Human Information Behavior torrent

Information behavior studies are a growing body of research that highlights the importance of information for everyone in the information age. Information behavior researchers are building integrated theoretical frameworks that model the relationship between information seeking, the human “way of life or mastery of life” (Savolainen, 1995), information foraging, information organizing and information use (Spink and Cole, 2006a,b). The international group of papers presented in this special issue of the Journal of Documentation provides a diverse range of studies and insights into the current state of theories and models of information behavior. The emphasis throughout the papers presented in this issue focuses on the social/personal/human dimensions of information behavior using social science methods and theoretical frameworks. The studies particularly draw on the methods and theories of anthropology, sociology and psychology to roduce interpretations of the way in which information is experienced in the lives of individuals working as critical care nurses in a medical nvironment, the information behavior of the visually impaired, the social interactions within knitting circles in public libraries, and attempts to apply information behavior theory to the design of information solutions. Collectively the papers contribute more generally to our understanding of information behavior theory and models, including the medical and retrieval contexts.