Kuhlthau's Model of Information Seeking

Kuhlthau's Model:

In 1993, Kuhlthau developed a six stage model of the human information search process (ISP). The model includes human feelings, thoughts, actions, and strategies through six stages: (1) task initiation, (2) topic selection, (3) exploration, (4) focus formulation, (5) information collection, and (6) search closure. At the first stage of the model, an individual becomes aware about the lack of information he or she needs in order to understand a problem or perform a specific activity. Feelings of uncertainty and apprehension are the common state associated with this stage. The second stage involves identification and selection of the general domain to be analyzed. The third stage, exploration, is usually the most difficult step for the user because the uncertainty and doubts frequently increase. This is also the most difficult stage for the designers of IS because the ambiguity about what information is needed makes it difficult to support the user–IS communication. The fourth stage of the model is formulation, a turning point of the process when feelings of uncertainty diminish and understanding increases. At the fifth stage of the model, an interaction between the user and an IS is most effective and efficient as the main task is to gather information pertinent to the problem. The last stage of the model, presentation, includes completion of the search and solving the initial problem.