Glossary · 2 · Finding information
Information scent
Also known as: Scent (information foraging)
In information foraging theory, information scent is the user's perception, from proximal cues such as link labels, headings, snippets and surrounding context, of how likely a path is to lead to the information they want and of how valuable that information will be.
- Applied cognitive psychology
- Finding information
In one sentence
Information scent is the user's estimate, from link labels, headings and snippets, of whether a path leads to the information they want (Pirolli and Card).
Example
A service portal replaces the link “Further information” with “Replace the filler nozzle seals (FC-200)”; technicians who search for the seal task now choose the right page from the result list instead of opening three wrong ones.
Rests on
- Information foraging: people trade the effort of following a path against the expected gain; scent is how they estimate that gain.
- Satisficing and bounded rationality: readers follow the first path that seems good enough rather than comparing all options.
- Recognition and recall: readers recognize their task in a label more easily than they recall where it is filed.
How it applies
- Headings and link text: Name the task or object the reader looks for ("Adjust the label sensor"), not the document type or a generic phrase ("More", "Details", "Chapter 7").
- Search results: Titles and short descriptions that state topic, product and purpose let readers judge a hit without opening it; this is why every topic should carry a distinctive title and short description.
- Navigation levels: Each level of a menu or portal must keep the scent: a category label has to predict what lies below it. When scent drops, users go back or give up.
- Machinery and software documentation: Product names, variant codes and the reader's own vocabulary (from support tickets, search logs or card sorting results) strengthen scent.
Limits
- Scent is measured indirectly, through click paths, models and tests; strong scent for one audience can be weak for another that uses different terms.
- A label with strong scent that leads to the wrong content does more harm than a weak one. Test labels with real tasks.