Identified in this study are the factors which affect the user's capacity to seek out and utilize information, and the factors which serve as obstacles to information use. Factors relating to both organizational and individual use include level of use, user skills, and user motivation; differentiation of level of use is presented in three levels: user, potential user, and non-user. Eight states of use are later shown in Appendix A. Factors influencing user capacity in an organizational sense include structure, climate, and environment; structure refers to size, degree of centralization, and information flow. Factors in the organizational climate are identified as policy, problem-solving procedures, employee orientation, and leadership; environment encompasses budgetary considerations, maintenance, and the interface of innovations with general agency operations. The individual user analysis indicates that a person's past experiences and personality traits form his/her attitudes about using new information. Market segmentation, or breakdown of individuals according to their information needs, has applications for the design of program resources or information packages. Major segmentation variables are outlined in Appendix B, and 40 references are listed. (SW)