Dr. Reijo Savolainen

Dr. Reijo Savolainen Professor at the University of Tampere, Finland

Best known for his research into the area of Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS). Early work was influenced by Pierre Bourdieus concept of Habitus Internalized socially and culturally determined way of thinking, perception and evaluation

Daily problem solving is increasingly dependent on the critical selection and use of information sources.

ELIS focuses on how social and cultural factors affect how people acquire information in daily life (non-work context). This includes how people acquire information to solve their daily problems or how they monitor daily events in the media

Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS)Sources: Savolainen, R. (2005). Everyday Life Information Seeking. In Fisher, K., Erdelez, S, & McKechnie, L. Theories of Information Behavior and Savolainen, R. (2008). Everyday Information Practices.

Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS)Examines the small worlds of groups, focusing on the social context in which information is (or is not) accepted in a specific community.

How do we perceive the information world around us? By which criteria do we accept or reject information in everyday criteria?ELIS asks the questions:

Gender, age, socioeconomic status, cultural background, location, education level can all affect ones everyday life information seeking.

Sources: Savolainen, R. (2005). Everyday Life Information Seeking. In Fisher, K., Erdelez, S, & McKechnie, L. Theories of Information Behavior and Savolainen, R. (2008). Everyday Information Practices.

Way of Life

How people make sense to operate in their daily world, and what they consider to be normal in the engagement of daily tasks. Includes: Structure oftime budget(working vs. leisure time)Models ofconsumption of goods & servicesNature ofhobbies

Mastery of Life

Any problem solving necessary to restore ones order of things

Includes: General preparedness to approach everyday problems that align with personal valuesOnes tendency to adopt a particular information seeking strategy to solve problems.Information seeking is critical to Mastery of Life , as it closes the gap between how things are and how things should be.Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS)Two core concepts

Seeking Orienting Information Information gathering that takes place in order to stay abreast of development in everyday contexts.

Various sources provide orienting information that direct individual behavior.

Most active where people are looking for sources on issues of primary interest to them. Orienting information seeking is fragmentary and passive in cases where the issues are of marginal interest.

Seeking Problem-specific InformationMaking sense of problematic situations and how people decide which sources they prefer when solving everyday problems.

May be episodic in nature, with a starting and end pointInformation seekers try to obtain enough information for decision making and action in areas that matter most to them.

If they have a passive concern, the information they already have may be enough. If it is active, they will seek information satisfactory for their needs.

Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS)Two contexts for ELIS

Source: Savolainen, R. (2005). Everyday Life Information Seeking. In Fisher, K., Erdelez, S, & McKechnie, L. Theories of Information Behavior

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Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS)Used when people are assessing such things as media credibility and cognitive authority. If factors such as time constraints or too much information exists, individuals will accept information that is simply good enough to meet their needs.

Ones body of knowledge is the basis for their information behavior in daily projects. Accomplishing information practices may add to that knowledge base and enhance ones daily behavior. The level of interest one has in a particular daily activities dictates how they prioritize everyday information-seeking. Principle of Good Enough Source: Savolainen, R. (2008). Everyday Information Practices

Information sharing reflects the communicative nature of everyday life information sharing. It involves giving information to others to be shared, and receiving information for that purpose.

Through information sharing, people add to their knowledge structure and also create solidarity.

An analysis of reciprocity may enter into play: if one deems the cost of the information sharing greater than the benefit, they are unlikely to share the information.

Information Sharing Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS)

How individuals determine what sources of information they prefer in everyday life information seeking.

In Savolainen study, the top criteria for source preference were content of information and availability and accessibility. Usability was found less important. Information Source HorizonsSource: Savolainen, R. (2008). Everyday Information Practices

ELIS draws on the work Patrick Wilson, whose model is based on the assumption that people want to have some control or influence over things that happen in their lives. Wilsons model consisted of these components.

Interest: ones desire to know about a particular thing (either active and seeking, or passive and received if available)

Concern: ones readiness to act, exert control, or influence (for example, if one thinks they might have a disease and they want to learn more)

Caring: one engages in action to change or control the situation. (for example, if one learns they have the disease and they take subsequent action)Everyday Life Information Seeking (ELIS)Source: Wilson, P. (1977). Public Knowledge, Private Ignorance: Toward a Library and Information Policy.

Where do you go for your daily information needs?