How things fit together: a general model of the information behaviour field

Abstract

Anyone new to a research field may easily feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of new concepts and must struggle with how things fit together. The aim of this paper is to initiate a discussion about a new general model for information behaviour as a field, and to serve both as an introduction and as a tool to highlight understudied areas within the field. The paper compares previous general models, textbooks, and a subject index with standard definitions of information behaviour. Based on the analysis, a new general model of the information behaviour field is developed. A comparative analysis was used. The paper argues that the existing general models of information behaviour do not reflect the breadth of the field as seen in community-accepted definitions of information behaviour. The analysis also shows that topics like information discovery and information seeking are overrepresented in textbooks and subject indices. The new model illustrates the breadth of the field, explains how topics fit together and highlights research areas that are in special need of attention.