Review article
Information horizons as a method of human information behaviour research
Ivana Turk
orcid.org/0000-0001-6909-041X
; Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Gradska i sveučilišna knjižnica Osijek
Abstract
This paper presents features and importance of the concept of information horizons, which was proposed in 1999 by Diane Sonnenwald with purpose of exploration human information behaviour. Theoretical framework of information horizons model develops a framework of searching, seeking, filtering, using and disseminating information. For a particular individual, a variety of information resources may be included within their information horizon, for example, they may include colleagues, subject experts, librarians, documents, media, websites, books, information retrieval tools, experiments and observation in the world. The framework suggests that certain types of data, which have not been traditionally included in studies of information behaviour, are important. These data include when and why people access (or why they do not access) informaton resources and channels, relationships and interconnectedness among information resources, individual preferences and evaluation of information resources and the impact of contexts and situations on the information seeking process. Sonnenwald proposes the methodology of investigating information horizons which consists of semi-structured interviews using the critical incident technique and map drawing technique. Concept of information horizons enables investigating information needs of high school students, undergraduate and graduate college students, elderly and professionals, which allows information institutions to adjust their services and collections according to their users’ actual needs.
Keywords
information horizons, information resources, human information behaviour, information seeking
Hrčak ID:
239633
URI
Publication date:
20.9.2018.
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