Questions in Information Seeking: A Primer

Question-asking, a foundational aspect of human communication, is an integral part of information-seeking behavior. This review delves into the complex landscape of question asking theories, exploring their many intersections with a myriad of fields such as social discourse, early development, problem solving, artificial intelligence (AI), and educational applications. We explore not just why asking questions is important for cognitive development and learning, but also the nature of good questions and potential benefits of learning to ask better, more complex questions. To this aim, we introduce the Question-Asking in Information Seeking (QuInS) framework, a comprehensive framework synthesizing decades of research on question-asking across developmental, social, educational, and technological domains. Through QuInS, we introduce a unified perspective on the iterative, dynamic processes that drive inquiry, emphasizing how curiosity, creativity, and cognitive engagement shape effective question-asking. We examine the origins of question-asking in childhood, theories of inquiry as information-seeking behavior, and the role of complex, open-ended questions in fostering creativity and problem-solving. In addition, we explore how advancements in AI, computational models, and educational strategies help us formulate better questioning approaches. Lastly, we highlight the implications and future research directions which arise from these different theories and explore how these findings can be harnessed to make people more efficient, effective and creative learners and question askers.