Information-seeking behavior in an applied research/service delivery setting.

The area of rural mental health services was used as a testbed to study information-seeking behavior in a field that includes researchers, policymakers, and practitioners. Findings from a nationwide survey (n = 1666) describe the sources that were used to obtain information about various topics and the use and value of these sources by or to individuals in various work roles and settings. The findings demonstrate the importance of person-to-person communication; differences in the sources used, and the value placed on these sources, by individuals in different work roles and settings; and that information-seeking episodes generally involve using multiple sources (5.0) to obtain information about several topics (3.2).