Review: Theories of Information Behavior edited by Karen E. Fisher, Sanda Erdelez, and Lynne (E.F.) McKechnie

Abstract

Theories of Information Behavior edited by Karen E. Fisher, Sanda Erdelez, and Lynne (E.F.) McKechnie. Medford, NJ: Information Today, Inc., 2005. 431 pp. ISBN 1-57387-230-X. It is natural to think of information behavior theories as being inherent to the library and information fields, and yet scholars in an expanding number of academic disciplines are discovering and applying these principles to their own research. Hundreds of studies show the impact of information behavior on topics varying from voting patterns, health consumer habits, business and marketing trends, and human-computer interactions to a myriad of issues in education. At the same time, information professionals are also exploring, applying, and integrating models and theories from other disciplines into their own research. As communication technology advances and information permeate all aspects of society in multiple formats, people are becoming more active seekers and consumers of information. So what patterns of information behavior can be discerned among which individuals and in what situations? Which circumstances are most conducive to optimal information behavior and how can those circumstances best be integrated into the public environment and individual conscience? Theories of Information Behavior is an assembly of short readings on 72 different theories and models developed both from within the library and information fields and from disciplines in other social and cognitive sciences. The editors, Karen Fisher, Sandra Erdelez, and Lynne McKechnie state that “Theories of Information Behavior purports to facilitate theory building and use, to make conceptual engagement easier…[it] provides authoritative entries for metatheories, theories, researchers, students, and practitioners as a ready reference guide to conceptual frameworks relevant to information behavior research” (p. xx). The variety of entries reflect the perspective of T.D. Wilson that information behavior is broader than information seeking behavior; that it is the complete range of human behavior “in relation to sources and channels of information, including both active and passive information seeking, and information use” (p. xix). The first three chapters of this book are each written by leading experts in the information behavior field. Marcia Bates’ chapter, “An Introduction to Metatheories, Theories, and Models,” gives an overview to the basic theoretical concepts and their uses in library and information research. She methodically defines these concepts, gives examples of their applications in research, and discusses a number of epistemological approaches that have been employed in the field. The second chapter, “What Methodology Does to Theory: Sense-Making Methodology as Exemplar” by Brenda Dervin, explores the idea that the tensions created by two types of theory – substantive and metatheory – can be eased by