Evaluation of information-seeking behaviours of ethnic groups according to Chatman’s small world context: The sample of Nogai Turks

The study aims to determine whether Chatman’s concept of the ‘small world’ applies to the information-seeking behaviour of the Nogai Turks, an ethnic community. This study employed a qualitative research methodology. The data were collected through semi-structured, scheduled interviews and analysed using thematic content analysis. The participants’ opinions were examined using four themes based on the main factors of Chatman’s small world concept (information behaviour, social norms, worldview, and behavioural context/social type) and 119 subcategories. These findings indicate that the information-seeking behaviour of Nogai Turks aligns with Chatman’s theory that living within the boundaries of the small world limits information behaviour. The results show that, consistent with Chatman’s assumption, the social norms, behavioural context, and worldview of Nogai Turks influence their information behaviour.