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ASIS&T's Special Interest Group/Information Needs, Seeking and Use (SIG/USE) met during the 2014 Annual Meeting for the group's 14th Annual Research Symposium, focusing on Context in Information Behavior Research. Keynote speaker J. David Johnson set the tone as he encouraged research into the context of information activities outside the usual settings and using varied theoretical perspectives and tools. Attendees also heard 14 lightning talks exploring conceptual and methodological issues. Speakers considered time and emotion as dominant contextual influences in information behavior, the role of information overload and ways diverse contexts affect seeking and providing information. Discussion of research methods encouraged a mixed-method approach and analytic bracketing and illuminated how study participants create their own information context. During the world café session, tablemates discussed how information context is constructed and evolves, research gaps and available methodologies. The symposium ended with presentation of awards for outstanding research, best paper and poster and for travel to pursue studies. Gary Marchionini was recognized for his outstanding contributions to information behavior research throughout his career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Special Interest Group/Information Needs, Seeking and Use (SIG/USE) convened at the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting to explore the links between theory and practice in information behavior. In his keynote address, Ross Todd urged the audience to go beyond models and aim for synthesis and meta-analysis, focusing on the user. Lightning talks addressed a social cognitive theory analysis of a program for disadvantaged youth; adults with limited literacy and health information; mobile information workers; forming a community of practice; and information sharing practices among online communities. A key takeaway was that research should actively involve communities and their members rather than simply being about them. Safiya Noble's keynote highlighted hidden biases in automated search engine returns with encouragement to design algorithms enabling users to opt in or out of filtered returns. Attendees explored the topics raised further during a mixer chat and table talks. The symposium ended with presentations for the best paper, poster and research proposal and awards for student and international conference travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]