Information Behavior Research Research Articles

Influence of Dervin’s sensemaking methodology determined through citation context analysis, content analysis and bibliometrics

PurposeThis study explored the influence of Dervin’s sensemaking methodology (SMM).Design/methodology/approachCitation context analysis was used to identify the most influential SMM concepts in 948 articles citing 34 SMM-related studies by Dervin that were published between 1983 and 2017. Moreover, the bibliometric method and content analysis were incorporated to examine the disciplines and research topics influenced by the SMM-related studies and the role of cited content in SMM-related studies.FindingsThe influence of SMM is concentrated in information behavior research in the field of library and information science (LIS). The 1992 book chapter From the mind’s eye of the user was most frequently cited, followed by the first SMM study from 1983; 14 of the 18 content categories were relevant to SMM. “Sensemaking,” at the core of SMM, was the most influential cited concept, primarily cited from the 1983 SMM-related study. Although the SMM was developed as a research method, it has not been primarily applied to design research methods in other studies.Originality/valueThis study explored the interdisciplinary influence of Dervin’s SMM from several aspects and demonstrated the complex information dynamics between SMM-related works and citing articles.

Seeking and sharing information about the threat of nuclear war

The present study contributes to information behavior research by examining how people seek and share information related to the threat of nuclear war. To achieve this, a sample of 1279 posts submitted to Quora—a social Q&A site—were scrutinized by means of qualitative content analysis. The analysis was based on identification of three question types indicative of attempts to seek information and five answer types expressive of information sharing. The findings indicate that the online participants mainly presented opinion questions, while the role of fact questions remained marginal. While sharing threat-related information, the participants primarily offered opinion answers. To a lesser extent, the repertoire of answers also included explanation, prediction, fact, action directive and encouragement answers. The predominance of opinion answers is understandable because there is no recent experience about the use of nuclear weapons against civil targets. Therefore, much of threat-related information shared in online discussion necessarily originates from people’s personal views of what a nuclear war and its effects could be like. The findings highlight that people mainly seek opinions of other people, rather than factual information about the threat of nuclear war.

Cognitive appraisals and information-seeking achievement emotions: a qualitative study of Swedish primary teacher students

PurposePrimary teachers play a vital role in fostering pupils' successful futures. Therefore, gaining knowledge of primary teacher students' learning processes, including the achievement of information-seeking skills, is crucial. The aim of this paper is to understand better the interplay between cognitive appraisals and emotions in the constructivist process of learning and achieving information-seeking skills.Design/methodology/approachIn-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with six Swedish primary teacher students. The analysis of qualitative data was deductive and theory-driven, guided by Kuhlthau's information search process model, Scherer's semantic space of emotions and Pekrun's control-value theory of achievement emotions.FindingsAnger/frustration, enjoyment and boredom were identified as activity emotions and anxiety, hopelessness and hope as prospective outcome emotions. The retrospective outcome emotions found were pride, joy, gratitude, surprise and relief. The appraisals eliciting the achievement emotions were the control appraisals uncertainty/certainty (activity and prospective outcome) and oneself/other (retrospective), and value appraisals negative/positive intrinsic motivation (activity) and failure/success (prospective and retrospective). The interplay between appraisals and emotions was complex and dynamic. The processes were individually unique, non-linear and iterative, and the appraisals did not always elicit emotions.Originality/valueThe study has theoretical and methodological implications for information behaviour research in its application of appraisal theories and the Geneva affect label coder. In addition, it has practical implications for academic librarians teaching information-seeking skills.

Cognitive and motivational qualities of task instruction: Cognitive appraisals and achievement emotions of Swedish primary teacher students

Given the crucial role of primary teachers in shaping pupils' development, equipping primary teacher students with the necessary skills, including information-seeking skills, is fundamentally important. The aim of this study is to gain a better understanding of the process of achieving such skills by exploring the interplay between cognitive appraisals and achievement emotions and the way in which these are affected by the quality of instructions experienced. Instruction librarians' support in relation to instructions and how these can be designed to promote achievement are also investigated.Six Swedish primary teacher students were studied through in-depth semi-structured interviews over a period of 10 weeks. The methodological tool Geneva affect label coder was used for the mapping and categorization of appraisals and emotions. The analysis of the qualitative data was theory driven and deductively interpreted through the lens of Pekrun's control–value theory of achievement emotions, Scherer's semantic space of emotions, and Kuhlthau's information search process model.The cognitive appraisals identified were uncertainty, certainty, and negative and positive intrinsic motivation. The achievement emotions found in relation to cognitive quality were anger/frustration, anxiety, and hopelessness, and those linked to motivational quality were enjoyment and boredom. Uncertainty and negative intrinsic motivation/failure elicited emotions related to cognitive quality, and negative/positive intrinsic motivation and certainty determined emotions related to motivational quality. The interplay between appraisals and emotions was complex, involving feedback loops and reciprocal causation. The support from instruction librarians experienced was related to the students' ability to master the instructions and their cognitive qualities.The study has theoretical and methodological implications for information behavior and information literacy research in its application of appraisal theories and methodological tools. It also has practical implications for academic instruction librarians supporting students in the process of achieving information-seeking skills. By understanding how students experience support and the relations to the quality of task instructions, support can be designed in ways that promote positive achievement emotions and by implication achievement.

Aggregate‐Level Analysis of Information Behavior: A Study of Public Library Book Circulation

ABSTRACTInformation behavior research to date has mainly focused specific cases or representative surveys at the individual level, because each individual has unique contexts that shape their behavior. However, they have not fully benefited from aggregate‐level analyses due to mainstream theories' focus on a contextualized understanding of information. To address this gap, we adopt the theory of local information landscapes, that focuses on the material aspects of community dynamics, and analyze national‐level aggregate data on book circulations in public libraries across South Korea. By examining the relationship between socioeconomic status and public library book circulation, we discuss the potential to develop scalable theories and relevant data‐driven approaches in information behavior research.

Exploring Information Behavior Patterns in Response to False and Misleading Health Information

ABSTRACTFalse information, also known as misinformation or disinformation, has long been a serious concern in health information behavior research. The phenomenon of false information in health information behavior is complex and multifaceted, and it involves a range of factors related to the production, dissemination, and consumption of health information. This paper aims to understand through which channels people receive false health information and which information behavior patterns exist towards this kind of information. Based on 21 qualitative semi‐structured interviews with interactive and visual participative elements, five patterns of health information behavior towards the receivement of false health information were identified. Further, a strong relationship between these patterns, the context in which false health information was encountered, and the information source was observed. Additionally, two specific information behavior patterns (information avoidance and intentional non‐information behavior) as well as the urgency and impact of false information on the health of individuals and society, were identified as potential drivers for the dissemination of false health information.

What Should I Believe In? This Is about My Child's Health! Exploring Information Behavior and Attitudes towards Vaccination: A Comparative Study of Polish and Ukrainian Parents

ABSTRACTThis study delves into the realm of information behavior research, examining the attitudes and information‐seeking patterns of Polish and Ukrainian parents regarding vaccination. Amidst rising vaccine skepticism globally, understanding how individuals acquire and evaluate information about vaccinations is crucial for effective public health communication. Through in‐depth interviews and surveys, the study examines how parents acquire information about vaccinations, evaluate the credibility of this information, and identify cognitive authorities that enhance information credibility. Preliminary findings demonstrate distinct information‐seeking strategies between pro‐vaccination and skeptical parents. Parents in favor of vaccination tend to rely on a single source, typically their doctor, emphasizing the authority associated with their role. In contrast, skeptical parents consult various sources, prioritizing close personal relationships and shared experiences. In contrast, skeptical parents consult various sources, prioritizing close personal relationships and shared experiences. Moreover, opponents of vaccination exhibit a stronger affective dimension when assessing source credibility. The study also highlights the distinctive use of books and articles among vaccine opponents, despite their general mistrust of science. This study contributes to the field of information behavior research, offering insights into parental information‐seeking dynamics, and their implications for public health policy and communication strategies.

The Information Behavior of African American Teens

Research on the information-seeking behavior of teens has produced numerous articles over the past decade. Although a good number of research articles list sociocultural factors, such as identity, as playing a critical role in teen’s information-seeking behavior, very few explicitly cover racial identity. The goal of this study is to examine the everyday life information-seeking behavior of African American teens, using previously applied information-seeking models.  Though African American teens are not alone in their ethnic experience, they are unique in that decades of systemic racism and inequality impacts their academic standing. The literature review examines research on the everyday life information-seeking (ELIS) behavior of teens, sources of teen information acquisition, modes of information-seeking, and factors that impact teen information-seeking behavior. Additionally, limited existing research on the information behavior of African American communities is reviewed. The findings are that the existing information-seeking behavior research has noticeable contradictory results in regard to African American communities. This mixed-method study will use observations, interviews, and online surveys of African American teens and librarians. The findings will be compared to previous teen information behavior research to see if and how African American teens’ information-seeking behavior is impacted by socio-cultural factors such as cultural beliefs, norms, and institutional barriers. This research would assist in clarifying the information behavior of African American youth and potentially influence information literacy education to be more inclusive and culturally responsive, and thus more impactful in lifelong learning for all youth.

A Compass for What Matters: Applying Virtue Ethics to Information Behavior

Abstract Out of the three major approaches to ethics, virtue ethics is uniquely well suited as a moral guide in the digital age, given the pace of sociotechnical change and the complexity of society. Virtue ethics focuses on the traits, situations and actions of moral agents, rather than on rules (as in deontology) or outcomes (consequentialism). Even as interest in ethics has grown within information behavior (IB), there has been little engagement with virtue ethics. To address this lacuna and demonstrate further research opportunities, this article provides an overview of virtue ethics for application in IB (broadly defined). It provides a primer on virtue ethics, gives examples of existing IB work that is compatible with virtue ethics, and suggests avenues for further virtue-oriented research in IB.

Exploring the elements of opinion answers: the case of the Russo-Ukrainian war

Introduction. The present investigation contributes to information behaviour research by elaborating the nature of opinion as a type of information. To achieve this, the elements of opinion answers available on Quora - a major question and answers (Q&A) forum were analysed. Method. The empirical findings draw on the qualitative content analysis of 483 opinion answers dealing with the Russo-Ukrainian war. It was examined how the answerers articulated four main elements of opinion answers: (i) the stance taken on an issue or event, (ii) emotional reaction to it, (iii) suggestion for future action, and (iv) grounds used to bolster an opinion. Results. The answerers most frequently took a neutral or negative stance on the topics articulated in the opinion questions. The emotions expressed in opinion answers were negative, indicative of anger, hate and contempt. The answerers offered a number of suggestions mainly dealing with the ways in which the war could be ended. To bolster their answers, the answerers primarily drew on the views presented by political decision makers such as presidents and ministers. The answerers also supported their views by making references to external information sources and drawing on factual evidence, Moreover, negative evaluation of the qualities of an entity or event was fairly common. The answerers also drew on explanation to make it understandable the war-related events. Conclusion. Opinion is an important informational category whose significance is probably growing, due to the developments in today´s information and communication environments.  In the media, more strongly than before, attention is devoted to people´s opinions, instead of merely emphasizing the role of irrefutable (objective) facts.

Climate change information seeking

AbstractThis research develops and tests a model of individual intentions to actively seek information about climate change. Our premise is that the individual's intention to actively seek information about climate change would determine their knowledge of and attitudes towards climate change, and this would in turn influence how they act or change their behaviors in response to that risk. Our model identifies key cognitive, affective, and situational variables drawn from research in human information behavior and risk communication. We conducted an online survey in which 212 participants in Canada and the United States responded. The results showed that the model was able to explain more than 40% of the variance in intention to seek climate change information. Social Norms, Affective Response, and Social Trust were the most important variables in influencing intention to seek climate change information. We conclude that climate change information seeking has a strong social dimension where social norms and expectations of relevant and respected others exert a major influence, and that the individual's emotional response towards the risk of climate change is more important than the individual's cognitive perception of how much information they need on climate change.

Parsing through paradigms: uncertainty and decision-making in human information behavior

PurposeThis study demonstrates how individual paradigms implicate the questions asked, methods used and results drawn in association with a common object of study in human information behavior (HIB) research – the relationship between uncertainty and decision-making.Design/methodology/approachThe author uses textual case studies to examine uncertainty and decision-making through the framework of four paradigms used in HIB research: positivism, cognitivism, collectivism and constructionism and suggests deconstructionism as a paradigm which raises new questions around this topic.FindingsPositivistic approaches to uncertainty are often systems oriented; cognitive approaches are often user-oriented; collectivist approaches are intersubjective; and constructionist approaches blend a subjective and intersubjective research orientation. Deconstructionism raises new questions around ethics and responsibility in relation to decision-making, and the author therefore situates it as a new paradigmatic approach for this topic in HIB research.Originality/valueDespite the presence of research aimed at recognizing and defining paradigms in HIB research, a comparative micro-examination of how individual paradigms implicate a specific research topic has yet to be conducted. Each paradigm uniquely shapes the ways in which uncertainty and decision-making are characterized, but the four central ones examined here have thus far left out questions of ethics and responsibility as being core elements of decision-making as tied to uncertainty. Therefore, this paper introduces deconstructionism as a paradigm new to HIB uncertainty research, arguing that it provides an important and novel complication of existent research questions and approaches.

Does serendipity matter in knowledge management? Organizational sharing and use of encountered information

PurposeThis study investigated the moderating effect of organizational knowledge management performance on the sharing and use of information encountered by serendipity within the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe authors surveyed 274 medical librarians from the top 100 medical schools.FindingsIndividual information encountering predicted information encountering at work, which, in turn, predicted organizational sharing of encountered information. When the propensity to encounter information was high, then organizational knowledge management performance moderated the effect between organizational encountering and organizational sharing of information. Encountered information at work was only present when high organizational knowledge management performance was in place.Research limitations/implicationsThis finding helps information behavior researchers discover the transfer of behaviors from everyday life to organizational environments.Practical implicationsIt shows the need for greater support for information encounterers at work and the role of knowledge management, which may enhance their contribution to the organizational objectives.Originality/valueInformation encountering involves finding information by chance. Studies on information encountering have not focused on work settings and if the individual propensity to encounter information translates to organizational settings. Also, the relationship between information encountering and organizational knowledge management has not been studied so far.

Information behavior research in dialogue with neighboring fields

Information behavior research in dialogue with neighboring fields

A Proposed Path to Bridge the Gap Between Information Behaviour Research and Professional Practice

ABSTRACT A research culture that fosters communication and collaboration between academics and professionals is vital for creating a flourishing and well-informed scholarly and professional community. Within the library and information science field, a gap between research and professional practice is well-documented. This gap has also been noted in the sub-field of information behaviour. This paper contends that the time is ripe now to take some steps to fill this gap by (a) first refocusing on information behaviour embodying more than seeking and searching for information, (b) synthesising and advancing research concerning the impacts of different information behaviours on users’ thinking, emotions, feelings, and actions, (c) undertaking research where academics and information professionals can jointly study the relationship between information services, information behaviours, and users, and (d) reducing the barriers in communicating research between researchers and professionals. Hopefully, academics and professionals will embrace these considerations and work more closely to reduce the gap between information behaviour research and professional practice.

A Critical Approach to Engaging Communities in Information Behavior Research

A Critical Approach to Engaging Communities in Information Behavior Research

Six important theories in information behaviour research: a systematic review and future directions

The fragmentation and appropriation of fundamental theories from other disciplines have increasingly hindered the carrying-out of empirical studies in information behavioural research. Six theories were selected, with ethnographic decision tree theory and means-end chain theory exploring how behaviour happens and will evolve, media richness theory, collective action theory and service encounter theory exploring why behaviour happen and motivation crowding theory exploring why things go off track. Topic-relevant empirical studies of the applications of six theories published in Web of Science Core Collection have been collected and reviewed. Theory development, research agenda and current problems, as well as potential directions for future research were illustrated. Our findings indicated that the six theories have broad application contexts and their application potential needs to be further explored. This paper has important implications for advancing the boundary conditions regarding these theories and relevant empirical studies, as well as discovering uncharted territories.

Mapping the Global Evolution and Research Directions of Information Seeking, Sharing and Communication in Disasters: A Bibliometric Study.

This paper aims to grasp developments and trends in research on information communication, information seeking and information sharing in disasters during 2000-2021. By using bibliometrics software CiteSpace and VOSviewer, the development trends of publications, disciplinary, journals, institutions and regional cooperation are mapped. Keyword co-occurrence analysis is used to further identify the evolution of the research hot points and visualize the research orientation and frontier. The results indicate that the field of information communication in disasters has received growing attention from various disciplines. Results of institutions and regional cooperation show that worldwide cooperation is still lacking and needs to be strengthened in future studies in this field. The key findings are five main research orientations in this field based on keyword co-occurrence, which are public information coordination research, public information behavior and perception research, health information communication research, risk communication and social media research and information technology in emergency management. The findings of this paper can be helpful for academics and emergency managers in disaster information management and risk communication by giving them a comprehensive understanding of people's information communication, seeking and sharing.

Companion animal representation and voice in information behavior research

Animals, specially companion species, are an integral part of our daily homes and cities but have not been the focus of everyday information behavior research to date. The practice of incorporating animals into research is not straightforward because they do not share our language or norms. The question this research aims to answer is: how can the perspective of other animal subjects be incorporated in information behavior research? This preliminary study of four multispecies families, included humans, dogs, and cats in the research design, and a more-than-human perspective was used as a research paradigm, offering different ways of thinking about ethnography and phenomenology methods. Five methodological strategies (speaking for the animal, listening differently, walking and sensing, photography, and technological mediation) proved effective in making the role of animals in the information experience of multispecies family visible. The article concludes with a discussion of the methodological implications that emerge when a researcher claims to view humans as conjoined with other life forms and seeks to include animals in information behavior research.

Theoretical Applications in Children and Youth Information Behavior Research: 1999–2019

ABSTRACTChildren and youth information behavior (CYIB) research has grown substantially in the past two decades. However, this research lacks systematic analysis of the scholarly journal literature, especially with respect to theoretical applications. This study content‐analyzed articles published in fourteen key scholarly journals covering 1999 to 2019. The findings revealed that of the 893 articles retrieved from five online databases, 22.6% were relevant to theory use. Of these, 116 articles (60%) were theoretically grounded in theories or models. There was considerable growth in the use of theories as frameworks for the 2010–2019 period, as compared to the 1999–2009 period. Five key journals contributed the highest number of articles with theories or models applied as frameworks. Authors used more models than theories to ground their work. There was a frequent mention of theories or models in various sections of the articles, especially the introduction and review of the literature. The findings make a unique contribution to our understanding of the nature of theory use in CYIB research, its applications, and evolution over time, as well as strengths, weaknesses, and trends. This study has implications for LIS education, research, and practice. It also has theoretical and methodological implications.