An ageist perspective on age and older adults in information behaviour research

Abstract

This study aims to answer the question what kind of research exists on aging and older adults in information behaviour and information seeking. A systematic literature review was conducted in two databases, LISA and Scopus. The results were refined and tagged thematically and clustered into main research topics. (Online) health information behaviour is the largest research topic in relation to aging and older adults. Underrepresented topics are information needs and behaviour outside of the health care sector. An ageist perspective is strongly present in information behaviour studies. Existing research on (online) health information behaviour primarily addresses a negative aspect of old age, frailty and illness, which may amplify the stereotypical image of older people and aging. This paper suggests that the research field should turn to topics that are more diverse and use the demographic variable of age more carefully in order to mitigate ageism.