Library and Information Science

Sanda Erdelez’s information behavior model of information encountering does not satisfactorily explain the relationship between active and passive information behaviors, and the types and definitions of unit behaviors which together constitute the process of information encountering. This paper examines Erdelez’s model with regards to these two issues proposes a revised model, and discusses the validity of the model.

The revised model has three main characteristics (1) The information encountering process is independent from the task which generates it, and the user does not necessarily go back to the original task (2) The information encountering process consists of the following eight unit behaviors: “noticing”, “stopping”, “examining”, “use”, “sharing”, “storing”, “returning”, and “ending” (3) The unit behaviors are inter-related.

In order to discuss the validity of the revised model, a series of qualitative interviews were conducted on information encountering on the Web. The results favor the validity of the model and show some new aspects of information encountering, some of which are presumably peculiar to the Web. These may contribute to further revisions of the model.