Reflections on Kuhlthau Article

    Since returning to school after thirty years, searching for information has been both the foundation and bane of my existence. Most of my classes have required research in one form or another, typically culminating in a final project or paper. In general, I love the idea of research and I fully understand how important research is in gaining and furthering knowledge. However, in practice, I have experienced great uncertainty and anxiety in the process of seeking information. Long gone are the days when research is limited to the physical resources of a local library. Suddenly, I have access to a whole world of information right at my fingertips. Access to virtually unlimited information sounds like a good thing. But I have found it to be extremely overwhelming. Just coming up with an idea for a research topic can be challenging enough. Sorting through great quantities of information which often seems inconsistent and conflicting can be down right discouraging. Typically, whenever I hit this “dip” in confidence, I have allowed the anxiety to temporarily halt my progress. Basically, I end up completing the research project or paper at the last minute, under great pressure to power through and get it done. It never occurred to me that there could be stages to finding information, and that the uncertainty and anxiety are a normal and expected part of the process.

    I am excited to learn that there is a six-stage model of information seeking known as the Information Search Process (ISP) which encompasses affective, cognitive, and physical experiences (Kuhlthau, n.d.). The first stage is known as Initiation during which the researcher simply recognizes the need for information. As expected, it is common to experience feelings of uncertainty in this stage. Selection is the second stage in which a topic is identified and feelings of optimism and readiness to begin the search are experienced. The next stage, Exploration, is where the information overload can lead to confusion and anxiety and researchers often experience that drop in confidence levels. However, pushing through to the fourth stage known as Formulation is generally a turning point for researchers. During this stage, it is common for information to become more focused and a sense of clarity and confidence emerges. As the researcher is able to refine the topic and select more relevant information during the Collection stage of the ISP, feelings of confidence and interest in the topic tend to deepen. Finally, the researcher enters the Presentation stage where findings are organized and presented. Naturally, this stages typically brings feelings of relief as the project comes to a close.

    My future educational pursuits and career will require much research. Understanding that uncertainty and anxiety are normal aspects of the ISP will help me to avoid procrastinating the process and allow time for intervention in the form of advice and assistance during the early stages when such help is most useful.

Reference

Kuhlthau, C. C. (nd), Information search process. Retrieved from http://wp.comminfo.rutgers.edu/ckuhlthau/information-search-process/