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Selected references – IV. INFORMATION SEEKING
Introduction
Information seeking, information-seeking behaviour or information behaviour are terms used synonymously for all aspects of the process of human information seeking. Inter alia, included here are the following: information needs, the ways in which those needs are met including information sources use and the search process, the barriers to information seeking, incidental information acquisition (serendipity), and information use. ‘Information literacy’, although related to ‘information seeking’, is seen as a major area of study in its own right. It focuses on the abilities and skills needed at each stage of the information-seeking process. A short section at the end includes a few references for the area of ‘information literacy’.
There is a major international conference dedicated to information seeking, Information Seeking in Context, the papers from which are published in The New Review of Information Behaviour Research: Studies in information seeking in context (Taylor Graham).
There are two leading international journals that publish articles on information-seeking behaviour:
There is a new book (July 2005) devoted to theory in information-seeking research. It includes contributions from all over the world, including Australia, and should be readily available by 2006:
- Fisher, K E, Erdelez, S, & McKechnie, E F (eds). (2005)
Theories of Information Behavior: A Researcher's Guide. Medford, NJ: Information Today.
Information-Seeking Behaviour
Theoretical
- Bates, M. (2002) ‘Toward an integrated model of information seeking and searching’, The New Review of Information Behaviour Research, 3, 1-15.
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/faculty/bates/articles/info_SeekSearch-i-030329.html
- Dervin, B. (1992) ‘From the mind’s eye of the user: The sense-making qualitative quantitative methodology’, in JD Glazier, & Powell (eds), Qualitative Research in Information Management (pp. 61-84), Libraries Unlimited, Englewood, CO.
http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/art/artabsdervin92powell.html
- Dervin, B. & Nilan, M.(1986) 'Information needs and uses', in Martha E. Williams (ed.), Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST), 21, n.p.: Knowledge Industry Publications, 3-33.
http://communication.sbs.ohio-state.edu/sense-making/art/artabsdervinnilan86arist.html
- Kari, J. & Savolainen, R. (2003) ‘Towards a contextual model of information seeking on the Web’. Information Seeking in Context Conference, 11-13 September 2002, Lisbon, Portugal. The New Review of Information Behaviour Research, 4, 155-175.
http://www.citeulike.org/article/21414
- Kuhlthau, C.C. (1991) ‘Inside the search process: Information seeking from the users’ perspective, Journal of the American Society for Information Science, 42, 361-371.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/10049443/PDFSTART
or
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/10049443/ABSTRACT
- Williamson, K. (1998) ‘Discovered by chance: the role of incidental information acquisition in an ecological model of information use’, Library and Information Science Research, 20 (1), 23-40.
- Wilson, T.D. (1981) ‘On user studies and information needs’, Journal of Documentation, 37 (1), 3-15.
http://informationr.net/tdw/publ/papers/1981infoneeds.html
- Wilson, T.D. (2000) ‘Recent trends in user studies: research and qualitative methods’, Information Research, 5(3), 1-21.
http://informationr.net/ir/5-3/paper76.html
Empirical
Empirical research in the field of information-seeking behaviour frequently focuses on specific groups of users, e.g., online investors, nurses, people with a disability.
A second closely-related approach is to focus on one type of information, e.g., information for everyday life (sometimes called community information) which includes all kinds of information needed by citizens for their everyday life, such as health, legal or financial information.
Sometimes a study will focus on a specific kind of everyday life information such as for a particular kind of health problem, e.g., information for breast cancer. Studies of information for online investments would come into this category of everyday life information. This second approach also includes a focus on the behaviour of the seekers and users of the information. Some excellent foundational studies in the field of everyday life were done in the 1970s and early 1980s and these are still relevant today. Examples are below.
Online Investors: Article emerging from the pilot study for the current project
Examples of studies of other user groups
- Sundin, O. (2002) ‘Nurses’ information seeking and use as participation in occupational communities’. Information Seeking in Context Conference, 11-13 September 2002, Lisbon, Portugal. Published in New Review of Information Behaviour Research, London: Taylor Graham, 187-202.
- Talja, S. (2002) ‘Information sharing in academic communities: types and levels of collaboration in information seeking and use’. Information Seeking in Context Conference, 11-13 September 2002, Lisbon, Portugal. Published in New Review of Information Behaviour Research, London: Taylor Graham, 187-202.
http://www.uta.fi/~lisaka/Taljaisic2002_konv.pdf
- Williamson, K., Schauder, D., & Bow, A. (2000) ‘Information seeking by blind and sight-impaired citizens: an ecological study’. Information Research, an International Electronic Journal. Vol. 5, No.4, pp.1-25.
http://InformationR.net/ir/5-4/paper79.html
Everyday life/ community information
- Chen, C and Hernon P. ‘Information seeking: assessing and anticipating user needs’ Neal-Schuman Publishers (l982).
- Dervin, B. et al. (1976) The Development of Strategies for Dealing with the Information Needs of Residents, Phase 1-Citizen Study, Final Report on Project L0035JA, Grant No. OEG-0- 74-7308 to the Office of Education, Washington: School of Communication, University of Washington, ED125640.
- Hektor, A. (2001) What’s the Use? Internet and Information Behaviour in Everyday Life. Linkoping: Linkoping University, Tema.
- Warner, E. S., Murray, J. & Palmour, V. E. (1973), Information Needs of Urban Residents, Final report from the Regional Planning Council of Baltimore and Westat Inc. of Rockville, MD to the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Education, Division of Library Programs under contract No. OEC-O-71-455, ED088464.
- Williamson, K. & Manaszewicz, R. (2002). ‘Breast cancer information needs and seeking: Towards an intelligent, user sensitive portal to breast cancer knowledge online’. Information Seeking in Context Conference, 11-13 September 2002, Lisbon, Portugal. Published in New Review of Information Behaviour Research, London: Taylor Graham, 203-219.
http://www.sims.monash.edu.au/research/eirg/assets/isic.pdf
Information Literacy
Theoretical and empirical references include:
- Bruce, C. (1997) The Seven Faces of Information Literacy Blackwood: Auslib Press.
http://sky.fit.qut.edu.au/~bruce/inflit/faces/faces1.php
http://crm.hct.ac.ae/events/archive/2003/speakers/bruce.pdf
- Heinstrom, J. Fast Surfers, Broad Scanners and Deep Divers : Personality and Information-Seeking Behaviour. Abo : Abo Akademi Förlag, 2002.
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/fulltext/109882822/PDFSTART
or
http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/abstract/109882822/ABSTRACT
- Tenopir, C., Hitchcok, B. & Pillow, A. (2003) Use and Users of Electronic Library Resources: An Overview and Analysis of Recent Research Studies. Washington, D.C.: Council on Library and Information Resources. Accessed 15 August, 2005.
http://www.clir.org/pubs/reports/pub120/pub120.pdf
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