Browsing

In 2007, Marcia Bates researched browsing from "behavioural" approaches, while Hjørland (2011a+b)[2][1] defended a social view.

Bates found that browsing is rooted in our history as exploratory, motile animals hunting for food and nesting opportunities.

[2] In 1997, Gary Marchionini[4] wrote: "A fundamental distinction is made between analytical and browsing strategies [...].

Analytic strategies are batch oriented and half duplex (turn talking) like human conversation, whereas browsing strategies are more interactive, real-time exchanges and collaborations between the information seeker and the information system.

Textbooks in theory frequently focus on orienting strategies such as functionalism, exchange, or ethnomethodology.

We may generalize and say that all people use metatheories as orienting strategies and that this is what direct our attention and also our browsing – also when we are not conscious about it.