Forager

Next Century Corporation will develop novel means to acquire data on patterns of exploration of web-based information. For the proposed effort, we will integrate fine-grained logging of activities across different search paths and develop new methods for extracting web content that provides and analyzes the broader context in which such activities take place. In addition, we will develop a robust and accessible database with strong privacy controls and data protection mechanisms. Capturing data on the detailed processes of information foraging (as opposed to prior, theoretical research by Pirolli & Card), will inform analysis of potential cognitive processes related to information foraging, and will enable generation of models of knowledge acquisition and transmission (for example, the contextualized activity data may reveal the attributes of web content that are likely to cause confusion or uncertainty regarding a specific topic). This effort will provide a novel capability for acquisition of data with strong privacy guarantees while supporting the development of models that can inform U.S. policy regarding actions of adversaries in the online information environment.