%0 Journal Article %1 JCC4:JCC4418 %A Westerman, David %A Van Der Heide, Brandon %A Klein, Katherine A. %A Walther, Joseph B. %D 2008 %I Blackwell Publishing Inc %J Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication %K information privacy seeking %N 3 %P 751--767 %R 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.00418.x %T How do people really seek information about others?: Information seeking across Internet and traditional communication channels %U http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.00418.x %V 13 %X The present research describes the manner in which individuals use various media in the interpersonal information seeking process. Stephens’ (2007) information and communication technology (ICT) succession theory was applied to an interpersonal information seeking context, and hypotheses and research questions about the channels people use to seek information about others of various relationship to the seeker were offered. Two hundred and twenty-five participants responded to a survey about this topic, and they reported a greater likelihood to seek information about less-known targets using channels where they would be unidentifiable. However, participants reported a greater likelihood to seek information about more-known targets using channels where they would be identifiable. Channels such as social networking websites were frequently reported to be useful regardless of whether the target was well known or less known. Properties of these channels and their implications for interpersonal information seeking as well as theoretical implications of these findings are discussed and directions for future research are examined.

@article{JCC4:JCC4418, abstract = {The present research describes the manner in which individuals use various media in the interpersonal information seeking process. Stephens’ (2007) information and communication technology (ICT) succession theory was applied to an interpersonal information seeking context, and hypotheses and research questions about the channels people use to seek information about others of various relationship to the seeker were offered. Two hundred and twenty-five participants responded to a survey about this topic, and they reported a greater likelihood to seek information about less-known targets using channels where they would be unidentifiable. However, participants reported a greater likelihood to seek information about more-known targets using channels where they would be identifiable. Channels such as social networking websites were frequently reported to be useful regardless of whether the target was well known or less known. Properties of these channels and their implications for interpersonal information seeking as well as theoretical implications of these findings are discussed and directions for future research are examined.}, added-at = {2012-08-22T15:21:35.000+0200}, author = {Westerman, David and Van Der Heide, Brandon and Klein, Katherine A. and Walther, Joseph B.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/29f288ec8053f8931e272232f6c826dc4/griesbau}, description = {How do people really seek information about others?: Information seeking across Internet and traditional communication channels - Westerman - 2008 - Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication - Wiley Online Library}, doi = {10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.00418.x}, interhash = {421a621c0d12a4ab44d9b71531b1df65}, intrahash = {9f288ec8053f8931e272232f6c826dc4}, issn = {1083-6101}, journal = {Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication}, keywords = {information privacy seeking}, number = 3, pages = {751--767}, publisher = {Blackwell Publishing Inc}, timestamp = {2012-08-22T15:21:35.000+0200}, title = {How do people really seek information about others?: Information seeking across Internet and traditional communication channels}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.00418.x}, volume = 13, year = 2008 }