Information Seeking on the Web: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract

In the post-internet era, the Web has become a conventional Medium for information seeking. Due to the pervasive role of the web in information seeking many scholars have studied its different aspects. The purpose of this study is to further extend the scope of information seeking research by examining the role of the characteristics of the Web (e.g., ease of navigation, ease of searching), properties of information (e.g., organization of information, quality of information, amount of information), and demographic factors in information seeking on the Web. A survey questionnaire was used to collect data from participants at a regional university. Descriptive as well as inferential statistics were used to analyze the responses. Notable impact of demographics such as gender and age was found in the use of the Web for information seeking. Specifically, it was found that females used the Web for information surfing more than the male participants and also preferred more the availability of information in different media formats. Age was found to be a significant influencer in terms of the importance placed on properties of information (e.g., quality of information) and characterizes of the Web (e.g., ease of search). Contrary to the common perceptions, it was found that as knowledge about computers increased the importance placed on convenience in finding information on the Web decreased. Authoritative offline information sources were still considered highly important in information seeking. The findings of this study will inform research on information seeking and will help information professionals to better facilitate users' seeking of information on the Web.