{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,24]],"date-time":"2026-03-24T06:38:44Z","timestamp":1774334324634,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":51,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,16]],"date-time":"2017-01-16T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1484524800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/site-policies"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["AJIM"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,16]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Purpose<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the picture of the motivators for information behaviour by examining the nature of information need as a trigger and driver of information seeking.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>A conceptual analysis was made by focussing on the ways in which researchers have conceptualised information need in models for human information behaviour (HIB). The study draws on conceptual analysis of 26 key studies focussing on the above topic.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Findings<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Researchers have employed two main approaches to conceptualise information needs in the HIB models. First, information need is approached as a root factor which motivates people to identify and access information sources. Second, information need is approached as a secondary trigger or driver determined by more fundamental factors, for example, the information requirements of task performance. The former approach conceptualises information need as a trigger providing an initial impetus to information seeking, while the latter approach also depicts information need as a driver that keeps the information-seeking process in motion. The latter approach is particularly characteristic of models depicting information seeking as a cyclic process.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Research limitations\/implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>As the study focusses on information need, no attention is devoted to related constructs such as anomalous state of knowledge and uncertainty.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title content-type=\"abstract-subheading\">Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>The study pioneers by providing an in-depth analysis of the nature of information need as a trigger and driver of information seeking. The findings refine the picture of motivators for information behaviour.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/ajim-08-2016-0139","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,25]],"date-time":"2017-01-25T04:10:29Z","timestamp":1485317429000},"page":"2-21","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":79,"title":["Information need as trigger and driver of information seeking: a conceptual analysis"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"69","author":[{"given":"Reijo","family":"Savolainen","sequence":"first","affiliation":[]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref001","unstructured":"Allen, B. (1997), \u201cInformation needs: a person-in-situation approach\u201d, in Vakkari, P., Savolainen, R. and Dervin, B. (Eds), Information Seeking in Context. Proceedings of an International Conference on Research in Information Needs, Seeking and Use in Different Contexts, 14-16 August 1996, Tampere, Taylor Graham, London, pp. 111-122."},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref002","unstructured":"Atkin, C. (1973), \u201cInstrumental utilities and information seeking\u201d, in Clarke, P. (Ed.), New Models for Mass Communication Research, Sage, Beverly Hills, CA, pp. 205-242."},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref003","volume-title":"Social Foundations of Thought and Action: A Social Cognitive Theory","year":"1986"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref004","unstructured":"Bates, M.J. (2010), \u201cInformation behavior\u201d, in Bates, M.J. and Niles Maack, M. (Eds), Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, 3rd ed., Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 2381-2391."},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref005","first-page":"61","article-title":"ASK for information retrieval. Part I: background theory","volume":"28","year":"1982","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref006","volume-title":"Interacting with Information","year":"2010"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref007","article-title":"Personal, anticipated information need","volume":"10","year":"2005","journal-title":"Information Research"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref008","volume-title":"Task Complexity, Information Types and Information Sources","year":"1999"},{"issue":"10","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref009","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1050","DOI":"10.1002\/asi.20197","article-title":"Conceptual framework for tasks in information studies","volume":"56","year":"2005","journal-title":"Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"191","DOI":"10.1016\/0306-4573(95)80035-R","article-title":"Task complexity affects information seeking and use","volume":"31","year":"1995","journal-title":"Information Processing and Management"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref011","volume-title":"Looking for Information. A Survey of Research on Information Seeking, Needs and Behavior","year":"2016","edition":"4th ed."},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref012","volume-title":"The Knowing Organization: How Organizations Use Information to Construct Meaning, Create Knowledge, and Make Decisions","year":"2006","edition":"2nd ed."},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"575","DOI":"10.1108\/JD-05-2013-0060","article-title":"A model of uncertainty and its relation to information seeking and retrieval (IS&R)","volume":"70","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"7","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1216","DOI":"10.1002\/asi.21541","article-title":"A theory of information need for information retrieval that connects information to knowledge","volume":"62","year":"2011","journal-title":"Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref015","volume-title":"Information Need. A Theory Connecting Information Search to Knowledge Formation","year":"2012"},{"issue":"5","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"273","DOI":"10.1016\/0306-4573(83)90001-8","article-title":"A conceptual analysis of information need","volume":"19","year":"1983","journal-title":"Information Processing and Management"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref017","unstructured":"Dervin, B. (1983), \u201cAn overview of sense-making research: concepts, methods and results to date\u201d, paper presented at the International Communication Association Annual Meeting, Dallas, TX, May, available at: http:\/\/faculty.washington.edu\/wpratt\/MEBI598\/Methods\/An%20Overview%20of%20Sense-Making%20Research%201983a.htm (accessed 19 August 2016)."},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref018","volume-title":"Information Needs Analysis: Principles and Practice in Information Organizations","year":"2014"},{"issue":"9","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1850","DOI":"10.1002\/asi.23085","article-title":"The information journey of marketing professionals: incorporating work task-driven information seeking, information judgments, information use, and information sharing","volume":"65","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.psych.53.100901.135153","article-title":"Motivational beliefs, values and goals","volume":"53","year":"2002","journal-title":"Annual Review of Psychology"},{"issue":"4-5","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"237","DOI":"10.1177\/016555158901500406","article-title":"A behavioural model for information retrieval system","volume":"15","year":"1989","journal-title":"Journal of Information Science"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref022","first-page":"25","article-title":"Information encountering: it\u2019s more than just bumping into information","volume":"25","year":"1999","journal-title":"Bulletin of the American Society for Information Science"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref023","volume-title":"Introduction to Information Behaviour","year":"2015"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref024","unstructured":"Frigg, R. and Hartmann, S. (2012), \u201cModels in science\u201d, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, available at: http:\/\/plato.stanford.edu\/entries\/models-science\/ (accessed 19 August 2016)."},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"245","DOI":"10.1108\/00012530910959808","article-title":"The pleasure principle: the power of positive affect in information seeking","volume":"61","year":"2009","journal-title":"Aslib Proceedings: New Information Perspectives"},{"issue":"3\/4","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref026","first-page":"233","article-title":"Conceptual analysis: a method for understanding information as evidence, and evidence as information","volume":"4","year":"2004","journal-title":"Archival Science"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref027","first-page":"65","article-title":"What do we mean by user needs?","volume":"5","year":"1990","journal-title":"British Journal of Academic Librarianship"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"25","DOI":"10.1002\/asi.22962","article-title":"Using internet groups in situations of information poverty: topics and information needs","volume":"65","year":"2014","journal-title":"Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology"},{"issue":"6","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref029","first-page":"5","article-title":"Information-seeking behavior: patterns and concepts","volume":"16","year":"1983","journal-title":"Drexel Library Quarterly"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1108\/eb026918","article-title":"A principle of uncertainty for information seeking","volume":"49","year":"1993","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"161","DOI":"10.1086\/602864","article-title":"Modelling the information seeking of professionals: a general model derived from research on engineers, health care professionals and lawyers","volume":"66","year":"1996","journal-title":"Library Quarterly"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref032","article-title":"Studying information needs as question-negotiations in an educational context: a methodological comment","volume":"15","year":"2010","journal-title":"Information Research"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref033","unstructured":"Merriam-Webster (2016a), \u201cActuate\u201d, available at: www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/actuate (accessed 19 August 2016)."},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref034","unstructured":"Merriam-Webster (2016b), \u201cDrive\u201d, available at: www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/drive (accessed 19 August 2016)."},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref035","unstructured":"Merriam-Webster (2016c), \u201cDriver\u201d, available at: www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/driver (accessed 19 August 2016)."},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref036","unstructured":"Merriam-Webster (2016d), \u201cTrigger\u201d, available at: www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/trigger (accessed 19 August 2016)."},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref037","article-title":"Information needs and information competencies: a case study of the off-site supervision of financial institutions of Brazil","volume":"13","year":"2008","journal-title":"Information Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref038","article-title":"A proposed general model of information behaviour","volume":"9","year":"2003","journal-title":"Information Research"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref039","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"169","DOI":"10.1108\/00220411311300039","article-title":"Building of models of information behaviour: linking information seeking and communication","volume":"69","year":"2013","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"492","DOI":"10.1108\/00220411211239075","article-title":"Expectancy-value beliefs and information needs as motivators for task-based information seeking","volume":"68","year":"2012","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"59","DOI":"10.1016\/j.lisr.2013.10.004","article-title":"Emotions as motivators for information seeking: a conceptual analysis","volume":"36","year":"2014","journal-title":"Library and Information Science Research"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"178","DOI":"10.5860\/crl_29_03_178","article-title":"Question-negotiation and information seeking in libraries","volume":"29","year":"1968","journal-title":"College and Research Libraries"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"11","DOI":"10.1016\/0143-6236(85)90003-1","article-title":"Information science needs a theory of information actions","volume":"5","year":"1985","journal-title":"Social Science Information Studies"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref044","volume-title":"Informationssoziologie. Hinweise zu einem informationswissenschaftlichen Teilbereich","year":"1973"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref045","volume-title":"Exploratory Search. Beyond the Query-Response Paradigm","year":"2009"},{"issue":"1","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref046","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1108\/eb026702","article-title":"On user studies and information needs","volume":"37","year":"1981","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"4","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"551","DOI":"10.1016\/S0306-4573(97)00028-9","article-title":"Information behaviour: an interdisciplinary perspective","volume":"33","year":"1997","journal-title":"Information Processing and Management"},{"issue":"3","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref048","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"249","DOI":"10.1108\/EUM0000000007145","article-title":"Models in information behaviour research","volume":"55","year":"1999","journal-title":"Journal of Documentation"},{"issue":"2","key":"key2020121000305605300_ref049","first-page":"49","article-title":"Human information behaviour","volume":"3","year":"2000","journal-title":"Informing Science"},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref050","unstructured":"Wilson, T.D. (2010), \u201cInformation behavior models\u201d, in Bates, M.J. and Niles Maack, M. (Eds), Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences, 3rd ed., Taylor and Francis, London, pp. 2392-2400."},{"key":"key2020121000305605300_ref051","volume-title":"Interactive Information Retrieval in Digital Environments","year":"2008"}],"container-title":["Aslib Journal of Information Management"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/AJIM-08-2016-0139\/full\/xml","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/www.emerald.com\/insight\/content\/doi\/10.1108\/AJIM-08-2016-0139\/full\/html","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,24]],"date-time":"2025-07-24T23:01:05Z","timestamp":1753398065000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.emerald.com\/ajim\/article\/69\/1\/2-21\/47129"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,16]]},"references-count":51,"journal-issue":{"issue":"1","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,16]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1108\/AJIM-08-2016-0139"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1108\/ajim-08-2016-0139","relation":{},"ISSN":["2050-3806"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2050-3806","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2017,1,16]]}}}