Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate Chinese rural women's information needs and information seeking behavior, with an emphasis on exploration of the intervening variables that influence information needs and information seeking behavior.

Design/methodology/approach: The sample consisted of 27 women from 9 villages in Gansu Province, Anhui Province and Tianjin City, China. Data were collected through in-depth individual interview. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were employed to analyze the data.

Findings: Chinese rural women's needs are basically tied to agricultural technologies, employment and health information. Social network, rather than the Internet, serves as the most frequently used information channel. Women’s cognitive ability, social role and their living environment are the 3 intervening variables that have an impact on their information needs and their information seeking behavior.

Research limitations: This qualitative research is based on a small sample and conducted on specific socio-economic settings in China, which may restrict the generalization and application of relevant findings in other settings and countries.

Practical implications: The study results will help librarians and information professionals better understand Chinese rural women's information needs and information seeking behavior in an effort to find ways to solve problems they may encounter in their information seeking process.

Originality/value: This paper introduced an analysis framework that provides an integrated perspective on understanding information needs and information seeking behavior of Chinese women in rural areas.