BRIDGE: Rethinking the Boundaries of Information Interaction: A CHIIR&SIG‑USE Community Exploration

Introduction and Background

Human–human and human–computer interaction has long been central concern in information behaviour, information retrieval, and user experience research (Gaede et al., 2024; Given et al., 2023;  Huvila & Gorichanaz, 2025). However, contemporary information environments increasingly blur traditional boundaries between users and systems, information and interaction, agency and automation. Search engines, recommender systems, social platforms, and generative technologies mediate not only access to information but also participation, exploration, sense‑making, trust, and use.

Building on prior work across CHIIR and SIG-USE, such as research on information retrieval, user engagement and experiences, algorithmic mediation, information behaviour and practices, this symposium foregrounds boundaries as a conceptual lens. We ask: Where does information interaction begin and end? Who or what is included or excluded? How are boundaries configured through technical design, institutional arrangements, and everyday practices? And what are the implications for research methods, system design, ethics, and professional roles?

The symposium creates space to critically reflect on assumptions embedded in current models of interaction and to reimagine information interaction in increasingly hybrid human–algorithmic worlds.

 Intended Audience

The symposium welcomes:

●  Researchers in information retrieval, information behavior, human-computer interaction, user experience, and other information-related fields

●  Doctoral students and early‑career scholars seeking conceptual framing

●  Information professionals, UX practitioners, and system designers

●  Policy‑oriented and interdisciplinary researchers engaging with platforms and digital infrastructures

●  Others interested in the topic

Participation is open to both submitters and non‑submitters.

 CHIIR and SIG‑USE Community Engagement

This symposium explicitly bridges the CHIIR and SIG USE communities, creating a shared forum for dialogue across research traditions and professional contexts. By bringing together perspectives on search, information retrieval, system design, and everyday information behaviour and practices, the symposium strengthens cross‑community connections and contributes to ASIS&T’s broader mission of advancing understanding of information in context.

About CHIIR

The ACM SIGIR Conference on Human Information Interaction and Retrieval (CHIIR), pronounced "cheer", provides a forum for the dissemination and discussion of research on the user-centered aspects of information interaction and information retrieval. CHIIR focuses on elements such as human involvement in search activities, and information seeking and use in context. The conference represents a merger of two successful events: the Information Interaction in Context conference (IIiX) and the Human Computer Information Retrieval symposium (HCIR), which have run since 2006 and 2007 respectively. IIiX has traditionally attracted more attendees interested in information searching behavior and interactive IR, and HCIR has traditionally been more focused on search user interfaces. CHIIR builds upon the combined strengths of these events, placing an emphasis on human interaction with information, information seeking contexts, and user-centered approaches to information retrieval, access, and use.

About SIG-USE

SIG-USE is an ASIS&T special interest group concerned with people's behavioral and cognitive activities as well as their affective states as they interact with information. These activities include: creating information needs, recognizing information needs, seeking (and not seeking) information that will address those needs, exploring information sources present in one's context/situation, retrieving information from available information sources, sharing information with others, managing personal information collections, communicating and collaborating with others concerning an information need or information resources, using information and other interactions between people and information. The SIG wishes to promote contextual studies of human information-related behavior and provision of information services, and to encourage the application of the study results to information systems design.