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The purpose of this paper is to examine information-seeking behavior (ISB) of strategic planners in enterprise across different work-task types and stages.

A case study was conducted in a pharmaceutical company in China, labeled as T Company. One of the authors worked in the department of strategic planning of this company as an intern. The data were collected via participant observation and unstructured in-depth interviews. Open coding was performed to analyze the data.

Four work-task stages were identified: project preparation, gathering, discovery and presentation, and strategy formulation. The results indicate that work-task types, work-task stages, and strategic planners’ work role or position affect their information needs, source selection, and seeking process. Task complexity, task familiarity, and task goal are of the most important task attributes that directly shape strategic planners’ ISB. Work role determines the extent to which strategic planners can access the information of the company. Internal information has priority, but external information is also important when internal information is not sufficient; both are equally important for strategic planning projects. Social media has been a very important channel to access, disseminate and share information. Workshops are an important approach to producing final project reports. Face-to-face discussion and information exchange play a critical role in the formulation of new strategies.

This is a case study with data collected from only one company in China. Some of the results may not be generalizable. However, it adds new knowledge to ISB research in enterprise, informs people how to provide better information services for strategic planners, and informs MBA education for students’ better information-seeking skills.

Though myriad studies on ISB, little research has been done to examine strategic planners’ ISB from a business context, especially taking into account the effect of work-task types and stages.

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the conceptual picture of the relationships between the affective and cognitive factors in information seeking and use.

Conceptual analysis focusing on the ways in which the affective and cognitive factors and their interplay are approached in the Information Search Process model developed by Carol Kuhlthau, and the Social-Biological Information Technology model elaborated by Diane Nahl.

Kuhlthau’s model approaches the cognitive factors (thoughts) and affective factors (feelings) and affective-cognitive factors (mood) as integral constituents of the six-stage information search process. Thoughts determine the valence of feelings (positive or negative), while mood opens or closes the range of possibilities in a search. Nahl’s taxonomic model defines the affective and cognitive factors as components of a biologically determined process serving the ends of adaptation to information ecology. The interplay of the above factors is conceptualized by focusing on their mutual roles in the cognitive and affective appraisal of information.

The findings are based on the comparison of two models only.

So far, information scientists have largely ignored the study of the interplay between affective and cognitive factors in information seeking and use. The findings indicate that the examination of these factors together rather than separately holds a good potential to elaborate the holistic picture of information seeking and use.

The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the picture of the nature of integrated models for information behaviour from the perspective of conceptual growth in this field of study.

Conceptual analysis focusing on the ways in which the researchers have developed integrated models. The study concentrates on seven key models proposed by Bates, Choo and associates, Godbold, Robson and Robinson, and Wilson.

Researchers have employed four main approaches to develop integrated models. First, such frameworks are based on the juxtaposition of individual models. Second, integrated models are built by cross-tabulating the components of diverse models. Third, such models are constructed by relating similar components of individual models. Finally, integrated models are built by incorporating components taken from diverse frameworks. The integrated models have contributed to conceptual growth in three major ways: first, by integrating formerly separate parts of knowledge; second, by generalizing and explaining lower abstraction-level knowledge through higher level constructs; and third, by expanding knowledge by identifying new characteristics of the object of study.

The findings are based on the comparison of seven models only. The integrated frameworks of information retrieval were excluded from the study.

The study pioneers by providing an in-depth analysis the nature of integrated models for information behaviour. The findings contribute to the identification of the key factors of information behaviour.

The present research aims to compare information-seeking behaviour of ordinary and elite saffron farmers in Iran.

The study sample consisted of 375 saffron farmers (295 ordinary and 80 elite saffron farmers) selected using the cluster sampling method. Data were collected by a kind of researcher-made questionnaire.

The results showed saffron onion, pesticides, cultivators and farmland worker were the main components of saffron farmers’ information-seeking behaviour of both groups. The most important sources of information for both groups included reference to past experience, neighbouring saffron farmers, contact with informants and other family members. The main criteria which affected the behaviour of the two groups on the use of information sources were provided information in local language, native people, clear and intelligible information and low cost. Farmers were also confronted with common problems such as lack of attention to the needs of farmers and insufficient number of technical experts. It was also found that there was no significant relationship between information-seeking behaviour of elite and ordinary saffron farmers and their performance.

Saffron is one of the most important agricultural export products in Iran, and this paper is the first research in this subject. The results can help develop information-seeking behaviour of farmers.

The purpose of this article is to elaborate the picture of the motivators for information seeking by comparing the conceptualizations of task‐based information needs and expectancy‐value theories.

The article is a conceptual analysis of major articles characterising task‐based information needs and expectancy‐value theories developed in psychology since the 1950s.

The conceptualizations of task‐based information needs approach the motivators for information seeking in terms of the informational requirements posed by tasks at hand. However, the ways in which such needs trigger and drive information seeking have not been specified in detail. Expectancy‐value theories provide a more elaborate picture of motivational factors by focusing on actors' beliefs about the probability of success in information seeking and the perceived value of the outcome of this activity.

The findings are based on the comparison of two research approaches only.

So far, information scientists have largely ignored the psychological theories of motivation. This study demonstrates the potential of such approaches by discussing an established psychological theory. The findings indicate that such theories hold a good potential to elaborate the models of task‐based information seeking in particular.

This study aims to investigate the use of smartphones by undergraduate students for information seeking. Aspects include frequency of use, purposes, types of activities, impediments and characteristic differences by grade point average (GPA), major or collegiate level.

A questionnaire is administered to social sciences students, and 240 responses are analyzed.

Students reported using smartphones most often for social networking or entertainment; accessing academic information ranked fifth among seven purpose categories. A lack of knowledge regarding smartphone use for academic information was commonly reported as an impediment encountered. The hypothesis that statistically significant differences in smartphone information-seeking behavior exist among students based on their GPA, major or collegiate level was partially supported.

Future research will consider the use of a more diverse sample of students comprising different disciplines and statistical modeling methods, which would indicate the magnitude and direction of effect for various academic variables.

The results indicate a need for student awareness programs and an adaptation of library resources and services to accommodate smartphone technology.

The results of this study contribute to the state of knowledge regarding the use of smartphones for information seeking. This knowledge will assist libraries and information-related institutions worldwide in accommodating and exploiting this technology and related behaviors.

The paper seeks to draw on Sice's systems model, itself based on Senge's “fixes that fail” archetype, and on data from two previous research projects conducted by one of the authors. The purpose of this paper is to synthesise a new model that portrays the information‐seeking behaviour of children and young people.

The systems model provides the backbone of the new framework but additions, accommodations and revisions were made to ensure that the version featured here represents the phenomenon of information seeking by the young as appropriately as possible in terms of the data that were gathered.

One of the new model's most significant characteristics is its emphasis on problems and issues that prevent information seeking from proceeding smoothly. Information seeking is also shown to be an iterative process, with the individual often revisiting previous stages, frequently in response to difficulties.

Data were collected from pupils in just seven schools. The undertaking of research further a‐field would be invaluable, if the extent to which the model is applicable to other information‐seekers in different environments is to be ascertained.

The model demonstrates the importance of the information professional's educative role, in terms of both delivering formal information literacy instruction and providing assistance at the point of need.

Although the use of ideas and frameworks from other disciplines, with the aim of increasing understanding of phenomena within LIS, is a growing trend, this paper represents one of the first attempts to apply an existing model associated with systems thinking to information behaviour.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals' health information seeking is an important topic across multiple disciplines and areas. The aim of this systematic review is to create a holistic view of sexual and gender minority individuals' health information seeking reported in multidisciplinary studies, with regard to the types of health information LGBTQ+ individuals sought and information sources they used, as well as the factors influencing their health information seeking behavior.

The review is based on the literature search in 10 major academic databases. A set of inclusion and exclusion criteria was applied to identify studies that provide evidence on LGBTQ+ individuals' health information seeking behavior. The studies were first screened by title and abstract to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. The full texts of each relevant study were obtained to confirm whether the exclusion criteria were met. The reference lists of the included studies were manually scanned. The relevant information was then extracted from selected articles and analyzed using thematic content analysis.

A seed set of 3,122 articles published between 1997 and 2020 was evaluated, and 46 total articles were considered for further analysis. The review results show that two major categories of health information sought by LGBTQ+ individuals were sexual and nonsexual, which were further classified into 17 specific types. In terms of health information sources, researchers have reported that online resources, interpersonal sources and traditional media were frequently used. Moreover, 25 factors affecting LGBTQ+ individuals' health information seeking were identified from the literature.

Through evidence-based understanding, this review preliminarily bridged the knowledge gap in understanding the status quo of studies on LGBTQ+ individuals' health information seeking and proposed the potential research directions that information science researchers could contribute to this important area.

Despite societal investment in providing health information to young parents, little is known about the health information practices of young parents themselves. The purpose of this paper is to explore young parents’ health information practices in context.

This constructivist grounded theory study investigates the health information practices of young mothers and fathers (age 16-23) in Greater Vancouver, Canada. Data were collected over 16 months via individual interviews with 39 young parents (37 mothers, 2 fathers) and observations at young parent programs. Inductive analysis was iterative with data collection.

Young parent health information practices emerged, clustering around concepts of information seeking, assessment, and use, with sharing conceptualised as a form of use. Many young parents were sophisticated information seekers, and most were highly networked using mobile technology. While access to information was rarely a barrier, assessment of the large quantity of health-related information posed challenges.

These findings are not generalisable to all populations. Newly identified information-seeking practices such as defensive and subversive seeking should be explored further in future research.

Rather than focusing on quantity of information, health and information professionals trying to reach young parents should focus on fostering information literacy skills and building relationships as trusted information providers.

Young parent experiences of social marginalisation influenced their information practices and should be taken into consideration.

This first investigation of young parent information practices can guide services and resources for young parents, suggests that sharing might be conceptualised as a subset of use, and highlights new information-seeking practices by marginalised individuals, such as defensive and subversive seeking.

Although the health information seeking behavior of consumers through the internet has received great attention, limited attempt has been made to integrate both the health information seeking behavior and the usage behavior in a mobile online context. The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that influence consumer mobile health information seeking (MHIS) and usage behavior based on information quality, perceived value, personal health value, and trust.

A survey was conducted to collect data. A two-step approach of structure equation modeling based was used to test the measurement model and hypothesis model.

Information quality, perceived value, and trust were found to have positive effects on both the intention to seek and to use health information, and that the intention to seek affects the intention to use. Among the three components of perceived value, the utilitarian and epistemic values were found to have significant effects on intention to seek. In addition, the current health status of health consumers moderates the relationships between MHIS and usage intention and their determinants.

Studies have primarily focussed on online health information seeking behavior, whereas a few of these studies have examined the seeking behavior intention and the usage behavior intention in a general model. The results indicate that health information usage behavior intention is closely related to the seeking behavior intention in the mobile context, which enriches the research on the relationship between information seeking and its outcomes. Furthermore, this study highlights the impact of information quality, perceived value, and trust on the intention to seek, and the impacts of information quality and trust on the intention to use, which have been overlooked in previous studies on MHIS.