A diary study of information‐intensive work tasks in the modern workplace: Investigating task descriptions and task processes.

The work‐task‐based framework offers a cohesive perspective for understanding workplace information behavior, guiding empirical exploration of information engagement in modern work environments. This study investigates both task descriptions and task processes of information‐intensive work tasks thr...

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Publicado en:Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology Vol. 77; no. 5; pp. 663 - 682
Autores principales: Wang, Afeng, Zhao, Yiming, Ma, Feicheng
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell May2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      jtl: Journal of the Association for Information Science & Technology
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      dt: May2026
      vid: 77
      iid: 5
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1002/asi.70037
        192727016
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        atl: A diary study of information‐intensive work tasks in the modern workplace: Investigating task descriptions and task processes.
      aug:
        au:
          Wang, Afeng
          Zhao, Yiming
          Ma, Feicheng
        affil: Center for Studies of Information Resources, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
      sug:
        subj:
          Information Seeking Behavior
          Task Performance and Analysis
          Work Environment
          Consumers Psychosocial Factors
          Consumer Attitudes Evaluation
          Human
          Funding Source
          Diaries
          Semi-Structured Interview
          Prospective Studies
          Business
          Science
          Communities
          Computers and Computerization
          Problem Solving
          Knowledge
          Time
          Empirical Research
          Job Satisfaction
          Goals and Objectives
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Purposive Sample
          Convenience Sample
          Male
          Female
          Adult
          Government Agencies
          Colleges and Universities
          Multimethod Studies
          Content Analysis
          Reliability
          Intraclass Correlation Coefficient
          Kruskal-Wallis Test
          Mann-Whitney U Test
          Fisher's Exact Test
          Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient
          Analysis of Variance
          T-Tests
          Logistic Regression
          Descriptive Statistics
          China
          Snowball Sample
          Information Science
          Workload
          Decision Making
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: The work‐task‐based framework offers a cohesive perspective for understanding workplace information behavior, guiding empirical exploration of information engagement in modern work environments. This study investigates both task descriptions and task processes of information‐intensive work tasks through diaries and follow‐up interviews to capture authentic user experiences. Data from 52 work tasks across diverse organizations reveal that the most frequent topics include Reference, Business, Science, Society, and Computers, with Intellectual and Decision/Solution product types being predominant. Performers typically begin with moderate or high work task knowledge. On average, each work task involves 2.5 seeking tasks and 5.3 search tasks. Seeking tasks are mainly linked to resolution‐oriented information use, while search tasks rely on external sources for factual resolution and verification. Work task topics, product, prior knowledge, subtasks, and duration significantly influence source selection and information use. As work tasks progress, the number of search tasks and clarification use decreases, whereas resolution and verification use increase. These findings refine theoretical models of task‐driven information behavior and provide practical insights for designing adaptive information systems and AI tools to better support evolving work task processes and enhance work performance.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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