Conceptualizing Insight for the Study of Doctoral Student Information Use

Insight is a cognitive and affective phenomenon characterized by a sudden realization and positive affect. While the phenomenon of insight is widely studied in psychology, few LIS scholars have taken this topic seriously. This presentation reports out on the author’s exploratory study of insight experiences among doctoral students and details the challenges with operationalizing insight within this context. An argument will be made for the utility of Howard Gruber’s work in providing practical guidance for the conceptualization of students’ insight experiences.