Survey of Information seeking behavior of the IHCS members on the basis of Fosters nonlinear model

In recent decades, Information seeking behavior has been the subject of many studies and resulted different offered models; e.g., traditional, systematical, user-oriented, task-oriented and linear models. The main goal of this paper was to study Foster non-linear model as a new approach in contrast to previous offered models. This Survey research was conducted by a questionnaire that developed by the researcher based on existing criteria at the Foster’s thesis (2003). Total of 110 questionnaires were distributed and 105 of them were returned. The results showed different levels of correspondence in interdisciplinary and single-disciplinary researcher’s information-seeking behavior with Foster’s non-linear model in general and also with the contexts and triple core processes, too. The hypothesis test showed a significant difference in the the level of information seeking behavior matching between the two groups of studied researchers with the model. There is an essential need to review this model, especially in determining the weight and importance of each core processes and contexts in modeling the information seeking process.