Research on Browsing Behavior in the Libraries: An Empirical Analysis of Consequences, Success and Influences

瀏覽之概念兼具科學和一般性的意義，也是人類最基本的資訊行為之一。瀏覽行為一般常在圖書館中見到，圖書館也常作為研究瀏覽的情境。文獻中更將瀏覽視為與知識的創造與創意的產生相關之重要活動。但傳統上，圖書館從業人員及研究者對讀者的瀏覽活動並不重視，許多研究指出其主因在於我們未能充分了解瀏覽的本質及動機，對瀏覽的結果亦所知有限。 晚近，隨著電腦的普及，終端使用者的遽增，以及各式各樣電子資料庫的出現，瀏覽作為一種檢索策略在人機界面的設計上更凸顯其重要。尤其越來越多的資訊系統不只是用來直接查詢資料，更用來瀏覽學習新知。許多不理想之資訊系統多因為未能考慮使用者不同的資訊需求及行為模式而失敗。因此，未來各種互動資訊系統必須支援包括瀏覽在內的各種檢索策略，這種系統設計之其前提是必須對影響瀏覽之因素，瀏覽之功能及瀏覽所帶來之結果有更深入的瞭解。 筆者曾對瀏覽行為的本質和動機做過有系統的理論探討與實證研究。建基在先前的研究成果上，本研究利用觀察、訪談和電腦檢索記錄，以內容分析法及統計法分析歸納三種類型圖書館的三十三個實際個案及其瀏覽活動，以實證資料獲知瀏覽行為的真正結果，構成成功的瀏覽之要件，以及影響瀏覽狀況之因素。最後探討此一研究對資訊尋求理論、資訊檢索研究、系統設計和圖書館實務等方面之意涵。Browsing as an important part of human information behavior has been observed and investigated in the context of information seeking in the library in general and has assumed greater importance in human-machine interaction in particular. However, the nature and consequences of browsing are not well understood, and little is known of the success rate of such behavior. In this research, exploratory empirical case studies from three types of libraries were conducted, using questionnaires, observation logs, interviews, and computer search logs, to derive the empirical evidence to understand, from the user point of view, what are the consequences of browsing, what constitutes successful browsing, and what factors influence the extent of browsing. Content analysis and statistical analysis were conducted to analyze and synthesize the data. The research results show: (1) There are nine categories of the consequence of browsing, including accidental findings, modification of information need, found the desirable information, learning, feeling relaxation/recreational, information gathering, keeping updated, satisfying curiosity, and not finding what is needed. (2) Four factors that produce successful browsing: intention, the amount or quality of information, the utility of what is found, and help for solving problem or making judgment. (3) Three types of reasons for unsuccessful experience in browsing: not finding what one wanted, inadequate volume or quality of information, and not finding some things useful or interesting. (4) Three types of reasons for partial success: found the intended object but not happy with the quality or amount of information in it, not finding what one wanted but discovering new or potential useful information, not accomplish one purpose but achieve another one given multiple purposes. (5) The influential factors that affect the extent one engages in browsing include browser’s time, scheme of information organization, proximity to information resources, browser’s goals, browser’s knowledge, browser’s experience, browser’s interests, browser’s expectation, feedback from the information system. This study contributes to and has implications for information seeking theory, information retrieval research, system design and library practices