| Information Problem-Solving Process |
School Context: Completing an assignment for class |
Life Context: Deciding which movie to attend on Saturday
night |
Work Context: Reporting on five years product
sales |
| Task Definition |
Finding out that the task involves writing a two-part essay and
realizing that a key to success is using documented supporting
evidence. |
Figuring out that it will be necessary to attend a 7:00-7:30
p.m. showing in order to get the babysitter home on time. |
Producing a readable chart representing sales figures by product
and salesperson. Determining that reliable sales data by department
will be needed. |
| Information Seeking Strategies |
Considering all potential information sources and deciding that
current journals and newspapers would be best. |
Deciding to look at the entertainment section of the newspaper
to determine the showing times of movies. |
Determining that there are two places where sales figures are
kept: on paper an on computer disks. Deciding to use the computer
version. |
| Location & Access |
Using an online index to search for appropriate periodical
articles. Finding the articles online and in print. |
Locating the newspaper upstairs next to the bed. Using the
"Quick Guide" on the first page to locate the entertainment
section. |
Finding disks with the sales data and identifying the relevant
files. |
| Use of Information |
Reading the articles and typing notes directly into a word
processing program, noting the sources. |
Reading the movie ads and focusing on times and
locations. |
Examining the various files, cutting and pasting the data by
relevant categories and years. |
| Synthesis |
Using a word processor, creating an outline, then a draft of the
essay. |
Determining that there is only one movie playing at the time
that you both want to see. |
Using an electronic spreadsheet program to combine the various
sales data and generating a chart from the
spreadsheet. |
| Evaluation |
Realizing that your details are weak on one of the two parts and
that you need to go back and find additional information. |
Realizing that the newspaper was a good source for the necessary
information and that you successfully met your task. |
Being congratulated by your manager for a nice job; recognizing
that the spreadsheet software was more than adequate for the
task. |