Sense-Making is an approach to thinking about and implementing communication research and practice and the design of communication-based systems and activities. It consists of a set of philosophical assumptions, substantive propositions, methodological framings, and methods. It has been applied in myriad settings (e.g., libraries, information systems, media systems, web sites, public information campaigns, classrooms, counseling services, and so on), at myriad levels (e.g., intrapersonal, interpersonal, small group, organizational, mass, national, global), and within myriad perspectives (e.g., constructivist, critical, cultural, feminist, postmodern, communitarian)"(Dervin 2008)

"sensemaking is the process of creating situational awareness and understanding in situations of high complexity or uncertainty in order to make decisions. sensemaking is a motivated, continuous effort to understand connections (which can be among people, places, and events) in order to anticipate their trajectories and act effectively" (Klein et al, 2006a)

"The typical study does not ask what constructed views lead a person to reach out to an information system. Infact, the constructed view is assumed as a constant - a state of information need. The qualities of this state of need are not explored because they are actually assumed not to exist. In a monolithic view of information use as transmission, the state of need is necessarily assumed to exist monolithically." (Dervin 1992).

In other words, we should not just view the user as always in need of information and therefore provide an enormous amount of avenue/resources/sources of information. Rather, we should get to know the user, understand what exactly the user wants or needs and then help them achieve that.

The spin side to this, is that the user might not know how to qualify what he or she wants. So asking them, "what do you want" or having them do a search for key terms on their question through a search engine, might not be the best. We need to put them in a place where they can explore their question in a community made up of people that have a similar "background" as they do. This way, the answers they get, will have the right context.

But its not just a matter of having someone answer a question another person that is similar to them has....(qualify/explain "similar" and "background"). Its about scaffolding people in their "search" for answers to their information needs....giving them resources that will aid them in sensemaking of their question and the potential answers.

Resources on Sense-Making

• Brenda Dervin's Sense-Making methodology webpage

-- IfiOkoye - 13 May 2008