Geospatial Encountering: Opportunistic Information Discovery in Web-based GIS Environments

Web-based geographical information systems have become ubiquitous in daily life. They include such familiar tools as Google Earth, Google Maps, and a plethora of geo-locational mobile applications for smart phones. These geospatial web systems present new opportunities for users to discover information opportunistically, in unexpected and non-intentional ways. This paper examines one specific type of incidental information acquisition- information encountering (Erdelez, 1997)- as it may occur in geospatial web environments. Accordingly, this preliminary research brings together findings and frameworks developed within two diverse fields: a) human information behavior, and b) geographic information systems. The Information Encountering model serves as a conceptual framework for understanding how the distinctive characteristics of geospatial web applications impact the nature of information encountering episodes. Exploratory research was conducted via a focus group session. Users were found to engage regularly with a variety of geolocational systems and report frequent episodes of information encountering, but they also display difficulty recalling details of individual episodes. Findings suggest the need to develop tools to capture information encountering experiences in the field, at or close to the time they occur. Keywords Information encountering, geographic information systems, human information behavior, mobile applications