We encourage all applicants to share experiences, theories, ideas, questions and opinions aimed at forming a stronger understanding of the following themes:

Approaches to Analyzing Information-Seeking Journeys and Identity — We want to explore the different methods used and how they influence how people make sense of their information journeys, their illnesses and pathways to care, as well as how individual or group identities can affect these information journeys.

Illness and Identity Online in the Global South — Discourse around searching for health information has often clustered around behaviors in Western countries. The privilege given to the West in these conversations echoes patterns from history, in which minority experiences of distress were marginalized [10]. We hope to have a vibrant discussion around the nuances to sense-making in non-Western contexts, asking the broader question of how interfaces for health information can be designed with structural, cultural, and local contexts in mind, to better support users from around the world.

Stigma & Sensitive Topics — How do the implications of stigma and the impact of sensitivities affect how people search for and use information? We welcome contributions that explore whether online information helps or hinders access to information and healthcare services in the cases of stigmatised or sensitive topics, such as sexual and reproductive health.

Language — Language is a powerful tool in communicating health information. Depending on one’s culture, class, race, nationality, or religion, the tone, settings, and actors are understood/interpreted differently. We are interested in surfacing the cross-cultural concerns around online information-seeking (among non-native speakers).

Algorithmic Biases — What are the impacts of algorithmic biases and do these affect how people manage and understand their online information-seeking and ultimately the decisions they make about their healthcare?

The COVID-19 Pandemic — How has the pandemic changed how people search for and validate information? Have the implications of misinformation that was spread during the pandemic affected people’s trust in online information? We would also like to understand how the pandemic has changed people’s perceptions of identity and norms with regards to their healthcare.

We aim to build a long-standing collaborative group by providing a platform for people to come together, share ideas, and learn from one another.