Home Resource Library Insights 2023 Information Seeking and Consumption Study
Home Resource Library Insights 2023 Information Seeking and Consumption Study

2023 Information Seeking and Consumption Study

Since 2007, CCC and RightsDirect have partnered with Outsell, Inc., to conduct independent, quantitative research and analysis into how copyrighted content is used in a variety of industries. Using the latest study data, CCC presents analysis and recommendations to organizations that depend on published third-party content.

The Information Seeking and Consumption Study was conducted in late 2022 with a report published in February 2023. It offers insights into how people think and behave in the context of copyrighted content consumption, use, and sharing, both within and outside the walls of their organizations, particularly in light of the economy-wide shift to much more remote and hybrid work. Download the eBook below and explore additional key findings and analysis provided by Outsell.

The importance of copyright compliance

The use and sharing of published content is critical to accelerating knowledge and powering innovation at organizations around the world, yet the sharing of third-party published information without first obtaining the necessary permissions carries enormous potential risk. The velocity of content is a measure of how quickly externally published information flows inside and outside of an organization.

The latest Information Seeking and Consumption Study reaffirms the importance of having a solid copyright policy in place, taking steps to support employee education and communication about copyright, and deploying appropriate compliance solutions to support a streamlined content workflow.

CCC has licensed this analysis from Outsell, Inc. with the right to distribute it for marketing and market education purposes. CCC commissioned the research study from Outsell and had no input regarding the content of this piece. Outsell’s fact-based analysis and all aspects of our opinion were independently derived. For questions, please contact Outsell.

Here's what we learned

How much employees share information, how it is sourced, and what it means for your organization

14.7

number of people with whom content is shared vs. 9 people in 2020

7.9

number of times employees share content per week

49%

of content shared is externally published

56.9

potential instances of unlicensed sharing per employee, per week

The impact of remote working on content sharing

23%

of respondents reported fully remote work status

41%

of respondents reported a hybrid work status

55%

of remote workers indicated that they are sharing more often vs. 34% in 2020

42%

of remote workers are sharing with more people vs. 28% in 2020

Executives share more content than other employees

20.1

average number of people with whom executives share information with vs. middle management (13.4) and individual contributors (10.2)

125.9

potential copyright violations per executive employee per week vs. middle management (46.6) and individual contributors (17.5)

79%

of executives working remotely report sharing more often, compared to middle management (46%) and individual contributors (50%)

business people listen to colleague make a point in a meeting

Ways employees share content at work are shifting

96%

increase in the use of collaboration tools compared with a decade ago

33%

of employees use collaboration tools most often to share content vs. 16% in 2020 and 1% a decade ago

41%

of employees use an email attachment most often to share content vs. 48% in 2020 and 61% a decade ago

smiling business person reads content on mobile device

CCC’s compliance and content
workflow solutions

By taking steps to balance employee reuse of published content with a strong compliance and licensing program, your company can leverage today’s rise in content sharing to help support collaboration and drive innovation.

With expertise in copyright and information management, CCC designs and delivers innovative information solutions that power decision-making by helping people integrate and navigate data sources and content assets. Learn more: