Actively Searching for Hazards Information

Much of the hazards literature on information transfer focuses on how individuals passively acquire hazards information by monitoring what comes across their desks and computer screens. This paper highlights a complementary information search strategy in which individuals pull or actively seek out the information they need. This research examines the affiliations of those who have been proactive in contacting the Natural Hazards Research and Applications Information Center over a 20-year span. Until 2000/2001 requests from university-affiliated individuals exceeded those from people with other affiliations. There has been an increase in the number of information requests from unaffiliated individuals and from people outside the United States. A survey of a subset of those who have requested information from the Hazards Center highlights the importance of knowledgeable personal contacts and the World Wide Web for identifying the center as a source for information. It is vital for organizations committed to the distribution of timely, appropriate hazards-related information to effectively service the needs of a proactive, amorphous assemblage of hazards information seekers.