Information-seeking behaviour using paper and electronic versions of a textbook

Reports on the behavioural and cognitive activity of learners whilst searching for information using paper and electronic versions of a general medical textbook (The Oxford Textbook of Medicine). Controlled experiments were conducted in which the information seeking behaviour of medical students was observed using each version of the textbook. The experiments involved asking the students to retrieve information in response to complex, ill-defined questions-typical of those encountered in an educational situation. Information seeking was shown to be highly dynamic, shifting between directed and browse orientated forms of search. This confirms the need for retrieval tools that support in a seamless way different styles of inquiry.