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Controlling the urge to search : Studying the informational texture of practices by exploring the missing element

Haider, Jutta LU (2017) The Nineth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science (CoLIS) In Information Research 22(1).
Abstract
This paper examines situations in which people restrict themselves in order to control their online searching and how this is negotiated. It is framed in a sociomaterial perspective taking account of the entanglement of information technology with its users and the conditions of its use. It contributes to a conceptual discussion of the sociomaterial shaping of the informational texture of issues and practices and of how online search is entangled across practices and situations.
The paper draws on empirical material from 21 focus groups with 127 participants carried out in Sweden 2014 and 2015.
The focus group conversations were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis to establish returning themes. The present... (More)
This paper examines situations in which people restrict themselves in order to control their online searching and how this is negotiated. It is framed in a sociomaterial perspective taking account of the entanglement of information technology with its users and the conditions of its use. It contributes to a conceptual discussion of the sociomaterial shaping of the informational texture of issues and practices and of how online search is entangled across practices and situations.
The paper draws on empirical material from 21 focus groups with 127 participants carried out in Sweden 2014 and 2015.
The focus group conversations were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis to establish returning themes. The present analysis cuts across these themes by tracing anecdotes of failed or restricted searches.
The following issues are discussed: notions of self-control to avoid surveillance, search as a 'conversation killer', as posing a risk for learning something unwelcome, of how not to be able to form the question, and of how to relate to being offline.
The paper closes with a question joining methodological and theoretical concerns: How can we study identifiable information activities and objects as enmeshed across practices, while still considering their specific character as information activities? (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Information Research
volume
22
issue
1
publisher
Thomas Daniel Wilson
conference name
The Nineth International Conference on Conceptions of Library and Information Science (CoLIS)
conference location
Uppsala, Sweden
conference dates
2016-06-27 - 2016-06-29
ISSN
1368-1613
project
Green Search
Knowledge in a Digital World: Trust, Credibility and Relevance on the Web
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
279c0730-8bf2-4c96-b45d-b57e9c3beff9
alternative location
http://www.informationr.net/ir/22-1/colis/colis1613.html
date added to LUP
2017-01-27 11:49:50
date last changed
2018-11-21 21:29:18
@article{279c0730-8bf2-4c96-b45d-b57e9c3beff9,
  abstract     = {{This paper examines situations in which people restrict themselves in order to control their online searching and how this is negotiated. It is framed in a sociomaterial perspective taking account of the entanglement of information technology with its users and the conditions of its use. It contributes to a conceptual discussion of the sociomaterial shaping of the informational texture of issues and practices and of how online search is entangled across practices and situations. <br/>The paper draws on empirical material from 21 focus groups with 127 participants carried out in Sweden 2014 and 2015. <br/>The focus group conversations were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis to establish returning themes. The present analysis cuts across these themes by tracing anecdotes of failed or restricted searches. <br/>The following issues are discussed: notions of self-control to avoid surveillance, search as a 'conversation killer', as posing a risk for learning something unwelcome, of how not to be able to form the question, and of how to relate to being offline.<br/>The paper closes with a question joining methodological and theoretical concerns: How can we study identifiable information activities and objects as enmeshed across practices, while still considering their specific character as information activities?}},
  author       = {{Haider, Jutta}},
  issn         = {{1368-1613}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Thomas Daniel Wilson}},
  series       = {{Information Research}},
  title        = {{Controlling the urge to search : Studying the informational texture of practices by exploring the missing element}},
  url          = {{http://www.informationr.net/ir/22-1/colis/colis1613.html}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}