”Nästa höjd och nästa höjd” : Informationsbeteende hos vandring- och friluftslivsentusiaster ur ett serious leisure-perspektiv

Sammanfattning: Information behavior is a research field in library and information science concerned with how people seek, use and exchange information. This paper seeks to contribute to information behavior research in the domain of leisure, which has previously been explored to a lesser extent compared to academic and professional contexts. The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine the information behavior of hiking and outdoor life hobbyists. Two research questions are posed: 1) How do hiking and outdoor life hobbyists seek, use and exchange information in their hobby? 2) What information needs do hikers have and which sources of information do they use to fulfill these needs? The theoretical framework consists of sociologist Robert A. Stebbins’ (2009) Serious Leisure Perspective and Anders Hektor’s (2001) model of information behavior. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with six hiking and outdoor life hobbyists and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results show that the participants seek, use and exchange information in various ways in their hobby, such as searching and gathering information when planning hikes and exchanging information with fellow hiking and outdoor enthusiasts. Information needs include information about the terrain, information about locations, information about equipment and practical information such as information about accommodation and weather information. Important sources of information include websites, social media, blogs, magazines, books, other people, and maps. The conclusion is made that hiking and outdoor life can be viewed as serious leisure and that this particular hobby means considerable interaction with information.