Diagnostic Interview Project Dr. J. Agada, Summer 2005

July 2005

Picture Perfect: Information Seeking in the Search for a Professional Level Camera
Christina Seeger, MLS Candidate, Emporia State University LI802 Theoretical Foundations of Service: Diagnosis & Customization

Searcher at a Glance

Computer Programmer Highly computer literate Experience Internet searcher Independent and confident searcher Hobby: Photography Buying a professional-level camera MBTI: ISTJ VARK: Read/Write Converger
The Information Search Process Begins: The Searcher
Stuart, a 36-year old computer programmer is in the market for a high-level camera to support his photography hobby. He currently owns a 15-year old Minolta Maxxum 7000i and a collection of specialized lenses and accessories. The camera was dropped on a recent trip. The flash no longer attaches to the camera body and one of the features, the spot metering, no longer works. While neither prevents him from using the camera, he says they prevent him from being able to take certain types of pictures. Because Stuart has done photography on a semiprofessional basis he has high standards for his equipment and requires a camera that allows him to use his skill to create photos that are much more artful than a point and click camera can produce. Stuart looks forward to once again developing his own pictures, which would allow him the freedom to manipulate the results. Two years ago Stuart began taking outdoor Senior Portraits for some friends and found that he really enjoys it. He does not charge for his services, the senior only pays for film and developing and can choose the number of outfits, as well as the location, to suit their personality. The camera needs to be able to easily handle the demands of outdoor specialized photography. Stuart also enjoys photographing nature, with the challenge of lighting and timing requiring a great deal of skill and patience, as well as the opportunity to use a variety of lenses and accessories to capture the desired image.

Inside this issue:

The Search 2
Stuarts son, Garrett, 2004 Stu Seeger, 2004

Neutral Questioning

Information Seeking Style
Information Need: Situation, Gap, Use Model
As the search process (page 2) describes, Stuart was looking for very specific information, but the search is still reminiscent of the sense-making model of Dervin (Dervin & Dewdney, 1986; Thomas, 2004). After seeing a television ad for another brand of camera with the features he wanted Stuart began to wonder Minolta had similar technology available in a camera body that would fit his lenses. The ad, combined with the damage to his camera, created a situation, or context, for an information need. Thus the gap of information was clear: he did not know if a Minolta digital SLR camera was available and if it would be compatible with the lenses he already owned. Another information gap was the price, if such a product existed. Stuart hoped to answer those questions, in an effort to make an informed decision about purchasing a new camera. Because he was able to get the answers to his questions he is planning to buy a specific model, Minoltas Maxxum 7D.
Independent Searching No Outside Intermediation References

Page 2

Picture Perfect:
The Information Search Process
While on vacation Stuart saw a Television ad for a Nikon digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera. His camera is 15-years old and had just been damaged, so the features of the Nikon peaked his interest. With a collection of expensive specialty lenses, including some that are no longer available, that he used while doing semiprofessional photography Stuart says it would not make any sense to buy another brand and have to start over. The Nikon ad sparked an interest that lead him to wonder if Minolta had a similar technology compatible with the lenses that he already owned. Upon returning home Stuart checked the website for Minolta (http:// kmpi.konicaminolta.us/) and discovered that Minolta had just released a digital version of the camera he owns, the Maxxum 7D and the write-up on the websites specifically mentions that the camera maintains full compatibility with the Maxxum system of lenses and accessories. On the manufacturers website Stuart was able to get confirmation that the camera was available and some basic information, such as features, specifications, and FAQs. He was also able to check the suggested retail price through a buy it online feature of the site, which linked out to several online merchants. He then went to several comparison sites to read reviews, compare to other Minolta and other brand products and check for better pricing options. Stuart checked the Beaverton Library to see what Consumer Reports had to say. It turned out that their 'then current' issue was devoted to digital cameras. Unfortunately, as their name professes, they are consumer oriented and didn't include any digital SLRs nothing over $750 if I remember correctly. Because he uses his camera as a tool, it was also important for Stuart to check out in-person. He needed to do a touch test to assure that the camera could be used comfortably, was a good size and weight and would do what he needed it to the grip was especially important as many of the techniques he uses require one-handed camera operation. For this he visited a local professional-level camera shop, and was able to handle the model he was interested in. This final step brought together all the information he had gathered with the concrete experience of the actual product and cemented the decision that this was the camera he would like to buy.

Fisgard Lighthouse, Canada Stu Seeger, 2003
Senior portrait, Stu Seeger, 2004
Some of the Questions Asked: An Exercise in Neutral Questioning
What was the nature of your information search? What did you need to know about? What type of information were you looking for? What kinds of information sources did you consult? Did you find what you were looking for? Is there anything else you were hoping to find in this search? Is there anything you would have done differently? Do you believe your search could have benefited from the help of an information professional?
Silver Falls, Oregon Stu Seeger, 2003
Diagnostic Interview Project

Page 3

Stuart is highly computer-literate and uses the Internet as a tool in his daily work. It would make sense, then, that the bulk of his research was done on the Internet. Stuart is not an active library user, although he is married to an MLS student. He will occasionally tag along to find some fiction. Because so much of his work is up-to-the-minute and constantly being updated, he finds that the library lacks appropriate materials for his use. He subscribes to relevant listservs and has a list of websites bookmarked that he uses regularly. If he has to ask for help it will be from an expert in the field or someone else actively working with the software or system he is asking about. A computer programmer by profession, Stuart fits into Kolbs definition of the converger. Combining the active experimenter, emphasizing the use of theories and ideas used in pragmatic situations, in a hands-on method of learning and working, including being results-oriented, and the abstract conceptualizer with its emphasis on logic, analysis and systematic problem-solving (Thomas, 2002, pp. 73-74), The Myers Briggs Type Indicator and VARK (Fleming, 1992) questionnaire he took for this interview confirmed Stuarts self-described personality and searching attributes. An ISTJ (Introverted Sensing Thinking Judging), Stuart is practical and logical, using theories and past experimentation to analyze a problem. He is systematic, and both task- and resultsoriented, seeing the big picture and how each task fits in the project. The VARK questionnaire revealed a strong read/ write learning preference, which was no surprise to either of us. Stuarts search of the Internet, including the manufacturers website and several review sites, as well as the attempt to find a review journal to research the camera are consistent with a mode of learning rooted in reading. It is interesting to note that in the Multiple Intelligences theory of Gardner (1999), the visual-spatial intelligence, which is the category that best describes Stuarts skills and interests, both architecture/design (which covers his profession, in fact his title is Information Architect) and photography, his hobby (Thomas, 2002, p. 78). According to Belkins anomalous states of knowledge, information problems arise when a gap (as Dervin terms the lack of information needed to make a decision or reach a goal) of knowledge. As Thomas states, in Dervins view, what people require when they find themselves stuck in an information gap is personalized information based on their interests, their views of the problem and whatever barriers they expect to encounter (Thomas, 2002, p. 65). This is very true of Stuarts search process. By using sources that he was familiar with and connected with he felt that he got the level of personalization required to surmount the barriers to the information he required. He did not feel the need to have a connection with a person; he just needed basic facts to help him make a personal decision. Although Stuart felt a personal attachment to this search, he did not experience the range of affective emotions that Kulthau describes, nor did he follow the search stages that she outlines. The concept of constructivism and Sheingolds Inquiry Model better describe the process and emotions displayed in this search. Constructivism considers that learners are active participants in their own learning, rather than passive receivers of information. According to Taylor, constructivists generally hold. that learning involves an act of personal construction, and knowledge is the creation of meaning based on the experience of the learner (Taylor, 2002, p. 104). Sheingolds inquiry model holds that the inquiry process is complex and nonlinear, and includes formulation of a problem or question, researching or collecting information to address it, making sense of the information collected, and developing an understanding of, point of view about, or answer to the question (Sheingold, quoted in Taylor, 2002, p. 28). The ideas behind these theories of cognitive development and problem-solving can be found in Dervins sense making model in that the context of the user determines the information need. Sheingolds model requires learners to do something with what has been learned in order to keep the knowledge alive (Taylor, 2004, p. 28-9), in the same way the intended use of the information is key to the sense

Konica Minolta http://kmpi.konicaminolta.us/

References

Dervin, B. & Dewdney, P. (1986). Neutral questioning: A new approach to the reference interview. RQ 26, 506-518. Fleming, N. & Mills, C. (1992). Not another inventory, rather a catalyst for reflection. To Improve the Academy 11, 137-155. Accessed via: http://www.vark-learn.com/english/index.asp Konica Minolta U.S. http://kmpi.konicaminolta.us/ Thomas, N. (2004). Information literacy and information skills instruction: Applying research to practice in the school
A family portrait example Stu Seeger 2004
library media center. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Independent Searching No Outside Intermediation
Stuart did not make use of an outside information professional in his search, instead he relied on experts in the field to guide his already focused search into the specificity of a decision. Using manufacturer information, reliable websites and in-store information, he managed to get the information he needed at the time and level he was comfortable with. His one attempt at the library was unsuccessful in that it did not yield any information of value in his search but he did not consult a librarian about something more suitable. It is doubtful that the library would have had a professional level photographic journal in the same vein as Consumer Reports, but other useful material may have been available. When asked he believed his search could have benefited from the help of an information professional, Stuart emphatically replied, I AM an information professional! This was a good reminder to me that it is important to meet information searchers at their level. While there is not a lot that the library could have offered Stuart in his search, we need to be aware of that and seek out ways to advertise the services we can provide. The idea never occurred to Stuart to look on the librarys website for information, including the librarys database of journal holdings he may have found a specialty journal. Community outreach may be the best way for the library to reach the expert searchers and show them what we can contribute to their search process.
Michael Andretti, Monterey 1991 Stu Seeger 1991
See more photos by Stuart Seeger at: http://community.webshots.com/user/stuseeger