Goin’ Holyrood? A Study of Voters’ Online Information Behaviour when using Parties’ and Candidates’ Websites during the 2011 Scottish Parliament Election Campaign

The paper investigates the factors that influence perceptions of online risk and the consequential behavioural responses to those perceptions. Using Bates’ theory of information behaviour, we focus on online protection strategies and digital archiving as a specific instantiation and manifestation of information behaviour and analyze how factors, such as perceptions of online risk and self-reported internet skills, have consequences for information behaviours. The study uses semi-structured interview data (n=101) collected from East York, Toronto. We asked about individuals’ perception of risk online, self-reported internet skills, protective measures when going online, and digital archiving practices. Our findings identify a nuanced relationship between perceptions and behaviours. The results offer an alternate perspective on online information behaviour that departs from traditional classifications that rely on _demographics_. We offer a refinement to the definitions of information behaviour by Bates (2010) and Fisher and Julien (2009) to include factors that modify behaviours, and develop a user typology relating specifically to perceptions of risk online.

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Religious Online Information Behaviour Among the Malays in the Digital Era

International Journal of Innovative Technology and Exploring Engineering - Special Issue ◽

10.35940/ijitee.a4515.119119 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 638-644

Keyword(s):

New Media ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Information Acquisition ◽

Technical Aspect ◽

The Internet ◽

Online Information ◽

Information Behaviour ◽

Internet Users ◽

The Masses ◽

Internet Medium

Seeking knowledge is among the most important virtuein Islam. The Internet era offers more sources and new ways in gaining and producing information including religious information. However, the perception that the religious information behaviour among the Malays is not yet being studied empirically. A framework has been developed based on theories, previous related studies and interviews with Internet users. Three main aspects of behaviour being studied: usage, information seeking and verification. Data is collected using printed and electronic questionnaires. There are 616 usable data successfully gathered and analyzed through SPSS. Related to usage, the result shows that the Malays have adapted well with the Internet medium for searching the religious information. The results also show that there are changes on the technical aspect of information acquisition and delivery via the new media. However from the procedural aspect, the information behaviour among Malays are still traditional in nature based on their seeking information methods. The results suggest that the religious offline behaviour continues online, demonstrating their conservative nature. Analyzing the beahviour against the users’ background suggests that there is a statically relationship between them. A high percentage of users claimed that the verify online religious information, even though they differ on this in practice. This paper ends with recommendations to improve the information behaviour among the masses

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The Scottish Parliament Election 2016: Another Momentous Event but Dull Campaign

Scottish Affairs ◽

10.3366/scot.2016.0136 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (3) ◽

pp. 277-293 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Paul Cairney

Keyword(s):

Historical Context ◽

Labour Party ◽

Policy Agenda ◽

Election Campaign ◽

Scottish Parliament ◽

2016 Election ◽

Key Issues ◽

Scottish Independence

The Scottish Parliament election in 2016 produced two surprising results: it represents a reversal of SNP/ Labour party fortunes so complete that we now take it for granted, but the SNP did not achieve a widely-expected majority; and, the huge surge of support for the Scottish Conservatives was enough to make it (easily) the second largest party. A mistaken sense of inevitability of the result – another SNP majority – helped produce a dull campaign and keep alive the prospect of a second referendum on Scottish independence. This article has four main sections: putting the 2016 election in recent historical context; considering the implications of consistently high SNP support on the constitution; highlighting key issues in the election campaign; and, examining the SNP's policy agenda from 2016.

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Voters’ online information behaviour and response to campaign content during the Scottish referendum on independence

International Journal of Information Management ◽

10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2017.05.013 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 37 (6) ◽

pp. 539-546 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Graeme Baxter ◽

Rita Marcella

Keyword(s):

Online Information ◽

Information Behaviour

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Barriers to High School Learners’ Online Information Behaviour in Ghana

Mousaion ◽

10.25159/2663-659x/6009 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Zawedde Nsibirwa ◽

Philip Kankam

Keyword(s):

High School ◽

Survey Design ◽

Structured Interview ◽

The Internet ◽

Online Information ◽

Major Barrier ◽

Information Behaviour ◽

Internet Infrastructure ◽

Number Of Factors ◽

Fast Pace

The Internet has provided many opportunities for learners to access online information to expand their knowledge at a fast pace. Ghana, as one among many other developing countries, has tried to create Internet access and usage among high school learners; however, a number of factors have hampered this process. The study therefore investigates the barriers to high school learners’ online information behaviour in Ghana. Through a survey design, the study employed a mixed-methods approach to look into this phenomenon. A total of 350 participants comprising Grade 12 learners, heads of ICT departments (HICTDs), ICT teachers and librarians from three high schools were included in the study. Learners were sampled through the use of simple random and stratified sampling techniques. All heads of ICT departments, ICT teachers, and librarians were included in the study due to their small number and hence there was no need for selection. A semi-structured interview schedule and questionnaire were used as data collection tools to solicit responses from the participants. The study revealed that a lack of adequate Internet infrastructure at schools is a major barrier to high school learners’ online information behaviour. The study recommends the need to improve the Internet infrastructure at schools.

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The Impact of a Highly Publicized Celebrity Suicide on Suicide-Related Online Information Seeking

Crisis ◽

10.1027/0227-5910/a000455 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (3) ◽

pp. 207-209 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Florian Arendt ◽

Sebastian Scherr

Keyword(s):

Suicide Prevention ◽

Information Seeking ◽

The Internet ◽

Online Information ◽

Search Queries ◽

Related Information ◽

Search Terms ◽

Celebrity Suicide ◽

Online Information Seeking ◽

The Impact

Abstract. Background: Research has already acknowledged the importance of the Internet in suicide prevention as search engines such as Google are increasingly used in seeking both helpful and harmful suicide-related information. Aims: We aimed to assess the impact of a highly publicized suicide by a Hollywood actor on suicide-related online information seeking. Method: We tested the impact of the highly publicized suicide of Robin Williams on volumes of suicide-related search queries. Results: Both harmful and helpful search terms increased immediately after the actor's suicide, with a substantial jump of harmful queries. Limitations: The study has limitations (e.g., possible validity threats of the query share measure, use of ambiguous search terms). Conclusion: Online suicide prevention efforts should try to increase online users' awareness of and motivation to seek help, for which Google's own helpline box could play an even more crucial role in the future.

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