Human Information Behaviour
Summary
Human information behaviour encompasses the myriad ways in which people seek, interpret, use and share information in diverse settings—from digital platforms and organisational systems to personal life events and community networks. Cultural norms, social structures and technological affordances jointly shape patterns of curiosity, the formation of knowledge networks and the processes by which individuals construct meaningful interpretations. In online environments, mobile and web applications facilitate serendipitous discovery, peer collaboration and the cultivation of trust in sources, while advanced analytics and recommendation engines increasingly personalise trajectories through vast collections. In transitional contexts—such as career changes, migration or health challenges—information needs evolve through distinctive phases, prompting tailored support that aligns with emotional and cognitive demands. Research also foregrounds issues of inequality and accessibility, emphasising context‐sensitive models that inform the design of inclusive information systems, educational programmes and community interventions. Across formal and informal domains, a global perspective on human information behaviour guides efforts to enhance literacy, bridge knowledge gaps and foster equitable participation in knowledge ecosystems.
Research from Nature Portfolio
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Research from all publishers
Analyses of global Wikipedia mobile‐app usage have revealed three principal curiosity styles—nomadic “busybody”, targeted “hunter” and creative “dancer”—by examining how readers weave knowledge networks through multilingual articles. The study highlights associations between network structures and population‐level indicators of education, well‐being and digital inequality, illustrating the socio‐cultural determinants of online exploration.
A systematic meta‐synthesis of sense‐making research in information science and education has mapped key conceptual frameworks and methodological approaches. By integrating dialogic and mixed‐methods paradigms, the review demonstrates how coherent sense‐making methodologies—such as structured enquiry cycles—support both individual and collective processes of organising and interpreting complex information environments.
A newly proposed theory of information behaviour in life transitions delineates three sequential stages—Understanding, Negotiating and Resolving—each marked by distinct information needs and behaviours. Grounded in meta‐ethnographic synthesis, the model offers practical insights for designing support systems and interventions that resonate with the shifting priorities, emotional states and decision‐making criteria of individuals undergoing significant personal or professional change.
Human Information Behaviour publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in human information behaviour across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Information behaviour: The ways in which people seek, manage, interpret and share information across various contexts and stages of decision‐making.
Knowledge networks: The structures formed by interconnected information resources, platforms or communities through which users navigate and co‐construct understanding.
Sense‐making: A process of organising experiences and information into coherent interpretations or narratives, often through iterative cycles of enquiry.
Life transitions: Significant personal or professional changes during which individuals experience shifting information needs and behaviours across stages of Understanding, Negotiating and Resolving.
References
- Architectural styles of curiosity in global Wikipedia mobile app readership. Science Advances (2024).
- Sense‐making, sensemaking and sense making—A systematic review and meta‐synthesis of literature in information science and education: An Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (ARIST) paper. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology (2024).
- An information behavior theory of transitions. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology (2021).
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