Toward Collaborative Information Seeking (CIS)

TL;DR

This paper explores the concept of collaborative information seeking (CIS), proposing a model to better understand and facilitate collaboration in information retrieval systems, addressing current limitations and gaps in understanding.

Contribution

It introduces a new model of CIS based on an extended information seeking framework, aiming to improve collaborative capabilities in IR systems.

Findings

Proposes a model to understand collaboration in information seeking

Highlights the lack of collaborative features in current IR systems

Provides a theoretical framework for developing CIS environments

Abstract

It is natural for humans to collaborate while dealing with complex problems. In this article I consider this process of collaboration in the context of information seeking. The study and discussion presented here are driven by two dissatisfactions: (1) the majority of IR systems today do not facilitate collaboration directly, and (2) the concept of collaboration itself is not well-understood. I begin by probing the notion of collaboration and propose a model that helps us understand the requirements for a successful collaboration. A model of a Collaborative Information Seeking (CIS) environment is then rendered based on an extended model of information seeking.