Abstract :
As more people gain at-home access to the Internet,
information seeking on the Web has become embedded
in everyday life. The objective of this study was to characterize
the home as an information use environment
and to identify a range of information seeking and Websearch
behaviors at home. Twelve Northern California
residents were recruited, and the data were collected
through semi-structured at-home interviews based on a
self-reported Search Activities Diary that subjects kept
over a 3–5 day period. The data were analyzed on four
levels: home environment, information seeking goals,
information retrieval interaction, and search query. Findings
indicated that the home, indeed, provided a distinct
information use environment beyond physical setting
alone in which the subjects used the Web for diverse
purposes and interests. Based on the findings, the relationships
among home environment, Web context, and
interaction situation were identified with respect to user
goals and information-seeking behaviors.
