Human Information Interaction

Review of Ranked and Unranked-based Metrics for Determining the Effectiveness of Search Engines

Mahdi Zeynali Tazehkandi

Purpose: There are several metrics for evaluating search engines. Though, many researchers have proposed new metrics in recent years. Familiarity with new metrics is essential. So, the purpose is to provide an analysis of important and new metrics to evaluate search engines.
Methodology: This review article critically studied the efficiency of metrics of evaluation. So, “evaluation metrics,” “evaluation measure,” “search engine evaluation,” “information retrieval system evaluation,” “relevance evaluation measure” and “relevance evaluation metrics” were investigated in “MagIran” “Sid” and Google Scholar search engines. Articles gathered to inspect and analyse existing approaches in evaluation of information retrieval systems. Descriptive-analytical approach used to review the search engine assessment metrics.
Findings: Theoretical and philosophical foundations determine research methods and techniques. There are two well-known “system-oriented” and “user-oriented” approaches to evaluating information retrieval systems. So, researchers such as Sirotkin (2013) and Bama, Ahmed, & Saravanan (2015) group the precision and recall metrics in a system-oriented approach. They also believe that Average Distance, normalized discounted cumulative gain, Rank Eff and B pref are rooted in the user-oriented approach. Nowkarizi and Zeynali Tazehkandi (2019) introduced comprehensiveness metric instead of Recall metric. They argue that their metric is rooted in a user-oriented approach, while the goal is not fully met. On the other hand, Hjørland(2010) emphasizes that we need a third approach to eliminate this dichotomy. In this regard, researchers such as Borlund, Ingwersen (1998), Borlund (2003), Thornley, Gibb (2007) have mentioned a third approach for evaluating information retrieval systems that refer to interact and compose two mentioned approaches. Incidentally, Borlund, Ingwersen(1998) proposed a Jaccard Association and Cosine Association measures to evaluate information retrieval systems. It seems that these two metrics have failed to compose the system-oriented and user-oriented approaches completely, and need further investigation.
Conclusion: Search engines involve different components including: Crawler, Indexer, Query Processor, Retrieval Software, and Ranker. Scholars wish to apply the most efficient search engines for retrieving required information resources. Each metrics measures a specific component, to measure all, it is suggested to select metrics from all three mentioned groups in their search.

The Role of Communication Apprehension and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Using Instagram and Selfie

Mahmoud PouyanFar

Purpose: Today, social networks and smart phones have become very popular. One of the interesting topics in the field of information science and cognition is the study of users' information behavior in mobile-based social networks. In this area, this study examines the role of psychological variables: communication Apprehension, Expression of the True Self, and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Instagram and Selfie use. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the role of communication Apprehension, Expression of the True Self, and Fear of Negative Evaluation in Instagram and Selfie use from the perspective of undergraduate students of Birjand University.
Methodology: This correlational study used 4 questionnaires "Communication Apprehension" (McCroskey, 1982), "Fear of Negative Evaluation" (Leary, 1983), " Instagram Use " (Lazebna, 2015) and "Taking a selfie" (Lazebna, 2015) (online) in a random sample of undergraduate students at the University of Birjand (357 participants).
Findings: Communication Apprehension and selfie use were significantly higher in women than in men. However, there was no significant differences shown for the other variables. Instagram usage was above average and sending and edited selfies were below average. The increase of most of the psychological variables investigated also showed the increase of use of Instagram, selfies and edited selfies. Also, with the increase of communication apprehension, the fear of negative evaluation increased.
Conclusion: Review of the literature revealed that there wasn’t any interest in the field of knowledge and information science for the topic at the national level. Although, there were limited studies presented in the international arena.

Organizational Information Architecture Meta-Method for Organizational Website Case study: Central Insurance of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Amir Hossein Seddighi

Background and Aim: Information Architecture is an organizational meta-method that adopts a tactical approach to the specialized information of the organization using an integrated framework and empowers the management of organizational resources by acquiring and upgrading new information technologies. Therefore, it is essential to be part of the current processes of the organization and the insurance industry.
Method: Mixed research method is applied, in which evaluation, observation and researcher experience, checklist, and analytical review of the website is analyzed. Population is the Central Insurance of the Islamic Republic of Iran website, in which the four components of Information Architecture including organization, labeling, navigation, and search systems are examined based on context, content and user.
Findings: Conferring the research findings, the checklist score of the Insurance website for organization system is 17 points. Furthermore, the rates of positive answers to the total number of questions are 45.94%, 54.38%, 53.84% and 45.65% for organization, labeling, navigation, and search systems respectively. The results indicate that the Insurance website has a moderate to weak position from the organization and search point of view and has a moderate position in the labeling and navigation system.
Conclusion: Information Architecture provides the foundation of the information systems architecture from the underlying level to the interface level for the improvement and excellence of the organization. The checklist used in this research can be useful for evaluating organizational websites and provide added value to the organization, and also can improve the planning and strategic decisions of organization's policy makers.

Presenting a local marketing model with emphasis on consumers' attitudes in order to buy Iranian products with a customer information behavior approach

Ahmad Askari

Background and Aim: Considering the importance of customer behavior, the purpose of this study was to present a local marketing model with emphasis on consumers' attitudes to purchase Iranian products with a customer information behavior approach.
Research Method: The method was grounded based theory. Data collection was done through semi-structured interviews. Population consisted of managers and supervisors of Pars Khazar Company. Sample included 14 senior managers and supervisors and sampling had been done in two dimensions of theoretical sampling and snowball sampling. The basis for concluding the interviews was theoretical saturation.
Findings: Results show the extraction of 38 codes or basic concepts from interviews, 38 core categories and 20 main themes which is in the form of a paradigm model including: Consumer attitudes toward service innovation, cultural component and social component as title of central category and causal conditions (knowledge, skills and marketing), contextual factors (advantages of brand attitude functions, social responsibility and attitude towards Iranian products), intervening conditions (sources of power, learning-based empowerment, communication model, Customer Relationship and Consumer Nationalism), Strategies (Corporate Communications, Comprehensive Brand Attitude Strategy Planning, Creativity, Innovation, Public Relations, and Advertising) and Consequences (Intensity of Competition, Resources, Perception of Brand Attitude, Credibility, and Evaluation of Consumer Attitudes) From the expansion of the brand name.
Conclusion: The results was used as a first phase in examining consumers' attitudes in buying Iranian products. Also, applicable to consumer behavior experts as well as prominent academic professionals with a scientific background in marketing management. Based on the results, courtesy to official’s knowledge and skills in marketing would provide favorable conditions to improve consumers' attitudes toward Iranian goods.

Meta-Analysis Study of the Effective Factors in the Application of Information Technology in the Iranian Organizations

vajollah ghorbanizadeh

Purpose: Application of Information Technology (IT) in organizations, is influenced by a myriad of factors within the context of individuals, organizations, and the environment. These factors might facilitate or hinder the correct use of information technology in the organizations. The main reason for organizations using information technology is to increase the organizational productivity. So, recognizing factors contributing to the application of IT can be vital for any organizations.
Methodology: Method applied was Meta-analysis which was computed by Comprehensive Meta Analysis (CMA2) software. Findings of the previous research conducted in the IT application in Iran were scrutinized with the aim of evaluating comparing the magnitude of each factor.
Findings: Findings recognized 27 factors from 65 studies. Among the 27 effective factors in the IT application: IT skills, organizational structure, organizational culture, motivation and organizational environment had the highest effect. Gender, education, and age had the lowest effects. In order to simplify the findings, factors were classified in three groups: individual factors, organizational factors and environmental factors of which organizational factors had the highest effect size with a score of 0.617 and individual factors had the lowest effect size with a score of 0.493.
Conclusion: Iranian organizations incorporating information technology must pay added attention to the dimensions of staff skills, organizational structure and employee motivation.

The effect of information resources on the selection of strategies for adaptation to climate change by farmers (Case study: Golestan Province)

Mohammad Reza Mahboobi

Background and Aim: The use of information resources is an important strategies in the selection of adaptation strategies to climate change by farmers. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of information resources on the selection of adaptation strategies to climate change by farmers in Golestan province.
Method: The method is descriptive survey. Population included all farmers in Golestan province (N=124280). Sample of 383 farmers were randomly selected. Instrument was a questionnaire. Validity was determined by expert opinions. Reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha coefficient (α= 0.87 and 0.90).
Results: The most important sources of information used by farmers to choose adaptation strategies are television, social networks and personal experience, respectively. There is a significant relationship between farmers' use of information resources of: radio, television, meteorological site, telephone call, applied meteorological development system, agricultural extension agent, farmer's call, leading farmers, other farmers, family members, social networks, local beards, personal experience, weather forecast announcements, and members of the Islamic Council of the village and their use of strategies for adaptation to climate change.
Conclusion: Production of educational programs focusing on introducing strategies on television, creating and developing discussion groups, exchanging scientific and personal experiences in the field of introduction and principles of using strategies in the form of social or virtual networks, continuation of production of educational programs with the focus on introducing strategies and developing and promoting it, using radio information sources, local elders, personal experience, weather forecast announcements, village Islamic council members, agricultural extension agent, farmer call, leading farmers, other farmers and family members, these are some of the measures that can be taken by farmers to use them