Information-Seeking Support Systems

by Gary Marchionini and Ryen W. White

The emergence of the World Wide Web (WWW) and the various search engines that index its content has made information retrieval a daily activity for most people. Whether at work, school, or play, people have come to expect instant access to information on any topic at any place and time.

Retrieval is sufficient when the need is well-defined in the searcher's mind; however, when searchers are seeking information for learning, decision making, and other complex mental activities that take place over time, retrieval is necessary but not sufficient. These tasks require tools and support services that aid people in managing, analyzing, and sharing sets of retrieved information.

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