Int. J. Human-Computer Studies 60 (2004) 327–363 A grounded theory of the flow experiences of Web users Steven Pace* Faculty of Informatics & Communication, Central Queensland University, PO Box 5606, Mackay Mail Centre, 4741, Qld., Australia Received 19 May 2003; received in revised form 20 August 2003; accepted 21 August 2003 Abstract This paper presents a grounded theory of the flow experiences of Web users engaged in information-seeking activities. The term flow refers to a state of consciousness that is sometimes experienced by individuals who are deeply involved in an enjoyable activity. The experience is characterized by some common elements: a balance between the challenges of an activity and the skills required to meet those challenges; clear goals and feedback; concentration on the task at hand; a sense of control; a merging of action and awareness; a loss of self-consciousness; a distorted sense of time; and the autotelic experience. The grounded theory research method that was employed in this study is a primarily inductive investigative process in which the researcher formulates a theory about a phenomenon by systematically gathering and analysing relevant data. The aim of this research method is building theory, not testing theory. The data that was gathered for this study primarily consisted of semi-structured in-depth interviews with informants of varying gender, age, educational attainments, occupations and Web experience who could recall experiencing flow while using the Web. r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Since the 1980s researchers in the field of human–computer interaction have called for more studies of the causes and effects of enjoyment in computer usage. The term enjoyment in this context refers to ‘the extent to which the activity of using the ARTICLE IN PRESS *Tel.: +61-7-4940-7417; fax: +61-7-4940-7816. E-mail address: s.pace@cqu.edu.au (S. Pace). 1071-5819/$-see front matter r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2003.08.005