Understanding Human Information Behavior

Beth St. Jean is associate professor in the College of Information Studies, associate director of the Information Policy and Access Center (iPAC), and an affiliate faculty member of the Horowitz Center for Health Literacy at the University of Maryland, College Park. She holds a PhD in information and a Master’s degree in information (library & information services specialization) from the University of Michigan School of Information.Ursula Gorham is senior lecturer in the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park (the iSchool). She currently serves as the director of the Master of Library and Information Science Program in the iSchool. She is admitted to practice law in Maryland and previously served as a law clerk in Maryland appellate and federal bankruptcy courts. Elizabeth (Beth) Bonsignore is an assistant research scientist at the College of Information Studies (the iSchool) and the University of Maryland’s (UMD) Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL). As the director of KidsTeam, an intergenerational, participatory design team at Maryland’s iSchool, her research efforts involve codesign partnerships and meaningful play with youth. She has also served as an associate chair for the Association for Computing Machinery’s (ACM’s) Computer-Human Interaction (CHI), CHI-PLAY, and Interaction Design and Children (IDC) conferences since 2016.

• Lists of Figures and TablesPrefaceChapter 1: Introduction to Information BehaviorChapter 2: Fundamental ConceptsChapter 3: Historical Development of the FieldChapter 4: Related ConceptsChapter 5: Information LiteracyChapter 6: Digital Divide and Digital InclusionChapter 7: Finding, Reading, and Critiquing Information Behavior StudiesChapter 8: Research MethodsChapter 9: Assessing User Information-Related Preferences and Information NeedsChapter 10: Investigating User Information BehaviorChapter 11: Connecting Information Behavior and Human Computer Interaction: User Experience, Accessibility, and UsabilityChapter 12: Information Behavior Models and TheoriesChapter 13: Consumer Health Information Behavior and Health JusticeChapter 14: Youth Information BehaviorChapter 15: Legal Information Behavior and Access to JusticeChapter 16: Information Behavior in LibrariesChapter 17: The Information-Related Professions: The Underlying Thread of Information Behavior AcronymsGlossaryAbout the Authors

Extremely accessible, comprehensive, and useful, Understanding Human Information Behavior: When, How, and Why People Interact with Information discusses the relevance and significance of its subject to our work and everyday life and is well-positioned to empower students to become helpful information and technology professionals.