Understanding what personal information items make categorization difficult

This study examined personal information items that are difficult to categorize, and how people deal with these information items. For this research study, 18 participants were asked to keep a diary over a week and record diary entries whenever they decided to save or organize any electronic personal information items. Then, two post-diary semi-structured interviews were conducted to ask questions about how they organized their information items and why they made such decisions based on the diary they kept. Interviews were analyzed by using a grounded theory approach. The results show that the information items that are ambiguous or anomalous are difficult to categorize. Participants dealt with ambiguous or anomalous information items by categorizing them into one of their existing categories, placing them into a miscellaneous category or revising the existing organizational structure. Since personal information items that are difficult to categorize directly influence the time and effort needed to organize personal information, it is important to understand what kind of personal information items makes personal information organization difficult. In particular, the results of this research study have practical implications in developing interfaces and applications that help organizing personal information items effectively. This study also helps us further understand categorization, information organizing behavior, and personal information management.