published by Cool and Belkin in 2002, which is discussed in this paper.

Method. The Cool and Belkin classification scheme and the version adopted by Huvila in 2006 for a study of archaeologists are compared and new qualitative empirical interview material is analysed by using the latter version of the scheme.

Analysis. Literature studies and qualitative analysis of interview material was carried out. Results. The discussed revisions proposed in the present study and earlier by Huvila broaden the scope of the classification system from information seeking to the broad scope of information activity and from description of interaction instances to their contexts.

Conclusions. It is important to consider the consequences of classifying information interactions, to balance between complexity and simplicity and to consider when it is significant to strive for complexity of classifications and when a generic level of description is enough.

Body: 

Archaeology and Archaeological Information in the Digital Society shows how the digitization of archaeological information, tools and workflows, and their interplay with both old and new non-digital practices throughout the archaeological information process, affect the outcomes of archaeological work, and in the end, our general understanding of the human past.

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Taking Health Information Behaviour into Account: implications of a neglected element for success- ful implementation of consumer health technologies on older adults (HIBA) is an Academy of Finland funded research project at Åbo Akademi University.

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Sheds new light on the potential of extra-academic knowledge-making as a contribution in formations of knowledge throughout society, explores extra-academic knowledge as a useful resource in academy, policy development, evidence based practices, and innovation, and focuses on the informational dimensions, stemming from and grounded in an informationscience perspective, which provides the means to address practical information-related issues throughout knowledge-making processes.

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