Introduction. Information behaviour is an important conceptual foundation for reference service research. This study examines whether and how reference service research draws on information behaviour theories, models, and concepts. Method. A content analysis of the published English-language research with the database classifications ‘reference service’ and ‘reference work’ from 2010-2019 were analysed for key information behaviour theories, models, and concepts. Analysis. Abstracts of bibliographic database records were coded to identify empirical studies. Lexical searches with qualitative analysis software were used to identify use of information behaviour concepts and references to specific information behaviour theories, models, and concepts. Results. More than half of the empirical papers (316 or 54%) on reference service mentioned information behaviour concepts. Nearly a quarter of these papers used information behaviour in a substantial way. Thirty (5%) of the papers explicitly used key information behaviour theories, models, or concepts, including Kuhlthau’s (2004) information search process and Taylor’s (1968) levels of information need. Conclusion. These findings suggest that information behaviour is being used as a conceptual and theoretical knowledge base for reference services research.
Introduction. This study explores how employees engage in information behaviour in professional environments undergoing digital transformation. While digital tools are introduced to support documentation and knowledge sharing, they may disrupt established information practices and professional routines. The study focuses on how individuals negotiate and adapt their information behaviour in response to new documentation tasks, particularly in contexts where interpersonal communication and professional judgment are central. Method. The study is based on qualitative fieldwork conducted over several months in day care institutions within one municipality in Denmark. Data were collected through observations and informal conversations with managerial staff as they engaged with a newly introduced digital documentation task. Nine observation sessions in total are included in the analysis. Audio recordings were transcribed using the Whisper transcription tool and WhisperX for speaker diarization, processed within a secure, GDPR-compliant research infrastructure. Analysis. Information behaviour was analysed using a thematic approach and furthermore interpreted through the lens of information culture. This analytical perspective enabled an examination of the values, norms, and practices shaping their everyday engagement with information and digital documentation systems. Results. The findings show that employees consistently prioritized human-centred and relational work, while digital documentation tasks were often perceived as peripheral and time-consuming. The introduction of the new system conflicted with established information cultures, highlighting uneven digital competencies, uncertainty regarding responsibility, and limited trust in the system. Adapting to the new documentation practices required additional skills, time, and a renegotiation of existing routines. Conclusion. The study demonstrates that understanding everyday information behaviour is essential for aligning digital documentation initiatives with professional values in relational workplaces. Information culture plays a critical role in shaping how individuals respond to technological change.
Introduction.Universities promote digital mental health support; however, how literacy translates into actual help-seeking remains unclear. This study examined whether health information-seeking behaviour functions as a potential mediating pathway between mental e-health literacy and counselling uptake among Universitas Indonesia students, extending Wilson’s (1999) and Savolainen’s (1995) models of information behaviour. Method. A mixed-methods design was used, combining surveys of 99 counselling users (2022–2025) with four follow-up interviews with experts. Quantitative data were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling, and qualitative interviews explored behavioural mechanisms and contextual experiences. Analysis. The quantitative analysis examined the direct and indirect effects of mental e-health literacy, health information seeking behaviour, and counselling decisions. Qualitative data were thematically coded to identify patterns related to digital trust, confusion, and social influence in students’ online information practice. Results. Mental e-health literacy predicted health information seeking behaviour (β = 0.399, p < 0.001) and counselling decisions (β = 0.342, p = 0.007), and health information seeking behaviour predicted counselling decisions (β = 0.295, p = 0.016). The indirect effect was marginal (β = 0.118, p = 0.057), indicating a positive but statistically unsupported mediating effect. The model explained 28.4% of the variance in the counselling decision-making. Conclusion. The findings suggest that health information seeking behaviour supports the relationship between literacy and counselling decision-making but highlights its limited mediating role. Universities should integrate mental e-health literacy training into credible and navigable online ecosystems. The limitations of this study include its single-site focus, small sample size, and potential self-selection bias.
Introduction. In this paper, I examine internal information behaviours, those information behaviours that deal with information that is already held by a person in their mind or arises from internal information processing. These behaviours have not been a focus in information science research but are critical to how we interact with the external information world. Method. A review of 10 years of information science literature was undertaken to extract examples of internal information behaviours. Analysis. Thematic analysis of the information behaviours was conducted to assemble 53 internal information behaviours into 7 overarching themes. Results. The internal information behaviours cover areas of avoiding, creating, judging, monitoring, realising, seeking, and using information. Conclusion. What people do with information they have already incorporated into their knowledge of the world has been under-studied. This study reveals what we already know about internal information behaviours and provides a mapping of these behaviours into seven major areas of information behaviours.
Introduction. Information practices research remains largely focused on human activities and interactions, separate from broader environments. Although some approaches emphasise contextual, sociotechnical aspects, the agencies and affordances of other nonhuman beings, objects, and/or environments remain underexplored. Analysis. Seeking different approaches in order to attend to the entirety and complexities of environments and relationships involved in information practices, two studies where such needs arose are presented as examples: explorations of the information practices of environmental sound recordists and of vehicle residents. Results. Through engaging with theoretical approaches from other disciplines, the study examples highlight the importance of recognising information and related practices as always in states of decay and renewal, reliant on and in relation with all components of a particular environment. Conclusion. Preliminary theoretical implications focus on the importance of considering relationships with nonhuman elements and actors alongside sociotechnical perspectives through the concept of information composting. Practical implications ask researchers to further attend to implicated environments and constituent actors/elements when seeking holistic and situated understandings of interactions with information.
