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

Models and theories of information seeking

Scholars within library and information science, as well as those outside the field, have designed several models to demonstrate the phenomenon of information seeking and information seeking behavior. Turnball (n.d: n.p) states that the influence of new technology on information seeking is also providing a new set of alternative models that more accurately describe the information seeking process (i.e., where it is a dynamic activity). A model of information seeking attempts to describe the process a user follows to satisfy an information need.
A variety of models have been proposed, e.g. by Kuhlthau, Wilson, Ellis and Choo et al, describing the information seeking process. Some of these models will be discussed below.
Wilson in Fourie (2004: 75) says “A model may be described as a framework for thinking about a problem and may evolve into a statement of the relationships among theoretical propositions”. Models can contribute to our understanding of web information seeking behaviour. Fourie (2004: 67) opines that web information seeking studies should benefit from a holistic picture of web information seeking and build on insights gained from information behaviour models, including information and web information seeking behaviour, and research findings in this regard. (Notes: revise) Regrettably, many of the existing information seeking models do not comprehensively address how information seeking is conducted on the web or in electronic environments. Fourie (2004: 77) asserts that until recently, very few models have been proposed for web information seeking behaviour per se. Fourie (2004:77) observes that in recent literature surveys, Jansen & Pooch (2001) did not identify any such models, while Fourie (2002) identified only the models by Choo et al. (1999, 2000a, 2000b, 2000c) and Tang (2002). There are, however, a few earlier models, namely those of Belkin (cited by Wilson, 1999b), Dervin (1999), Ellis (1989), Ellis et al. (1993), Ellis & Haughan (1997), Ingwersen (1992), Kuhlthau (1991), Saracevic (cited in Wilson, 1999b), Spink (1997) and Wilson (1981, 1999a, 1999b), which have also been applied or acknowledged in web information seeking studies. These models, many of which predate the World Wide Web, are inefficient in addressing how information seeking is done in electronic environments.
Shneiderman, Byrd and Croft in Reiterer, Mußler and Mann (n.d: 2) have also suggested a four phase framework for information seeking, namely: formulation - expressing the search; action - launching the search; review of results - reading messages and outcomes resulting from the search; and refinement - formulating the next step.