Marginalized Knowledge: An Agenda for Indigenous Knowledge Development and Integration with Other Forms of Knowledge

Growth and related studies in web information seeking

The process of looking for information on the web is a popular research topic in different fields, including information science and computer science. It has been a focus of inquiry within the library and information science community for decades. In fact, the act of seeking information has been going on for as long as there has been human existence on this earth. Accordingly, a great deal has been documented on the Internet and World Wide Web in higher education.

Spink and Jansen (2004: 21) report that the earliest studies of web information seeking behaviour were conducted during the mid-1990s as web search engine and web browser usage was growing, particularly in academic environments. Early studies were intended to improve collection development, followed by those that explored the research habits of individuals or groups in order to design appropriate systems and services. Choo, Detlor and Turnball (2000: 15) assert that studies of information seeking by individuals and groups have a long history, whilst studies of the web as an information and communication medium are much younger and have generated tremendous excitement. This is because the web has the potential to reconfigure the way people seek information and use knowledge. Borgman et al (2005: 640) note that research on the information needs and information seeking behavior of academics extends back to the late 1950s, beginning with simple descriptive studies and evolving into discipline specific investigations.
Fourie (2006: 20) reports that in the past few years, there has been a remarkable growth in studies relating to web information seeking behaviour. The phenomenal growth in the size of the web has created a growing body of empirical research investigating many aspects of user interactions with the web (Spink, Bateman and Jansen, 1998: n.p). Notably, web information seeking research predominantly features experimental and comparative studies, user surveys and user traffic studies, especially surveys of web users that are generally library based or distributed by submission to newsgroups. Stenmark & Jadaan (2006: 1) also claim that alongside developments in technology, studies of users’ behaviour when interacting with technology have started gaining momentum and a useful body of knowledge is beginning to grow. Hargittai and Hinnant (n.d: 5) put forward the notion that researchers in library and information science have expanded their perspective on what should be studied in information seeking research, making information seeking itself part of a broader picture, which they call HIB (Human Information Behaviour).