tiedontarpeet

Tiedontarpeet is a term used in information science, primarily in Finnish practice, to describe the information requirements that users have in a specific task or context. They represent questions, gaps, or decisions that users aim to resolve by seeking information and thus guide the design of information services and content.

Practically, tiedontarpeet are identified through user research such as interviews, contextual inquiry, task analysis, and analysis of search logs. They relate to information behavior and sensemaking, and they inform information architecture, content strategy, and interface design.

Applications include libraries planning catalogs and guides, public service portals organizing forms and procedures, and educational platforms tailoring content to user questions. A typical example is a student seeking credible sources and citation help; a citizen looking for how-to guidance on government forms.

Challenges include latent needs not immediately expressed, varying literacy, language, and accessibility, and the dynamic nature of information needs as tasks change.

See also tiedontarve, information needs, information behavior, user-centered design, information architecture, and library science.