New Review of Information Behaviour Research, Vol. 1

Citation

Cronau, D.A. (2002), "New Review of Information Behaviour Research, Vol. 1", Online Information Review, Vol. 26 No. 1, pp. 57-66. https://doi.org/10.1108/oir.2002.26.1.57.5

This annual is promoted as a “new source of expert commentary and essential information”. It endeavours to provide a comprehensive survey of the wide range of theoretical and methodological challenges in conducting information behaviour research, as well as examining the development of new systems and services. Research into human information behaviour has assumed major significance as a result of the pervasive influence of information technology, multimedia environments and networked information. The design of more effective information systems proceeds from an understanding of human information seeking and use.

This new title is designed to address the perceived shortcomings of many previous information needs studies – which were often systems‐centred rather than person‐centred, which conceptualised information as an objective entity with constant meaning, concentrated on external behaviour to the neglect of internal cognition, tended to ignore the larger contexts of the lives of information users, and produced over‐rigid models to predict information behaviour. The key characteristic of this publication seems to be bridging the gap between researchers in the human information behaviour community and the information systems research community. This will be an invaluable library resource for the broad audience of those concerned with the design and operation of information systems, libraries and services of all kinds.

The first volume focuses on three categories of research papers, leaving other, equally important contexts to the next issue. First, there are a number of papers illustrating theoretical perspectives. There is agreement that the field has been looking for a common theoretical framework, and several new concepts have been proposed during the last two decades. Thus the editors felt it natural to begin the series with some papers where a broad theoretical ambition was visible. In the first paper Chatman elegantly addresses concepts such as dissemination theory, opinion leaders, motivation, alienation, gratification theory, social norms and (social) location and applies these as a theoretical framework to a specific case. However, she also shows the limits of these concepts for certain types of information and suggests a framework explaining why this is the case. The following papers in this section address further aspects of the use of theory: philosophical and theoretical choices to be made (Hjorland), the metaphors used in major theories (Savolainen), the different insights phenomenography provides as distinct from a cognitive view (Limberg), and the need for the empirical testing of available theories and models (Wilson).

Emphasis on context is another important aspect of this field. In this volume several papers address information seeking in working life with different approaches (Bystrom, Cole, Fulton, Hertzum, Mutch, Preston and Tibar). The role of differences in work task and experience, as well as topical domain and context, are shown by different methods to interact in these studies. Implications for system design as well as for future research add further value to these studies.

In arranging the contributions the editors make a distinction between information seeking and information searching, indicating the difference between the more general studies of information (seeking) behaviour and the more specific studies of the actual search (or search outcome) in interactive information systems. The three papers in this category use different methods and research approaches, revealing clear links between context, search and the evaluation of search results (Anderson, Erdelez and Fidel).

Together these studies provide a rich source of information illustrating the growing variety of approaches to the field, while at the same time keeping the interaction between people, information systems and contexts in focus. In summary, this is a cutting‐edge, high quality resource.