Beth St. Jean - Understanding Human Information Behavior: When, How, and Why People Interact with Information

Understanding Human Information Behavior

Understanding Human Information Behavior

WHEN, HOW, AND WHY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH INFORMATION

Beth St.Jean
Ursula Gorham
Elizabeth Bonsignore

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD
Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

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Copyright 2021 by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: St. Jean, Beth, 1966 author. | Gorham, Ursula, 1975 author. | Bonsignore, Elizabeth, author.

Title: Understanding human information behavior : when, how, and why people interact with information / Beth St. Jean, Ursula Gorham, Elizabeth Bonsignore.

Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2021] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: This introductory textbook for undergraduate students in information science, information studies, computer science, and related disciplines provides an applied grounding in information behavior. The book positions information behavior as a foundational element undergirding all of the information and computer science disciplines and professions.Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020043764 (print) | LCCN 2020043765 (ebook) | ISBN 9781538119129 (cloth) | ISBN 9781538119136 (paperback) | ISBN 9781538119143 (epub)

Subjects: LCSH: Information behavior.

Classification: LCC ZA3075 .S735 2021(print) | LCC ZA3075(ebook) | DDC 025.5/24dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020043764

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020043765

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

To the many undergraduate students who inspired us to write this book. It is a pleasure and a privilege to teach the next generation of information professionals, and we hope that this bookin some small waycontributes to their future success.

Figures and Tables

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TABLES

Acronyms

Preface

As we write Understanding Human Information Behavior: When, How, and Why People Interact with Information, we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with misinformation and disinformation (misinformation communicated with an intent to deceive people) rampant in many spaces, particularly on social media sites. The current situation is a stark reminder of how peoples behavior with regard to information often has significant (and sometimes dire) consequences for their ability to make well-informed decisions and for the potential and actual outcomes of their decisions. Some folks have acted on rumors with no basis in medical fact in an effort to prevent or cure the virus. Some of these rumors, such as drinking warm water with lemon (as touted on Facebook), are harmless. But, others such as President Trumps ruminations that perhaps injecting or otherwise ingesting disinfectants such as bleach could kill the virus have been dangerous and, in some cases, lethal. For example, approximately 800 people have died and nearly 6,000 people have been hospitalized after acting on a rumor that drinking methanol can cure the virus (Coleman, 2020). The current glut of COVID-19related information available to us much of it false has been called an infodemic by the World Health Organization. The sheer quantity of information available, combined with the prevalence of misinformation and disinformation, makes it very difficult for people to find trustworthy information. It has been suggested that the infodemic is such a serious problem that it may be even more dangerous than the pandemic itself.

In this introductory textbook, we focus on the very important topic of information behavior that is, how people behave (or dont behave) with regard to information. Information behavior encompasses a very wide range of information-related activities. In fact, think of any verb and add information that is information behavior! The most frequently studied and discussed types of information behavior include needing, seeking, and using information; however, these are just a small subset of peoples interactions with information. Information behavior also encompasses situations in which people do not interact with information, such as when they dont need (or dont know or believe that they need) information, when they dont seek information (and, relatedly, when they actively seek to avoid encountering information on some particular topic), and when they have information but do not act on it.