ABSTRACT

Individuals seek information because they realize that their knowledge about a situation is incomplete and that the information they need can be found within the system. Supporting the user’s information needs is the basic requirement of most systems. Thus, most web and paper documents are designed with one of two assumptions:

• They help people who know what they want and who need help accomplishing it, with “it” ranging from buying a new computer to completing a vacation request;

• They help people learn information, such as when a person goes to the web to find details about a medical problem, investing in a company, or learning a new software program.