HCI and Information Search: Capturing Task and Searcher Characteristics Through ‘User Ability to Specify Information Need’

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is all about the way in which people interact with computer systems. This paper focuses on the cognitive aspects of HCI when a user is searching for information, so as to facilitate effective user interactions with vast amounts of available information. Search engines provide a ‘one-size-fits-all’ model, which do not adequately cater to the differing needs of searchers at different points in time (continuously changing situations in time/space, as per sense-making theory). We posit that from a system designer’s point of view, capturing the ‘user ability to specify his information need’ will help operationalize task/searcher characteristics (hence the user need) and help the designer provide better interfaces for search that fit the needs of the user and lead to search efficacy and searcher satisfaction. The study should advance HCI for search through greater understanding of user needs, enhance search interfaces and lead to theory development.