Labeling effect

The label effect by Jeppe Nicolaisen

The general belief put forward in the literature of Library and Information Science is that users tend to compromise their questions, also known as the compromised need (Taylor, 1968), or the label effect (e.g., Ingwersen, 1982). Consequently, it is widely assumed that users frequently fail to specify their true information needs. In the cognitive approach literature this tendency is explained partly as being caused by search task expectations and assumptions, and partly as being caused by difficulties involved in expressing many interrelated concepts in a few words (Ingwersen, 1982; 1986; 1992). According to cognitive IR theory, the label effect appears when users want to explore concept relations outside known subject matter, but rarely when users want to follow up on aspects of known subject matter. However, empirical research suggests that the phenomenon is much more uncommon. Hauptman (1987) kept track of 1.074 questions asked during a 101 hour period. According to him, the results were revelatory: “Some questions, to be sure, required brief discussion, but only six queries demanded extensive interviewing” (Hauptman, 1986, p. 49). Lynch (1978) found that only 13 percent of questions negotiated in 366 transactions changed significantly from the initial query. This lead Sandstrom & Sandstrom (1995, p. 189) to conclude: “Her findings challenge the still widely held assumption that patrons either cannot or choose not to express their true information needs”.

Literature:

Hauptman, R. (1987). The myth of the reference interview. The Reference Librarian, 16: 47-52.

Ingwersen, P. (1982). Search procedures in the library: Analyzed from the cognitive point of view. Journal of Documentation, 38(3):165-191.

Ingwersen, P. (1986). Cogntive analysis and the role of the intermediary in information retrieval. In: R. Davies (ed.), Intelligent Information Systems. Chichester: West Sussex: Horwood: 206-237.

Ingwersen, P. (1992). Information retrieval interaction. London: Taylor Graham. Available at: http://www.db.dk/pi/iri/files/Ingwersen_IRI.pdf

Lynch, M. J. (1978). Reference interviews in public libraries. Library Quarterly, 48: 119-142.

Sandstrom, A. R. & Sandstrom, P. E. (1995). The use and misuse of anthropological methods in library and information science research. Library Quarterly, 65(2): 161-199.

Taylor, R. S. (1968). Question-negotiation and information seeking in libraries. College and Research Libraries, 29: 178-194.