Researchers Find Berrypicking Still Effective Search Method
Berrypicking search method remains effective, even with AI. It involves gathering information from multiple sources.
Original reporting · uxdesign.cc
Original: “Berrypicking still beats the single answer for search, even in the world of AI”
Read “Berrypicking still beats the single answer for search, even in the world of AI” at UX Collective →
How this was written. CTCV wrote this article with a language model from UX Collective’s reporting (model: @cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast); it describes that reporting rather than adding to it. The original, linked above, is the full story.
Key points from UX Collective’s report
- The berrypicking search method is still effective, even with AI.
- Marcia Bates' research in 1989 identified the berrypicking method as a key way people search for information.
- AI still misses certain aspects of the berrypicking method, highlighting its limitations in search.
Researchers have found that the berrypicking search method, which involves moving through scattered sources and collecting useful pieces of information, is still an effective way to search, according to UX Collective. This method was first identified by Marcia Bates in 1989.
Marcia Bates' ideas on berrypicking explain what AI still misses in search, highlighting the limitations of artificial intelligence in this area. Her research showed that people search by gathering, shifting, and revising as they go, a process that AI has not yet fully replicated.
The berrypicking method allows searchers to gather information from multiple sources, piecing together a complete picture of what they are looking for. This approach is still relevant today, even with the advancements in AI technology.
Questions and answers
What is the berrypicking search method?
The berrypicking search method involves moving through scattered sources and collecting useful pieces of information.
Who first identified the berrypicking method?
Marcia Bates first identified the berrypicking method in 1989.



