Distributed decision-making in multi-session academic information seeking: a process model of interruption, deferral, and reconstruction

Purpose This study reconceptualises scholarly information seeking in multi-session contexts as a temporally distributed process and examines how decision-making unfolds across time. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research design was adopted, combining a two-week diary study with semi-structured interviews involving 15 participants. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and process modelling to capture behavioural patterns and decision processes across search sessions. Findings The findings show that interruption is a normal condition that segments search into multiple sessions. Deferral enables users to postpone evaluation and distribute decision-making across time, while re-entry requires reconstruction of the search context. Through the interaction of these mechanisms, decision formation emerges as a gradual and evolving process rather than a single-point judgement. Research limitations/implications The qualitative sample limits generalisability. Future research could incorporate quantitative methods to examine the proposed model across broader contexts. Practical implications The findings suggest that information systems should support re-entry, ongoing information management and context reconstruction to better accommodate long-term search processes. Originality/value This study proposes a process model that shifts the analytical focus from session-based behaviour to cross-temporal dynamics. It advances information behaviour research by reframing decision-making as an ongoing process, highlighting discontinuity as a defining feature of search and identifying deferral as a key mechanism linking search episodes.