Over many years much academic research has been carried out in the field of library and information science (US) into the information-seeking behaviour of individuals, and many models and theories of such behaviour have been put forward. Similarly, over an even longer period, there has been much research in the field of communication stud ies, particularly mass communications, and a large number of models of communication behaviour have been described. The research described in this thesis sets out to build on this work, learning from both fields, in order to develop a more comprehensive representation of information behaviour. Existing models were analysed to identify important elements of information behaviour and from these the new Information Seeking and Communication Model (ISCM) was formulated. This is the first time that a model of information behaviour has been constructed in this way from a range of different models from both LIS and communication studies. The ISCM is more comprehensive in scope than previous models. Those developed in library and information science are usually concerned with the information user and information seeking, while those from communication studies typically focus on the communicator and the effectiveness of the communication process. The ISCM takes into account both information users and information providers, their separate contexts, the activities of information seeking, information use and communication, and factors that affect them. The ISCM has been designed as a generic framework capable of application in different environments. Its validity has been tested in health care, where it has been shown to apply to the information behaviour of physicians as information users and to that of pharmaceutical companies and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as information providers. Its practical value has been demonstrated in evidence-based medicine (EBM), where it offers in sights into the reasons why clinical practice does not necessarily follow EBM guidelines. It has also been found to be of use in identifying areas in which users (physicians) and providers (pharmaceutical companies and NICE) can improve their information behaviour in order to achieve their goals. This thesis contributes to knowledge by building on previous research and models to develop a more comprehensive model which provides practical insights into information behaviour and which has the potential for wide application.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:585396 |
| Date | January 2013 |
| Creators | Robson, A. |
| Publisher | City University London |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://openaccess.city.ac.uk/3010/ |
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