Reiterer, Mußler and Mann (n.d: 2) emphasize that one of the first steps taken when dealing with information seeking systems is to get an idea of how to describe the information seeking process best. This stems out of the realization that information seeking, information-seeking behaviour or information behaviour are terms often used synonymously for all aspects of the process of human information seeking. In any case, variations in the definitions of the terms applied in the study of information seeking are proving an impediment to understanding what happens when people go online to communicate and/or retrieve information. It should also be borne in mind that as observed by the Web Information Seeking and Interaction Workshop (2007: n.p), web information seeking and interaction (i.e., the interaction of users with web-based content and applications during information-seeking activities) is a topic that unites many strands of academic and commercial research, from studies of information-seeking behaviour to the design and construction of large-scale interactive systems; hence this complexity and diversity in arriving at serviceable definitions.
The following terms/ concepts: information seeking, information seeking behaviour and the World Wide Web; are defined. These terms generally have a widespread understanding amongst librarians and those in the information profession. Some of the applicable definitions are listed below.
