Human-Driven Models: A Case Study of Geologists as They Engage with Data for Decision Making

The value of geologic data is well established and demonstrated by efforts such as EarthChem and EarthCube. Although these communities are active in the documentation and preservation of geologic data, more work is needed to understand how geologists use this data to address specific problems. In this preliminary analysis, we focus on the information behaviors of professional geologists as they engage with multiple data streams to make decisions. Using semi-structured interviews and grounded theory, our findings document how a single data point can drive changes to existing models. Responses also show that geologists view their experiences in data collection as critical and they use their knowledge and experience to iteratively re-assess the context and fitness of their data as they search for coherent interpretations that resolve data-model conflicts.