Human information behaviour is an area of research that deals with different aspects of information seeking and retrieval. The increase in information availability on the web has significantly influenced information seeking and retrieval. Several issues relating to information seeking and retrieval in a digital environment still remain unexplored and uncertainty is one of them. Uncertainty is an important concept within human information behaviour research, and the general belief is that uncertainty decreases in the course of an information seeking and retrieval process, until eventually it disappears. However, in today's digital environment, uncertainty may be caused by a number of factors, and such uncertainty may persist throughout, or even after completion of, the information seeking and retrieval process. The general objective of this research was to study whether uncertainty occurs at different stages of the information seeking and retrieval process in a digital information environment in the context of higher education. This research also aimed to identify whether or not uncertainty persists in an information seeking and retrieval process and also if there is any uncertainty shift in course of a series of information seeking and retrieval processes. A number of techniques, i. e. online questionnaire, in-depth interviews, pre and post-search questionnaire, task-based search, and talk aloud were used to collect data for this research. Results show that some form of uncertainty is always associated with the information seeking and retrieval process and that there is an uncertainty shift in relation to a series of successive searches. Based on the results of this research, a new model of uncertainty in information seeking and retrieval has been proposed which will assist in designing improved information systems for easy and better digital information access and use.

The focus of this study is to investigate the information-seeking behaviour of the undergraduate art and design students of The Open Window School of Visual Communication. A qualitative approach with case study strategy is followed. For sampling purposes The Open Window School of Visual Communication was selected. Various qualitative research methods and literature on information-seeking behaviour are explored. The data were collected through one-on-one interviews. The findings show that various factors influence the information-seeking behaviour of undergraduate art and design students. Aspects in the users’ personal environment, such as meaning, experience, skills, preferences, and actions, have a significant influence on their information-seeking behaviour. Further factors deriving from the students’ context that influence their information-seeking behaviour are curricula, tasks, people (lecturers, artists, designers), sources, and technology applied to accomplish tasks. All these contributing factors have their own sets of requirements with which the art students have to comply. In addition, the findings show that the students’ digital literacy skills influence their information literacy skills. The findings also show that the factors that influence The Open Window students’ information-seeking behaviour influence the library as information service, in terms of the library sources and services the students use. Recommendations are made in order to appropriately address the information- seeking needs of this specific user group and to guide the students to best ways in information-seeking. / Information Science / M. Inf.