Needs, seeking and use of information: a review of theory

Abstract

One of the purposes of this article is to present the state of the art in Spanish, of the theoretical literature generated in the user studies field. Due to its structure, the article may be used both globally or fragmented. First, there is an approach of the general ideologies, that give place to opposed alternative approaches to the traditional ones in this field of research. Afterwards, the main issues and definition of concepts: information, information needs, search and use of information are being analyzed. The author concludes that in the field of user studies, the current investigations show a strong theoretical and methodological progress. User focus approaches have become predominant, and the significance of the multidisciplinary research increases. The information behavior is undestood as part of a wider process. Information is considered as a construction created in the interaction between people and messages. The object of the research is conceptualized more and more as a social phenomenon that leads to the use of variables of organizational and social level.