The neurological aspect and component of information retrieval system design is gaining increased attention within the field of Information Science, as it encompasses complicated human brain activities.

On one hand, the physiological components hold the physiological human responses, such as heart rate or facial expressions, and on the other hand the neurological components, such as electroencephalogram (EEG), hold the neurological or human brain activities and response. While there are numerous LIS studies that have studied and included the physiological responses, few have examined the neurological components of information seeking processes.

Furthermore, the affective component of information retrieval system design is becoming increasingly essential within the field of Information Science, as it encompasses complicated human cognitive processes. Cognitive processes include not only mental processes but also emotion (or affective) processes and responses.  

In the field of Psychology, there are two major disciplines of emotions; discrete and continuous emotions. Within the field of LIS the studies that have examined the role of emotions have mainly examined the role of discrete emotions, such as happiness or frustration. However,  few have examined the role continuous emotions, or so called the dimensions of emotions (valence or arousal). Since these are two major types of human emotions, and in order to build a more holistic view of the role of emotions in information seeking processes, it is important to move toward understanding the affective dimension of information retrieval as well.

One of the most established theoretical frameworks of information search processes is Carol Kuhlthau’s Information Search Process (ISP) model. In this model, through decades of empirical research, Kuhlthau established a six-step model of the holistic experience of the information seekers. These holistic experiences include the affective, cognitive, and physical experiences of the users. Three of these six stages (exploration, formulation, and collection) entail the actual act and process of the users seeking and searching for information using a search system, for example an online search engine. For this reason, this study mainly focuses on these three steps of the information search stages.

The goal of this study is to explore and examine the role of the neurological components as well as the dimensions of emotions of information seeking processes, more specifically when it comes to online information search processes, pertaining to the ISP Model. More clearly, this study explores, examines, and maps the neurological components of  the ISP Model and examines the impact of dimensions of emotions on the neurological responses of the ISP model, more specifically when it comes to online information search processes, pertaining to the ISP Model.