Alternative Strategies
• Consider the information seeker’s context
– Cognitive accessibility (it does not matter how good the results are
if the information cannot be easily understood)
– Cost-benefit assessment (it does not matter how good results are if
there is no time to use it)
• Study special populations (cell biologist vs. practicing
physician)
• Usability testing approach (iterative, impressionistic)
• Systematic case studies
• Epidemiology approach (start with outcomes and trace
influences)
• Develop an IR interaction model