Prior knowledge and information-seeking behavior of PhD and MA students

Information seeking and its dimensions have been analyzed and measured in different disciplines and contexts and the relationships to other variables, such as gender, task, knowledge, personality, experience, and expertise, have been measured by researchers and have yielded helpful results. In this study, the relationships between information-seeking behavior and prior knowledge of graduate (MA and PhD) students at Tehran University were tested and analyzed. Results show positive and strong relationships between these two variables. Moreover, some dimensions of information-seeking behavior and some aspects of prior knowledge (expertise, familiarity, and past experience) had positive and significant relationships.

► Information seeking and prior knowledge were studied in graduate students in Tehran.
► Information-seeking behavior and prior knowledge were strongly positively related.
► Components of prior knowledge include expertise, familiarity, and past experience.