Modeling real-world information seeking in a corporate environment

Designing effective electronic information systems in real-world applicatio ns is a complex endeavor. Several factors, including the user's cognitive c apabilities and limitations, the work domain and task constraints, and the content and form of the electronic medium, influence the interactive inform ation-seeking process. This article presents an approach to model real-worl d information seeking in a corporate environment. Our approach uses self-re ported user questionnaires, field studies of real-world professionals searc hing for information, and cognitive modeling techniques. This article prese nts modeling methodology, modeling results, and an overview of applying res ults to the design of human-centered interfaces used in a real-world electr onic information system. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.