Who’s a heretic now? : Conceptualising information seeking on controversial topics

Tools

Buchanan, George and McKay, Dana and Chen, Yimin and Ruthven, Ian (2025) Who’s a heretic now? : Conceptualising information seeking on controversial topics. Information Research. ISSN 1368-1613 (In Press)

[thumbnail of Buchanan_Who's a heretic now_ISIC2026] Text. Filename: Buchanan_Who_s_a_heretic_now_ISIC2026.docx
Accepted Author Manuscript
Restricted to Repository staff only until 1 January 2099.
Download (157kB) | Request a copy

Abstract

Introduction. Controversial topics are an increasingly important and understudied context for information seeking. Method. This paper is a conceptual paper based on a meta-ethnography of literature on controversial topics, followed by an assessment of the characteristics of controversial topics against existing information seeking models. Analysis. This paper is based on a meta-ethnographic approach to literature on individual controversial topics, and then a literature synthesis based on the newly created definition of controversial topics. Results. Controversial topics exhibit a variety of characteristics, including stigma and potential loss of community if the ‘wrong’ decision is made, or interest in the topic is revealed, a need to invest extensive energy in looking for related information, interest in experiential information for many topics, and high emotional investment. None of the existing information seeking models fully account for all of these factors, and many of them make information seekers vulnerable to misinformation and polarisation. Conclusion. Controversial information seeking is associated with low levels of interpersonal information seeking, stigma, community orientation, and extensive effort. It is poorly accounted for by current information seeking models, and thus may not be well supported by information systems. Research is needed to generate a new model and identify key strategies to support effective controversial information seeking.

ORCID iDs

Buchanan, George, McKay, Dana, Chen, Yimin and Ruthven, Ian ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6669-5376;
CORE (COnnecting REpositories)