Information Retrieval in Digital Environments

Book excerpt: Information retrieval is a central and essential activity. It is indeed difficult to find a human activity that does not need to retrieve information in an environment which is often increasingly digital: moving and navigating, learning, having fun, communicating, informing, making a decision, etc. Most human activities are intimately linked to our ability to search quickly and effectively for relevant information, the stakes are sometimes extremely important: passing an exam, voting, finding a job, remaining autonomous, being socially connected, developing a critical spirit, or simply surviving. The author of this book presents a summary of work undertaken over several years relative to the behaviors and cognitive processes involved in information retrieval in digital environments. He presents several examples of theoretical models and studies to better understand the difficulties, behaviors and strategies of individuals searching for information in digital environments.