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The application of cost—benefit and least effort theories in studies of information seeking behavior of humanities scholars: the case of Jewish studies scholars in Israel

Beit Berl College, Beit Berl, Israel, gnibron{at}beitberl.ac.il

Shifra Baruchson-Arbib

Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel

The study investigated the process of information channel selection of Jewish studies scholars in Israel according to two theoretical frameworks, the 'cost—benefit ratio' that focused on the quality of the information provided by the channel and the 'least effort principle' that focused on the accessibility of the channel. The study sought to identify which of the two parameters, quality of information or accessibility of the channel, was the decisive one when selecting an information channel. In order to further understand the underlying principle behind scholars' choice of information channels participants were asked about the obstacles they face when searching for information. Four obstacles were stipulated in the structured questionnaire: (1) cost; (2) distance, when the item can only be found at a distant location; (3) unfriendly interface; and (4) time that it takes to get hold of a copy of the desired item. Findings showed that, in general, participants' information channel use was not affected by the obstacles encountered in the information seeking process and that the quality of the information was the decisive factor in choosing an information channel.

Key Words: information seeking behavior • information channel use • humanists • cost—benefit ratio • least effort principle

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