Erdelez to Receive 2026 Research in Information Science Award
T
he Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T) is delighted to announce that Sanda Erdelez is the recipient of the 2026 Research in Information Science Award. The award recognizes an individual or team who has made an outstanding contribution to information science research. The award is for a systematic “program of research” in a single area at a level beyond the single study, but not at the level of a lifetime’s work.
Erdelez is Dean of the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University Dr. Erdelez is recognized for her pioneering, field-defining research on information encountering—the serendipitous discovery of information—which she introduced in the 1990s and has since developed into a robust, theoretically grounded, and methodologically innovative research program. Dr. Erdelez’s work fundamentally redefined how the field understands human information behavior, challenging the dominant paradigm of intentional information seeking by demonstrating the vital role of unexpected and opportunistic discovery. Her influence spans disciplines—from library and information science to human-computer interaction, journalism, and online consumer behavior—and her models have informed recommender systems and content platforms globally. Her methodological contributions, including the first quasi-experimental studies on serendipitous discovery and development of the Information Encountering Scale, reflect a bold and systematic approach to research. Colleagues describe her as a “trailblazer,” a “disciplinary bridgebuilder,” and “the undisputed authority on serendipity in information science.” Dr. Erdelez has also shaped the field through mentorship, international leadership, and community building. In 2022, she served as an ASIS&T Distinguished Member received the Outstanding Contribution to Information Behavior Research Award from ASIS&T SIG-USE in 2025, and has received several other awards and recognitions from institutions such as University of Missouri (MU), ALISE, the University of Texas-Austin, and CIT.
In nominating Erdelez, Nares Kumar Agarwal, Past ASIS&T President and Professor and Director of Information Science & Technology Concentration School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University, wrote that Dr. Sanda Erdelez is an internationally recognized scholar whose sustained research program on information encountering, the study of how individuals acquire information beyond deliberate seeking, has defined and advanced a core paradigm within human information behavior (HIB)" and "represents an exceptional candidate for this award, demonstrating the intellectual depth, coherence, and field-shaping impact it is designed to recognize".
Upon learning of her selection as winner of the Research in Information Science Award, Erdelez responded, “I am delighted and deeply honored to receive the Research in Information Science Award from ASIS&T, which has been my research home for much of my academic career. This recognition is especially meaningful because it affirms the importance of information behavior research and its contribution to our understanding of people’s complex, situated, and often unexpected relationships with information."
Erdelez will receive the award during the 2026 meeting of ASIS&T which will be held 6-10 November 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
About ASIS&T
The Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) is the only professional association that bridges the gap between information science practice and research. For nearly 90 years, ASIS&T has been leading the search for new and better theories, techniques, and technologies to improve access to information.