Investigating the information-seeking processes of adolescents: The value of using think alouds and think afters

Five participants completed retrospective and concurrent verbal protocols (Think Afters and Think Alouds) to evaluate the methods for the study of the information-seeking processes of 12-15-year-old students using Microsoft Encarta 98. After a short training session in the Think Aloud Method, they completed four activities of differing complexity. The data provided support for the use of verbal protocol analysis to uncover information-seeking processes of these students. The amount of data generated during Think Alouds and Think Afters depended on the difficulty of the questions and the number of "dead ends" encountered by the students. The Think Alouds and Think Afters provided data about the behavioral, cognitive, and affective processes. Think Afters provide different data than the Think Alouds, and both are important to understanding how adolescents interact with CD-ROM encyclopedias. Participants were able to find the information to answer each of the four search activity questions but used a variety of search terms, categories, and strategies, Some participants reached a level of frustration after a number of "dead ends" and needed encouragement from the researcher. The frustration was more apparent in the younger participants, Effective reading strategies are very important to successful location and evaluation of information in CD-ROM encyclopedias.