Ramirez et al. / INFORMATION SEEKING IN CMC 213 Information-Seeking Strategies, Uncertainty, and Computer-Mediated Communication Toward a Conceptual Model ARTEMIO RAMIREZ, JR. University of Minnesota, Duluth JOSEPH B. WALTHER Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute JUDEE K. BURGOON University of Arizona MICHAEL SUNNAFRANK University of Minnesota, Duluth This article argues that existing theory and research on computer-mediated communication (CMC) provide a limited view of information-seeking behavior and proposes a conceptual model for its examination via CMC and new media. Although most CMC environments eliminate or severely reduce nonverbal and contextual information available to address un- certainty, form impressions, and develop relationships, such environments offer alternative mechanisms for acquiring social information about others. The article discusses strategies for seeking social information and identifies factors influencing their selection from alternatives, incorporating them into a conceptual model. Finally, 2 promising approaches for examining the effects and effectiveness of social information seeking in CMC are described, with an emphasis on how the proposed conceptual model can aid in the development of each. T he advent of computer-mediated communication (CMC) as a mechanism for the formation and maintenance of interpersonal relationships poses interesting theoretical questions, especially in regard to the acquisition and interpretation of interpersonal information as such relationships begin. In one sense, CMC might be expected to Artemio Ramirez, Jr. (Ph.D., University of Arizona, 2000) is an assistant professor of commu- nication at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. Joseph B. Walther (Ph.D., University of Ari- zona, 1990) is an associate professor of communication at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Judee K. Burgoon (Ed.D., West Virginia University, 1974) is a professor of communication and family studies and the director of human communication research at the Center for the Management of Information at the University of Arizona. Michael Sunnafrank (Ph.D., Michi- gan State University, 1979) is a professor of communication at the University of Minnesota, Duluth. The authors would like to thank Walid Afifi and Scott Caplan for their comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Portions of this research were supported by the U.S. Army Research Institute (Contract #DASW01-98-009). The views, opinions, and find- ings in this report are those of the authors and should not be construed as official Depart- ment of the Army positions, policies, or decisions. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to the first author at Department of Communication, University of Minnesota, Duluth, 451 A.B. Anderson Hall, 55812; email: aramirez@d.umn.edu Human Communication Research, Vol. 28 No. 2, April 2002 213–228 © 2002 International Communication Association