Mental Models and their Role in the Interaction between User and Information Retrieval Systems (Narrative Review)

Searchers in retrieval data systems, affected by various factors, used different approaches and methods. So, with proper knowledge and control of these factors can lead to identified and targeted paths Information seeking behavior. In this system, it is important to be appropriate bed for interaction between users and systems that one of them is mental model. So, aim of this study is to familiarity with mental models of users and interacts with information retrieval systems, such as web. This narrative review was conducted in 2015, searching the literature using the term of “mental model” and “information searching behavior” in databases, including PubMed, WOS, Science Direct, Emerald, Oxford, Magiran, and Scientific Information Database (SID) and Springer. After that, the relevant abstracts were reviewed and their full texts were extracted and classified using content analysis. Results showed that mental models have capability of being identified and extracted. Many users may have weak or incorrect mental models and mental models may affect the function of users and there are variety techniques to extract mental models and they should be used combined in order to reach better conclusion. Research done in the field of information retrieval showed the importance of this subject and since many users has defective mental models that cause to faint function, so the study of these models is essential in order to create and develop better information retrieval systems.