Information Behavior Research Research Articles

“Why Should We Care?”: Motivations of Public Librarians in the American South to Expand Civic Engagement for Racial Justice

ABSTRACTAn important aspect of human information behavior research is to understand the motivations of people as they interact with information and technologies to make a difference. This paper presents exploratory findings of a qualitative study of public librarians' motivations to expand civic engagement for racial justice in the American South. The geographical region is stereotypically characterized historically as being solely racially intolerant in public perceptions, scholarly discourse, political networks, and news media. This research challenges such limited notions, highlighting public librarian's logic‐based motivations to further civic engagement for racial justice in context of the nation's historical/contemporary racialized political climate. In the process, the authors acknowledge the voices/perspectives of public librarians, an often‐underrepresented group in privileged academic information behavior research. Thematic narrative analysis is explored as a strategic mode of presenting the findings.

Trends in information behavior research, 2016–2022: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology paper

Trends in information behavior research, 2016–2022: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology paper

Why leave items in the shopping cart? The impact of consumer filtering behavior

Online product information provides crucial cues for consumer shopping behavior; however, the impact of consumer-side information manipulation on non-purchase behavior (e.g., shopping cart abandonment) remains unclear. Filtering, a common manipulation strategy, was initially considered synonymous with searching, both of which contribute to consumer purchase behavior. However, recent research suggests significant differences, particularly in terms of cost and product matching. This study explores how such differences affect information manipulation and subsequently shape shopping cart abandonment, drawing on information foraging theory. Based on the premise that a forager's interaction with the environment is mediated by cognition, we find that consumer filtering behavior influences perceptions of serendipity (i.e., discovering unexpected items) and similarity (i.e., encountering similar items), thereby influencing shopping cart abandonment. Mediation analyses reveal that perceived serendipity and similarity are equally potent mediators. Marginal effects analyses demonstrate that a one standard deviation increase in consumer perceptions of serendipity (similarity) in filtering results increases the likelihood of shopping cart abandonment by 32.2% (22.1%). Theoretical contributions and practical insights for information behavior researchers and digital marketers are also provided.

Transdisciplinarity: an imperative for information behaviour research

Introduction. Information behaviour research must be methodologically and conceptually sophisticated to generate knowledge reflecting the complexities of information engagement in people’s lives. Information behaviour research can be enriched by the concept of transdisciplinarity — a collaborative approach addressing complex societal problems, with actionable research outcomes. Method. In-depth analysis traces the emergence of transdisciplinary research design. The paper then examines selected information science studies that possess strong transdisciplinary qualities, including those grounded in community-based approaches and centred on people’s experiences who have been marginalised by mainstream research. The paper then discusses opportunities for, and challenges to, increased transdisciplinarity in information behaviour. Results. Information behaviour research is well positioned to embrace transdisciplinarity, although this approach has yet to see widespread uptake. Transdisciplinary approaches present information science, generally, with a timely, multifaceted opportunity to adopt research designs that centre community, government, and/or industry stakeholders, which aligns well with the practice-oriented, interdisciplinary nature of the field. Conclusion. This paper brings a theoretical conceptualisation of transdisciplinarity in relation to information science, focusing primarily on information behaviour research. It expands on the importance of collaboration, innovation, and cross-disciplinarity, and proposes strategies for bridging information science research into more critical investigations of information activities in contemporary society.

Enhancing conceptualisations of information behaviour contexts through insights from research on e-dictionaries and e-lexicography

Introduction. Extensive conceptualisations of context in information behaviour research do not extend to all contexts revealed in the use of electronic (e)-dictionary and similar e-sources. Information behaviour emphasises users’ contexts and their situations. As intermediaries, examples of using e-dictionaries reveal additional contexts. E-dictionary research and lexicographical insight add additional conceptualisations of information behaviour contexts. Method. Conceptual paper drawing on literature reviews of research on e-dictionaries and conceptualisations of information behaviour contexts, and an exemplar approach to e-dictionary use. Analysis. The literature and dictionary use examples are analysed through an information behaviour lens with added lexicographic insight. Results. Conceptualisations of context in information behaviour research strongly focus on the user (e.g. the need, problem) and specific situations in such contexts, sometimes extending to temporality and spatiality. Information retrieval literature also notes the context of the person who created information and of an intermediary (person or system). Three contexts are evident from e-dictionary use and lexicography: user, information intermediary (dictionary), and word, phrase or text (information source). These contexts might influence information behaviour. Conclusion. The use of e-dictionaries and similar intermediaries, observed with lexicographic insight, can enhance conceptualisations of context in information behaviour, which is of value in the use of information sources and information evaluation.

Models and theories that can guide grief and bereavement information interventions: an information behaviour lens

Introduction. Information behaviour in grief, bereavement, death, dying and its influence on the development of information interventions is understudied. Although pragmatic and evidence-based practices work well, theoretical and conceptual models, research findings and theories should inform grief and bereavement information interventions developed by specialist counsellors. Extensive literature on death, dying, grief and bereavement counselling/therapy and information behaviour per se, does not address this need. This paper reports on work in progress exploring existing theories and models that might guide research. Method. Scoping review of literature from applicable disciplines (health, social work, religion, psychology, library/information science) for theories/models reported in grief and bereavement counselling and bereavement information intervention design. The focus is on information behaviour and all related information activities. Analysis. Two tables based on a content analysis that show theories/models that hold value for information interventions and studies of information behaviour. Results. The analysis reveals a spectrum of theories including grief theory, grief stage theory, theory of motivated information management. Models for consideration include bereavement model, transtheoretical model (narratives), social interaction model. Conclusion. Information behaviour research should continue to strive in conceptually and theoretically informing grief and bereavement information interventions, practices and work in grief and bereavement counselling.

Representational exchange and edgework: towards theorising the coping with fragmentary information

Introduction. People face often situations when the available information is fragmentary and epistemically and ontologically different stemming from multiple incongruous systems of knowledge. While this is obvious on the basis of the vast corpus of information behaviour research to date, relatively little attention has been conducted so far to explicate the mechanisms of how people routinely manage to use such unsatisfactory sources in their pursuits. Method. The conceptual paper describes two theoretical concepts identified in the literature. Results. The paper discusses the applicability of the notions of representational exchange and edgework to explain the mechanisms of how people parse together heterogeneous and fragmentary information together in a meaningful whole. Conclusion. The theory of representational exchange explains how people are capable of translating epistemically and ontologically incongruous types of information to work in concert. Edgework describes a type of information work necessary to parse together different forms of previous knowledge and new information with the help of (meta) information and knowledge on the two and their processes of becoming.

China’s spatial and temporal position in the global research network of information behavior and its current development dynamics

PurposeThis paper aims to objectively present the research dynamics of China in the field of information behavior and its development trends. Firstly, it incorporates China’s research in the field of information behavior into the global research network of information behavior, analyzing the changes in the status of Chinese scholars and their research institutions in the global research network from 1991 to 2022, the trends in publication volume and the cooperation relationships with other countries. Then, it conducts a detailed analysis of China’s research categories, groups, theoretical models and hot topics in different information contexts in the past five years (2018–2022).Design/methodology/approachThe study retrieved research literature related to information behavior in China from 1991 to 2022 in the Web of Science database. It then utilized a national/institutional cooperation network map to analyze the changes in the status of Chinese scholars/institutions in the global research network during this period, publication volume trends and cooperation relationships with other countries. Furthermore, it employed keyword co-occurrence network maps to analyze the key categories, groups, theories and models of China’s research in different information contexts in the past five years. Based on this, it used keyword clustering network maps to analyze the hot topics of China’s research in different information contexts in the past five years.Findings(1) China’s research in the field of information behavior started relatively late, but the volume of publications has grown rapidly since 2004, currently ranking second globally in cumulative publication quantity. However, the influence of the literature published by China is limited, and there is a lack of research institutions with global influence. (2) In the last five years, China has conducted extensive research in various information contexts. Among these, most research was conducted in work contexts, followed by healthcare contexts, especially studies related to epidemics. (3) Current research on information behavior in China is characterized by expanded and refined research groups, diversified research categories, continuous expansion and enrichment of research contexts, increased interdisciplinary nature of research and continuous innovation in research methods and theoretical models.Originality/valueThis study, utilizing a scientific knowledge map, elucidates China’s position in global information behavior research, with a specific emphasis on analyzing China’s research hot topics and trends in this field over the past five years. It aims to provide valuable resources for scholars interested in understanding the status of information behavior research in China and to offer some guidance for scholars currently or intending to engage in information behavior research.

The Intersection of Bibliographic Control Research and Information Behavior Research: An Analysis of Cataloging & Classification Quarterly Articles from 1980 to 2023

The intersection of bibliographic control and information behavior is explored in 237 issues of CCQ literature published from 1980–2023 using a combination of expanded searches within three prominent journal databases and frequency analysis of the terms “user”, “seek”, and “behavior” in the approximately 2,391 published items. The database searches, while inconsistent, produced a set of 43 articles (approx. 2%). Frequency and mention rates analysis using Voyant provided unique insight into both high and low occurrences of the terms. Cross-referencing both data sets produced a set of 37 volumes/issues with two prominent clusters between the years of 2009 and 2017.

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.