The course focuses on identifying and understanding what is “informational” in any setting. Students will develop sharpened vision to discern informational patterns, that is, an ability to trace what Bates (1999) calls the “red thread” of information pervading life. To this end, the course involves a fusion of information theory and ethnographic method that is then applied by each student to an independent Research Project. Theories, models, and concepts will be introduced from the literature of Information Seeking and Use (ISU). Students will learn the fundamentals of ethnographic research. Featured Contexts will be profiled and considered as exemplar information experiences in context. As the semester unfolds, students will refine their observational and analytical skills through an exploratory, ethnographic Research Project about the information experience within a context of personal interest or career relevance.