Information‐Seeking Processes as Temporal Developments: Comparison of Stage‐based and Cyclic Approaches

Abstract

Drawing on the ideas of process philosophy, this study elaborates the nature of information-seeking process by approaching them as temporal developments. To this end, a conceptual analysis was made by comparing key models which approach information seeking as stage-based and cyclic processes. The nature of such processes was scrutinized by devoting attention to two main aspects, that is, the temporal order in which the constituents of information seeking appear during the process, and the changes occurring in the constituents. Stage-based approaches draw on linear time concept by conceptualizing such processes as sets of consecutive activities progressing toward a final point. Cyclic approaches conceptualize information-seeking processes as sets of iterative activities which may be repeated. The findings suggest that stage-based and cyclic approaches should not be opposite approaches; rather, they complement each other. However, cyclic models emphasizing the importance of feedback loops have gained more popularity in the modeling of web searching, whereas the interest in the development of stage-based approaches has decreased since the 1990s.

The aspect of time in online health information behaviour

“…The context of time has traditionally received little attention in information science research, theory building and practice, as focus usually favours and emphasises spatial issues (Adam, 1990;McKenzie and Davies, 2002;Solomon, 1997). Overall, research on the temporal aspects of information behaviour are scarce, even if several information behaviour researchers have highlighted the importance of studying the aspect of time (McKenzie and Davies, 2002;Dervin 1992;Savolainen, 2006;Savolainen, 2018;Solomon, 1997).…”

“…Situation or context can in the last mentioned approach be seen as the moment in time space, as perceived by an individual (Savolainen, 2006). This view of time as a situation or context touches, as Savolainen (2018) states, on Dervin's Sense-making approach.…”

Time as a trigger for health information seeking

“…Time as an indicator of the information-seeking process. Savolainen (2018) also states that time is an important contextual and situational factor of information seeking and information behaviour. Drawing on this, time or the temporal context can also be the situational factor or context for information seeking, because when an individual seeks information is as important as what he or she seeks (McKenzie & Davies, 2002).…”

“…Drawing on this, time or the temporal context can also be the situational factor or context for information seeking, because when an individual seeks information is as important as what he or she seeks (McKenzie & Davies, 2002). Despite a long-term interest in the issues of temporality, time as a factor and the temporal nature of information seeking is still an underexplored topic in information-behaviour research (Savolainen, 2018). Even though many information behaviour researchers have included time or temporality in their research, only a few have explicitly discussed or defined temporal issues such as they govern everyday life, as time of day or seasons of the year (Chen & Rieh, 2009).…”

“…As previously stated time is an important contextual and situational factor and regarded as highly important within information science (Savolainen, 2018). Therefore, all temporal aspects should be taken into account within research, as this could potentially lead to the discovery of significant contextual dimensions within health information behaviour (McKenzie & Davies, 2002;Savolai-nen, 2018).…”