Case's 2002 edition of “Looking for information” was seminal in that it provided the first single, comprehensive text on the topic of information behaviour. Now in its 3rd edition, “Looking for information” has been expanded and updated, with a great deal of its original material revised. The structure and content is similar to that of previous editions, however considerable changes have been made throughout the 13 chapters. In essence an extended literature review, this resource provides summaries of notable research in the area of information needs, seeking and use. With this edition the author has made an effort to remove older references and add new ones, and the volume now cites nearly 1,400 relevant works, a quarter of which were published between January 2006 and November 2011.
This edition, as with the previous two, provides a thorough but straightforward overview of most of the key concepts in information behaviour. Central concepts such as information needs and information seeking are covered in depth, however others, such as information use, are not explicitly described except with regard to selected models in which information use plays a key role.
The volume also contains a glossary providing definitions for some important key terms, discussion questions for each chapter, a bibliography, an author index, and a subject index.
Overall, this resource provides a good introduction and comprehensive overview of information behaviour, with this edition in particular having expanded and revised the theories and models of information behaviour section from previous editions. Case has included descriptions of models not previously mentioned in other editions, and expanded the section related to paradigms and theories. The revisions of these, and other sections, will benefit scholars seeking to develop an understanding of research in information behaviour, and get an overview of important concepts, with references to benchmark studies and critical authors in the area of information behaviour. In particular, the expansion of the theoretical sections will be useful to scholars in the early stages of developing a research project, or new to the field. For those with extensive experience in information behaviour, this volume will still provide a useful overview and convenient description of relevant concepts.
The authors cited throughout the new edition and listed amongst the references include some of the most widely read and important scholars currently working in information behaviour, as well as foundational publications important to the field. The 2012 edition of “Looking for information” is a valuable addition to any scholar of information science's collection, as Case has once again delivered an important reference volume for those interested in how humans interact with information.
