Calibrating databases

• Published in: Journal of the American Society for Information Science Vol. 37; no. 4; pp. 222 - 233
• Main Authors: Fischhoff, Baruch, MacGregor, Donald
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, D.C Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.07.1986; John Wiley & Sons; American Documentation Institute; Wiley Periodicals Inc
• Subjects: Algorithms; Alternatives; Behavioral decision theory; Cognition; Computerised information retrieval; Computerized information storage and retrieval; Computerized subject indexing; Confidence; Decision making; Decision theory; Design; Designers; Exact sciences and technology; Experimental psychology; General aspects; Information and communication sciences; Information science; Information science. Documentation; Information storage and retrieval; Information work; Library and information science. General aspects; Performance enhancement; Precipitation; Probability; Psychology; Sciences and techniques of general use; Searching; Subject indexing; Success; Technical services; Theories, definitions and sources in information science; New York; United States > US; Methodology; Databank; Information retrieval
• ISSN: 0002-8231; 1097-4571
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-4571(198607)37:4<222::AID-ASI8>3.0.CO;2-K

Searching for information in a database typically involves a series of decisions, as one chooses among alternative places to look. Behavioral decision theory investigates the cognitive processes involved in decision‐making, with a particular focus on those that may impede effective performance. Applying this perspective to information search provides a set of measures for characterizing performance with different databases and a set of hypotheses for predicting search difficulties. These measures were used and these hypotheses were examined in the context of searching for information in a familiar database, the Statistical of the United States. Results generally replicated previous findings with other decision‐making tasks and suggested ways to improve performance. For example, subjects had unrealistic expectations regarding their ability to locate information quickly, which might be reduced by having them identify a set of possible locations before focusing on any one. © 1986 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.