Users: Dead, Alive and Otherwise SIG CON 2005 Joseph Janes Associate Professor Associate Dean for Academics The Information School of the University of Washington

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Assistant Professor School of Information and Library Studies University of Michigan

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Assistant Professor School of Information University of Michigan

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Assistant Professor School of Information University of Michigan

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Director Internet Public Library

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Director Internet Public Library

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Visiting Associate Professor School of Information Studies Syracuse University

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Visiting Associate Professor School of Information Studies Syracuse University

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Assistant Professor The Information School of the University of Washington

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Assistant Professor The Information School of the University of Washington

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Associate Professor Chair, Library and Information Science The Information School of the University of Washington

Information Behavior: Not What You Think SIG CON 2004 Joseph Janes Associate Professor Chair, Library and Information Science The Information School of the University of Washington

Users: Dead, Alive and Otherwise SIG CON 2005 Joseph Janes Associate Professor Associate Dean for Academics The Information School of the University of Washington

yet another another new line of research as administration continues to suck away my creative life an increasing focus and work in information behavior, way beyond “user studies” of old and previous studies of user makeovers and behavior of information perhaps there’s something more, that this work is missing an idea suggested by session at this very conference acknowledgement of contribution of Fisher et al (2005-6)

review of the literature in this case, my own; research on several key populations twins (1993) chimpanzees (1994) space aliens (1997) psychics (1999) the dead (????) the undead (????) it all seems to be pointing me towards one question

conceptual framework important concepts “alive” “dead” “freshly dead” (M. Brooks, 1974)

freshly dead

less freshly dead

conceptual framework important concepts “alive” “dead” “freshly dead” (M. Brooks, 1974) “mostly dead”

Miracle MaxMiracle Max: He probably owes you money huh? I'll ask him. Inigo MontoyaInigo Montoya: He's dead. He can't talk. Miracle MaxMiracle Max: Whoo-hoo-hoo, look who knows so much. It just so happens that your friend here is only MOSTLY dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Mostly dead is slightly alive. With all dead, well, with all dead there's usually only one thing you can do. Inigo MontoyaInigo Montoya: What's that? Miracle MaxMiracle Max: Go through his clothes and look for loose change. (W. Goldman, 1985)

research question RQ1: is the user dead?

methodology ask them Ss were 150 “entities” using information systems simple survey instrument 1 Q “Are you alive?” little need to operationalize concepts, seems pretty straightforward

results Are you alive? 115 Yes 33 N/R 2 No encouraging, but…. could be a response bias, social desirability effect

follow-up survey [applied for IMLS grant funding, $200,000] [positive support for grant, but concern by agency not asking for enough, encouraged to reapply] resurveyed same sample, n = Q “Are you dead?”

results Are you dead? 92 No 36 N/R 2 Yes consistency, further evidence that most users are generally alive some dropouts tho mortality effect?

more evidence needed follow up with a qualitative/naturalistic approach, try to get more in-depth data, further insight into experience of “entities” using systems participant observation boo transcription of commentary drawbacks to methodological approach, refinement under consideration

further research suggested appears to be a particularly fertile area once you get going RQ: Are people who study “users” alive? preliminary investigation, unobtrusive observation relevant sessions at 2005 ASIS conference jury still out further investigation required, perhaps at the bar

Users: Dead, Alive and Otherwise SIG CON 2005 Joseph Janes Associate Professor Associate Dean for Academics The Information School of the University of Washington