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Purpose: "Bouncing ideas" is a phrase used colloquially to illustrate a way of advancing ideas in the workplace. While described by some as a key part of their information work, it has remained largely unexplored in the information science literature. As a metaphor used to depict information work, it describes a process of working on ideas in conjunction with others. This paper examines how early career academics use the term when describing their academic work. Design/methodology/approach: This paper reports on one of the findings from a larger, in-depth study that examined the information behaviour of early career academics undergoing career transitions, which was carried out using constructivist grounded theory (CGT). CGT provides both a framework for the systematic collection (that included multiple interviews and check-ins with 20 early career academics) and analysis of the data (that consisted of multiple rounds of iterative, inductive coding). Findings: The findings identify the component parts of bouncing ideas, which include three component in-formation activities – information seeking, information sharing and information creation – and are undertaken as cooperative information work (joint work for a shared purpose, but the benefits of the work may not be equal between participants). Originality/value: Bouncing ideas is proposed as a complex information practice, defined as engaging in a temporary cooperative effort that involves social information exchange in order to gain help and/or support for an intellectual endeavour to create new information. The work identifies that more research into bouncing ideas is needed to more fully explore the distinct component behaviours that take place whilst bouncing ideas and the social conditions that foster this collaborative exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses articles in the issue on the topics including theoretical explorations of the field of information behavior and information practices; and expansion and evolution of information behavior and information practices theories.

Affect plays an important role in the information behavior of early career academics. While there is a recognition of the importance of affect to information behavior in the information science literature, there has been a lack of empirical research that details its influence. Using a constructivist grounded theory methodology, early career academics were followed for a 5- to 7-month period and data were collected using in-depth and brief, 'check-in' interviews. Three prominent aspects of early career academics' affective experiences are described and their connection to specific information behavior is discussed, including feelings of: stress (linked to prioritization, information nonuse, information avoidance, and information seeking from colleagues); frustration (linked to prioritization and decision making to discontinue, persevere, or change tactics); and, stability and belonging (linked to comparison as a way of using information, seeking help, building information relationships, and sharing information with colleagues). • Affect, emotional states or feelings, influences early career academics' information behavior. • Feelings of stress and frustration are connected to prioritization of information behavior activities. • Feelings of stress are connected to avoidance and seeking information from colleagues to deal with information overload. • Feelings of frustration are connected to making decisions to discontinue, persevere, or change tactics to accomplish work. • Feelings of stability and belonging are connected to seeking information and support from colleagues and using comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]