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ILS 537

INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOR


COURSE DESCRIPTION

How people acquire, store and use information they receive from their environment. Topics include behavioral, cognitive, and affective aspects of information-seeking. Applications to information systems and user instruction.


COURSE OBJECTIVES/STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course students will to able to:

  • Discuss models and theories of information seeking
  • Discuss methods for studying information seeking behaviors
  • Discuss, based on observation and the literature, the relevance of information behavior to designing information services
  • Design and conduct observations and studies of information behavior 

 

COURSE OUTLINE

I.     Theoretical frameworks for human information behavior

II.     Key concepts in human information behavior

III.    Models of human information behavior

IV.     Methods of studying human information behavior 

 

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

  • Construct a classified, annotated bibliography on an aspect of information behavior
  • Conduct three types of observations of information behavior: individuals, self, specific populations
  • Discuss the relevance/importance of understanding information behavior in the context of providing information service
  • Design a plan to incorporate information behavior into library service
  • Integrate the various information behavior observations with a literature review to support observations and conclusions from the observations


SUGGESTED TEXTS / TEXTS USED IN THE PAST

Case, D. O. (2007). Looking for information: A survey of research on information seeking, needs, and behavior (2nd ed.). New York: Academic Press. (ISBN: 0-12-3694302) [This is the foundational resource you will need for this course.]

Chelton, M. K., & Cool, C. (Eds.). (2004). Youth infornmation-seeking behavior: Theories, models, and issues. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. (ISBN: 0-8108-4981-x)

Fisher, K. E., Erdelez, S., & McKechnie, L. (Eds.). (2005). Theories of Information Behavior. Medford, NJ: Information Today. (ISBN: 157387230X $49.50)


Approved by the ILS Department Curriculum Committee and Faculty, Spring 2009.