Need to know----information, knowledge, and decision making

The success of information and knowledge management depends on understanding and supporting the user's need to know. This requires understanding humans' abilities, limitations, and inclinations in seeking of information and knowledge. This paper explores these phenomena in the context of two decades of studying human decision making in the domains of research, design, and management. The findings summarized are discussed in terms of implications for design, development, and deployment of information and knowledge support systems.