Some reflections on the theory of information worlds as a theoretical framework for information behaviour research

Abstract

This article argues for the theory of information worlds (TIW) by Burnett and Jaeger (2011) as a possible theoretical framework for information behaviour research. The theory draws from various disciplines in social and management sciences. Jürgen Habermas and Elfreda Chatman are the main contributors to the TIW which acknowledges three worlds, that is: the small worlds, the middle worlds and the lifeworlds; three levels of access to information, namely, physical, intellectual and social access; and five social elements in the investigation of information behaviour. As context is becoming an integrated multiple in the dynamic world of Web 2.0, the interactive online media, the TIW provides an inclusive theoretical framework for the investigation of information behaviour in various contexts and can be applied in the study of virtual communities; information policy and political analysis; information and gender; ethnicity and cultural difference; media studies; users studies; library services and community service; and popular culture studies.