Looking for Information: A Survey of Research on Information Seeking, Needs and Behavior

Jannica Heinström (Åbo Akademi University, Finland)

Journal of Documentation

ISSN: 0022-0418

Article publication date: 10 May 2013

1095

Keywords

Citation

Heinström, J. (2013), "Looking for Information: A Survey of Research on Information Seeking, Needs and Behavior", Journal of Documentation, Vol. 69 No. 3, pp. 473-474. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-04-2013-0048

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2013, Emerald Group Publishing Limited


Donald Case's Looking for Information is now in its third edition. This ambitious text provides a broad and analytical overview of the field of information behaviour. Therefore, it is no wonder that it has become a bestseller and a standard textbook.

What is immediately striking with the new edition – compared to the previous ones – is the new look. The latest edition, published by Emerald, has a larger font and a more spacious layout, features that contribute to an appealing reading experience. The structure of the book remains the same as in the previous editions. Part 1 introduces the field. Part 2 presents the core concepts, while Part 3 discusses the model, paradigms and theories. Part 4 is an introduction to methods, while Part 5 discusses the research results. The book ends with Case's concluding remarks regarding recent developments in the field and a look into the future.

The effort and work behind the book is impressive, just imagine the amount of reading and selecting which references to include. Yet Case presents his work in a logical and straightforward manner. The clear structure is of pragmatic value because, in addition to reading the book cover to cover, it can also be used selectively according to one's interests. This opens up the book for many purposes: it may serve as a useful introduction to the field for graduate students, provide research guidelines for doctoral students, and act as a valuable reference tool for scholars. The text is easily accessible, which makes it a suitable read for someone new to the field. For instance, the depicted six information behaviour scenarios are described in a down‐to‐earth fashion at the same time as they illustrate the complexity of information behaviour. Various phenomena are illuminated with clarifying examples throughout the book. There is a natural flow from topic to topic, for example, in the section on related concepts. Each chapter is followed by recommendations for further readings, including a useful description of their content. Appendix B includes questions to be discussed in conjunction with the chapters, which is particularly useful when the text is used in education. The structure of the book is also by itself pedagogical, by, for instance, first introducing research methods and thereafter research findings, which then can be evaluated in the light of the benefits and drawbacks of the used methodology. Although the text is clear and easily comprehensible, it does not shy away from in‐depth analysis of the discussed phenomena. The problematisation of the concept of information itself is a good example of this.

For the new edition Case has not just added and updated references but also revisited all chapters of the book, most notably the chapters discussing models, theories and research results. Old references have been removed and new ones added. In total, the text refers to an impressive (about) 1,400 references. To create a logical structure from such a multitude is far from a simple task, but Case succeeds in creating a coherent whole. Case also addresses the challenge and makes his choices and motivations transparent throughout the book. He, e.g. focuses on more recent work and excludes work that can be classified as information retrieval.

A valuable aspect of the book is that it is multidisciplinary. This significantly contributes to our understanding of the discussed phenomena. Another highlight is the attention Case draws to less studied phenomena, such as information avoidance and serendipity. Some more discussion of how new technology (mobile, social, etc.) has impacted information behaviour would have been useful. These media are now such an integrated part of life in the developed countries that their impact on habits and attitudes extends beyond being just another means to share and access information. Case does address this but it would have deserved some further elaboration.

As the book is likely to be used by many as the core handbook of the field, it would be worth putting some extra work on the index for the next edition (which I hope and trust that Case will undertake). As it stands, a variety of concepts that are discussed in the book remain hidden in the text. For instance, task complexity does not have a specific entry and therefore remains invisible under multiple entries for “task”. Another example is the many entries for “health”. The book covers many interesting and varied topics under this umbrella term, which would have deserved their own subentries, particularly in the light of the fact that, as Case points out, this is a fast growing subfield of information behaviour. The structure of the book, which follows broad categories, does not allow the wide array of research angles to come to the forefront. One way to draw attention to this richness in the field is the index. The author index that was a useful part of the earlier editions is unfortunately missing from this edition. It is hence recommended for future editions, given the capacity of Looking for Information as a handbook.

The book is clearly a much needed review of information behaviour research. The first edition, well deserved, received the “Best Information Science Book of 2002” award. Case's efforts in updating the book in new editions every five years is most welcome in this fast‐evolving field. Today the book is such a self‐evident part of the information behaviour literature that it is hard to imagine the time before it.

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