Information behaviorInformation behavior is a field of information science research that seeks to understand the way people search for and use information in various contexts. It can include information seeking and information retrieval, but it also aims to understand why people seek information and how they use it. The term 'information behavior' was coined by Thomas D. Wilson in 1982 and sparked controversy upon its introduction.
Optimal foraging theoryOptimal foraging theory (OFT) is a behavioral ecology model that helps predict how an animal behaves when searching for food. Although obtaining food provides the animal with energy, searching for and capturing the food require both energy and time. To maximize fitness, an animal adopts a foraging strategy that provides the most benefit (energy) for the lowest cost, maximizing the net energy gained.Peter PirolliPeter Pirolli is a senior research scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC). His research involves a mix of cognitive science, artificial intelligence, and human-computer interaction, with applications in digital health, sensemaking, and information foraging, among other things.
EnergyEnergy (from Ancient Greek ἐνέργεια (enérgeia) 'activity') is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the capacity to do work and in the form of heat and light. Energy is a conserved quantity – the law of conservation of energy states that the total energy of an isolated system remains constant, although it can be converted in form.
AnthropologyScientific study of humans, human behavior, and societiesAnthropology is the scientific study of humanity that crosses biology and sociology, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including archaic humans. Social anthropology studies patterns of behavior, while cultural anthropology studies cultural meaning, including norms and values. The term sociocultural anthropology is commonly used today.
PredationBiological interactionSolitary predator: a polar bear feeds on a bearded seal it has killed.Social predators: meat ants cooperate to feed on a cicada far larger than themselves.Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey.
PARC (company)Future Concepts division (formerly Palo Alto Research Center, PARC and Xerox PARC) is a research and development company in Palo Alto, California. It was founded in 1970 by Jacob E. "Jack" Goldman, chief scientist of Xerox Corporation, as a division of Xerox, tasked with creating computer technology-related products and hardware systems.
PsychologistA psychologist is a professional who practices psychology and studies mental states and perceptual, cognitive, emotional, and social processes and behavior. Their work often involves the experimentation, observation, and interpretation of how individuals relate to each other and to their environments. Psychologists usually acquire a bachelor's degree in psychology, followed by either a master's or a doctorate in psychology, with requirements varying by country.
EcologyEcology (from Ancient Greek οἶκος (oîkos) 'house' and -λογία (-logía) 'study of') is the natural science which studies the interactions between organisms and their environments. Ecology considers organisms at the community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the sciences of biogeography, evolutionary biology, genetics, and ethology.Stuart CardStuart K. Card (born December 21, 1943) is an American researcher and retired senior research fellow at Xerox PARC. He is considered to be one of the pioneers of applying human factors in human–computer interaction. With Jock D. Mackinlay, George G. Robertson and others he invented a number of information visualization techniques. He holds numerous patents in user interfaces and visual analysis.InformavoreThe term informavore (also spelled informivore) characterizes an organism that consumes information. It is meant to be a description of human behavior in modern information society, in comparison to omnivore, as a description of humans consuming food. George A. Miller coined the term in 1983 as an analogy to how organisms survive by consuming negative entropy (as suggested by Erwin Schrödinger).Models of collaborative taggingCollaborative tagging, also known as social tagging or folksonomy, allows users to apply public tags to online items, typically to make those items easier for themselves or others to find later. It has been argued that these tagging systems can provide navigational cues or "way-finders" for other users to explore information.
Evolutionary pressureEvolutionary pressure, selective pressure or selection pressure is exerted by factors that reduce or increase reproductive success in a portion of a population, driving natural selection. It is a quantitative description of the amount of change occurring in processes investigated by evolutionary biology, but the formal concept is often extended to other areas of research. In population genetics, selective pressure is usually expressed as a selection coefficient.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.