Information Horizons is the updated, definitive resource for the Information Horizon Theory and Information Horizon Interview method. Embracing behavioral, cognitive and social aspects of information, the theory and method have been applied globally in information behavior research and education.
Information Horizons is the updated, definitive resource for the Information Horizon Theory and the Information Horizon Interview method. Embracing behavioral, cognitive, and social aspects of information, the theory and method have been applied globally in information behavior research and education.
The theory posits that information behavior is social, material, temporal, dynamic, situational, and contextual, and that information behavior can be conceptualized as Information Horizons, which include affordances and constraints on information behavior. It provides the foundation for the Information Horizon Interview method that combines semi-structured interview questions with a graphical elicitation technique in which the participant draws a visualization, or map, of their Information Horizon, which illustrates their information seeking behavior in specific situations and contexts. This volume incorporates recent developments in scholarship, technology, and methodology, updating the theory and method and providing new insights and guidance for their use in research and teaching. An expert in context citation analysis shows how the theory and method have been incorporated in research since its inception. Case studies authored by renowned scholars present personal reflections on their experiences conducting Information Horizon Interviews with different populations, with a level of detail not possible within a standard research report. Extensive teaching and learning examples, with a focus on hands-on exercises, demonstrate how the theory and method are used to teach information behavior concepts. Essays by students recount their experiences learning about the Information Horizon Theory and conducting Information Horizon Interviews. The book concludes with two detailed Information Horizon Interview guides for different study populations.
Information Horizons will be of interest to researchers, educators, students, and practitioners worldwide interested in researching and teaching information behavior.
List of figures; List of tables; List of contributors; Preface; Part 1:
Introduction to Information Horizons:
1. The Information Horizon Theory;
2.
The Information Horizon Interview Research Method;
3. The Information Horizon
Interview Research Method in Conjunction with Other Methods;
4. Diffusion and
influence of Sonnenwalds Information Horizon Theory and Method; Part 2:
Information Horizon Case Studies:
5. Investigating the Information Behavior
of Vehicle Residents;
6. Applying Information Horizons Using Different
Research Designs in Multilingual and Cross-Cultural Academic Contexts;
7.
Assessing the Health Literacy of Diverse Populations;
8. Supporting the
development of disaster preparedness education: Field experience of IHI in
Indonesia; Part 3: Information Horizons in Teaching and Learning:
9.
Information Horizons in Higher Education: An Introduction;
10. Teaching and
Learning Information Behavior with the Information Horizon Interview: A Case
Study and Guide for Educators;
11. Delving into Information Horizons in an
Undergraduate Information Behavior Course;
12. A Students Experience with
the Information Horizon Interview;
13. Mastering the Information Horizon
Interview: A students lessons from the thesis journey; Appendix A:
Information Horizon Interview Guide; Appendix B: An Information Horizon
Interview Guide for an Opioid-use Population; Index.
Diane H. Sonnenwald is Emerita Professor Research Active, University College Dublin, Ireland. Before joining academia, she worked at Bell Communications Research and Bell Laboratories. She has a Ph.D. from Rutgers University and is currently a consultant to the European Commission and CILIP. Sonnenwalds research focuses on information behavior, multi-disciplinary collaboration, and socio-technical design and evaluation of emergent technology. Sonnenwald has been awarded over 25 research grants and served as ASIS&T President in 2012. Recognition for Sonnenwalds research and leadership includes the ASIS&T Award of Merit, ASIS&T Fellowship Award, ASIS&T Watson Davis Award, Muhlenberg College Alumni Achievement Award, US ARL Scientific Contribution Award, UNC Junior Faculty Research Award, ALISE Research Methodology Best Paper Award, and the Bell Communications Research Award of Excellence.
Jenna Hartel is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. She studies information behavior in everyday life and leisure contexts. For these contributions, she was recognized with an ASIS&T SIG-USE Outstanding Information Behavior Research Award and induction into its Academy of Fellows. Hartel is also a methodological innovator, translating, applying, and championing visual research methods in information science. She was awarded an ALISE/Proquest Methodology Paper Award and an ASIS&T SIG-USE Innovation Award for this work. Hartel also received an ALISE/Library Journal Excellence in Teaching Award and an ASIS&T Outstanding Information Science Teacher Award. She makes engaging educational videos about information science, and her YouTube channel, INFIDEOS, is a recipient of an ALISE/Pratt-Severn Faculty Innovation Award.
