Search images, information seeking and information literacy

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability to information behaviour contexts of the notion of a “search image”, a mental entity highlighted in a significant anthropological study appearing in the 1990s.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper considers search images of information‐seekers by exploring hypothetical situations and using source material pertaining to areas such as information systems, information retrieval, information‐seeking and the nature of libraries.

Findings

Two types of search image are postulated – those taking the form of a visual memory of a particular source and those providing a detailed specification of material required in a certain situation.

Research limitations/implications

The definition of a search image presented here has not been evolved through research featuring specially‐undertaken fieldwork. New studies, incorporating individual interviews or think aloud protocols, should be conducted in order to address a series of emergent questions relating to search images.

Practical implications

When more has been learned about the characteristics of search images of successful information‐seekers, it may be possible to build into programmes of information literacy prompts that will help individuals to clarify in their minds what they require before embarking on an information search.

Originality/value

Intended for information practitioners and academics alike, the paper forms the first attempt to apply a particular concept originating outside the discipline, i.e. that of a search image, to information‐seeking situations. Attention to search images has the potential to increase one's understanding of how individuals find information, as well as to add a further dimension to information literacy instruction.

Citation

Shenton, A.K. (2009), "Search images, information seeking and information literacy", Library Review, Vol. 58 No. 2, pp. 109-115. https://doi.org/10.1108/00242530910936925