Identifying variables of Information seeking context based on the Framework of Information seeking and Retrieval Interaction Ingwersen & Järvelin with a using phenomenological

Objective: The present study aims to identify the variables related to the dimensions of usability and information quality in the context of information seeking, based on the interactive framework of information seeking and retrieval proposed by Ingwersen and Järvelin.
Methodology: This study is developmental in nature and was conducted using the phenomenological method proposed by Colaizzi (1978), which consists of seven stages. Data were collected through in‑depth interviews with seven experts in the field of information and knowledge retrieval. The validity of the data collection tool was ensured through content validity, and reliability was established based on the criteria proposed by Lincoln and Guba (1988), including credibility, trustworthiness, and confirmability. Participants were allowed to select the time and location of the interviews according to their convenience. Each interview lasted between 90 and 120 minutes. With the participants’ consent and assurance of confidentiality, all interviews were recorded. To maintain confidentiality, specific codes were assigned to participants instead of using their names throughout the research process.
Data analysis was conducted using Colaizzi’s seven‑step phenomenological method. In the first step, the responses from each interview were transcribed and read multiple times to obtain a general understanding of the participants’ experiences and perspectives. In the second step, significant statements related to the phenomenon under investigation were extracted from each transcript (initial codes). In the third step, meanings were formulated from these significant statements (concepts). In the fourth step, these meanings were organized into clusters of themes and categories. In the fifth step, the findings were integrated into a comprehensive description of the studied phenomenon. In the sixth step, the fundamental structure of the phenomenon was identified through interpretive analysis. Finally, in the seventh step, the findings were validated by revisiting the results and confirming the identified variables based on participants’ experiences.
Findings: The findings indicate that the variables related to the usability dimension include the use of intelligent meta‑search engines, the application of artificial intelligence based on machine learning, the creation of links between information systems, the development of self‑regulating systems, public access to information services, the classification and integration of user queries according to cognitive context, the separation of conceptual, visual, and audio search methods, and attention to legal and information security issues. In addition, the variables related to the information quality dimension include ontology‑based retrieval, consideration of users’ sensory‑perceptual and semantic systems, the use of network metadata, and attention to users’ mental structures.
 
Conclusion: The findings suggest that studying information behavior without considering the context of information retrieval is insufficient. Identifying variables within the information interaction process based on contextual cognition, and applying the criteria and characteristics of the Ingwersen and Järvelin framework, can lead to better integration of information seeking and retrieval processes. Identifying usability variables in the information seeking context facilitates the recognition of user needs, improves user satisfaction, enhances keyword retrieval within texts, provides better access to users’ cognitive dimensions, and supports the evaluation of cost–benefit performance in information systems. These factors contribute to improved interaction efficiency between users and information systems. Furthermore, the identification of variables related to information quality helps reveal users’ cognitive levels and reduces the time required to retrieve relevant information. This process also contributes to the development of networks of meanings and concepts that support the generation of high‑quality information in information systems and enhance the comprehensiveness and efficiency of information retrieval. Therefore, improving information quality through the identified variables enables better semantic alignment between users’ search intentions and the available content within information systems. Since users’ cultural and cognitive contexts significantly influence human interaction with information, designing information systems without considering these factors will limit their effectiveness. Consequently, the incorporation of these variables can help address cognitive complexities in information interaction and contribute to a systematic design of information systems based on the Ingwersen and Järvelin information seeking and retrieval interaction framework.