Information needs and practices of active mobile Internet users

Abstract

Understanding mobile information needs and how these needs are addressed is essential in developing mobile information services. We conducted a four-week diary study with experienced and active mobile Internet users, focusing on the physical and situational contexts of their mobile information needs and the information access practices used to fulfill them. Our results complement earlier studies and indicate that unrestricted mobile Internet access shapes information access behavior. For active mobile Internet users, mobile Web browsing and search were the dominant information access methods and they were used to address the needs as they emerged. We also discovered correlations between types of information need and the access method. Our results indicate that when designing mobile information access services, one should look beyond simple contextual cues such as location and account for the user's activities and their effect on emerging information needs.