Information Seeking Behaviour of Masters Students: Affective and Behavioural Dimensions

The study aimed at broadening the appreciating information seeking behaviour of master’s students through linking the dynamics of information seeking to emotions and behaviour. This research is an in-depth empirical research on emotions and behaviour among Master’s students at Manchester metropolitan university. Emotions and behaviour also have a direct or indirect effect on the style of learning that students use. Previous studies have also highlighted that the discipline and stage of research have an influence on student’s information seeking. The current study seek an in-depth understanding of the emotions and behaviour associated with information seeking among Masters Students. Essentially, this does not intend to identify relationships between variables. Rather, it seeks to understand the emotional responsible to the search for information. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Findings of the study confirm that the information seeking behaviour among masters students is organized, and in some cases, random. The randomness of the searching behaviour occurs during the planning stage. Essentially, the finding confirm that many students follows Kuhlthau’s model in which at the planning stage the search lacks a clear focus. The findings further indicate that emotional reaction to search causes anxiety, apprehension and confusion. However, should the university seek to design systems of information that minimise emotional response? When you minimise emotions, it affect the user’s curiosity to know the unknown. Therefore, systems should maximise positive emotions and minimise negative emotions. This work has contributed to the limited work on emotions within the context of library and information management