Information behavior

Information science
General aspects
Related fields and subfields

Information behavior is a field of information science research that seeks to understand the way people search for and use information[1] in various contexts. It can include information seeking and information retrieval, but it also aims to understand why people seek information and how they use it. The term 'information behavior' was coined by Thomas D. Wilson in 1982[2] and sparked controversy upon its introduction.[3] The term has now been adopted and Wilson's model of information behavior is widely cited in information behavior literature.[4] In 2000, Wilson defined information behavior as "the totality of human behavior in relation to sources and channels of information".[5]

A variety of theories of information behavior seek to understand the processes that surround information seeking.[6] An analysis of the most cited publications on information behavior during the early 21st century shows its theoretical nature.[7] Information behavior research can employ various research methodologies grounded in broader research paradigms from psychology, sociology and education.[8]

In 2003, a framework for information-seeking studies was introduced that aims to guide the production of clear, structured descriptions of research objects and positions information-seeking as a concept within information behavior.[9]

  1. ^ Fairer–Wessels, 1990, page 361.
  2. ^ Wilson, T.D. (1981). "On user studies and information needs". Journal of Documentation. 37 (1): 3–15. doi:10.1108/eb026702. S2CID 14390097.
  3. ^ JESSE, discussion list http://listserv.utk.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind9912&L=JESSE&D=0&P=3346
  4. ^ "Google Scholar". scholar.google.ca. Retrieved 2020-02-09.
  5. ^ Wilson, T.D. (2000). "Human Information Behaviour". Informing Science. 3 (2): 49–55. doi:10.28945/576.
  6. ^ Case, DO (2012). Looking for information: a survey of research on information seeking, needs and behavior. Emerald. ISBN 9781780526546.
  7. ^ Gonzalez-Teruel, A; González-Alcaide, G; Barrios, M; Abad-García, MF. (2015). "Mapping recent information behavior research: an analysis of co-authorship and co-citation networks". Scientometrics. 103 (2): 687–705. doi:10.1007/s11192-015-1548-z. hdl:2445/100263. S2CID 10708639.
  8. ^ Waller, Vivienne (9 December 2015). Qualitative social research : contemporary methods for the digital age. SAGE Publications. ISBN 978-1-4462-5883-5. OCLC 948834592.
  9. ^ Kalervo Jarvelin, T. D. Wilson. "On conceptual models for information seeking and retrieval research". informationr.net. Retrieved 2020-03-19.