Talking, looking, flying, searching: information seeking behaviour in Second Life

2008 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 512-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Ostrander
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
One Year

PurposeThis research seeks to answer, “How do everyday Second Life users go about finding needed information?” as the primary research question.Design/methodology/approachA virtual ethnographic approach couched in grounded theory was utilized to conduct semi‐structured interviews with everyday users of Second Life, accompanied by participant observation.FindingsInformation seeking behaviors within the virtual world of Second Life were found to be rich, complex interaction with multiple facets. Five themes emerged to illuminate how users seek information.Research limitations/implicationsThis research took place over a six‐week period, although most enthographies last at least one year. Conclusions were drawn solely from interviews because participant observation did not penetrate a given community with enough depth to adequately address the research question.Practical implicationsVirtual worlds offer the promise of becoming an integrated part of the information seeking landscape for an increasing number of users. Understanding the factors influencing information seeking behavior that are outlined in this article will equip librarians and information professionals to best utilize virtual worlds and continue to create innovative, user‐focused services there.Originality/valueThis article extends current scholarship by offering a practical, five‐factor approach to understand how people seek information in virtual worlds. The literature is robust in description about library services and the nature of information in virtual worlds. Yet, investigation into information seeking behavior in this environment is in its nascent stages.

Information-seeking behavior and information providers in a K’iche’ Maya community

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 460-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Hunt ◽  
Robin Shoaps
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Information Provision ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Recent Graduates ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Developed World ◽  
Information Providers ◽  
Retired Teachers

The study investigated the information-seeking behavior and information provision practices among bilingual (Spanish and K’iche’) students and adults in a Maya town in highland Guatemala. The research combined participant observation ethnography (spanning a total of fifteen months from 2008-17) and interviews with current and retired teachers, Internet café founders and employees, the municipal librarian, students aged 10 and up as well as recent graduates and professionals. Ethnographic insights guided the identification of ‘information,’ the selection of study participants and the nature of questions they were asked. Although a rudimentary library in one form or another has been present since the early 1980s, employees of the library are not, and have never been the primary information providers in Nahualá. Rather, in the past teachers have played that role and many locally important and respected men continue to do so, while currently the employees of one Internet café in particular serve many of the functions characteristically served by librarians in the developed world.

scholarly journals PERILAKU PENCARIAN INFORMASI WANITA YANG TINGGAL DI DAERAH KUMUH DI KAMPUNG PONCOL, JAKARTA SELATAN, INDONESIA

Edulib ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fauzan Abdi ◽  
Margareta Aulia Rachman
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Depth Interview ◽  
The Social ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Children Education

Abstract. This research identifies the information seeking behavior of women who reside in the slum area of Kampung Poncol, Jakarta, Indonesia in the fulfillment of the triple role; those are reproductive, productive, and social. A qualitative approach with phenomenology method is used in this research while the data are collected by non-participant observation and in-depth interview with six participants. The results of this research show that the steps of information seeking behavior of those women are the initiation, selection, formulation, collection, and presentation; while the exploration step does not appear at all. Based on the role of reproduction needed by the informants in relation to their role as housewives, the information needed by the women are about the price of basic commodities, family healthcare and well-being, children education, as well as information about the flood. On the productive role, the information needed are vary among the informants depends on their occupations. While for the social role, the information needed by the informants are related to personal health, fashion, entertainment, and politics. The primary source of information is informal source those are relatives and neighbors.

scholarly journals The Griefer and the Stalker: Disruptive Actors in a Second Life Educational Community

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Paul Lafayette DuQuette
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Learning Community ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Second Life ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
English Language ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Fear And Anxiety

Linden Lab’s Second Life (SL) is well-known for its hands-off approach to user conflict-resolution. Although users are given tools to mute and block individual accounts as well as ban undesirable avatars from user-owned land, that does not prevent determined, malicious users from disrupting communities and harassing individuals. This case study focuses on two such malicious users exemplary of two specific types of malevolent virtual world actors: in-world griefers and online stalkers. As part of a decade-long ethnographic research project within the Cypris Chat English language learning community in SL, this paper utilizes data gleaned from notes on participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and first-hand encounters. It categorizes the disparate strategies these individuals have used over the years in their attempts to disrupt group cohesion, sow distrust between students and teachers, humiliate individuals, and foment an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. It then reviews the methods community members used to defend themselves from such attacks and analyzes the efficacy of these strategies. This study builds on our understanding of harassment in virtual worlds and acts as a cautionary tale for future virtual world educators and community leaders considering the development of their own online classes and groups.

Impact of Task Types on Collaborative Information Seeking Behavior

Libri ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 68 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-245
Author(s):  
Dan Wu ◽  
Shaobo Liang ◽  
Jing Dong ◽  
Jin Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Information Search ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Task Type ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Team Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Collaborative Information Seeking ◽  
Navigational System ◽  
Task Types

Abstract This study examined the task type as an important factor in collaborative information seeking activities, devoting special attention to its impacts on collaborative information seeking behavior, awareness and sentiment. Collaborative information search experiments were conducted on a collaborative search system—Coagmento—for three different types of task (informational, transactional and navigational). System log, surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to collect data, with quantitative and qualitative analyses carried out on the data which related to 12 participants in four groups. Quantitative analysis employed SPSS 20, while qualitative analysis was carried out using ATLAS.ti. Through our research, we found that the task types have impact on users’ collaborative information seeking behavior in terms of web page browsing, search and image using, as well as interact with task awareness. A collaborative team approach is more suitable for completing the informational task than transactional and navigational tasks, while the task type also influences the sentiment. Concretely speaking, the transactional task causes more negative emotions.

The effect of socio-demographic characteristics on the information-seeking behaviors of police officers

2015 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 350-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Idris Guclu ◽  
Ali Can
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Science ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the information-seeking behaviors of police officers who work in police stations in the context of staying current. Leckie et al.’s (1996) model of the information-seeking behavior of professionals is tested. Design/methodology/approach – A quantitative research design was employed for data collection. The sample includes 642 cases. It is both descriptive and exploratory. Findings – Police officers first rely upon their personal knowledge and experience, then their colleagues and then official documents. On the other hand, they rarely consulted informants, libraries, journals, books, and attendance at conferences as information sources. There were significant differences in the information sources used by police officers based on their gender in the context of staying current. Lastly, the results of this study indicated that service years in policing and the roles in police station were significantly correlated with the information sources used by police officers regarding staying current. Originality/value – This study, being the first, provides a huge theoretical base for future studies. It contributes to the discipline of information science by validating a theoretical model in a different context. In addition, it contributes to public safety by understanding the frontline police officers’ information needs and information-seeking behavior.

Family financial socialization, financial information seeking behavior and financial literacy among youth

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-181
Author(s):  
Saeed Pahlevan Sharif ◽  
Navaz Naghavi
Keyword(s):  
Financial Literacy ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Risk Information ◽  
Financial Information ◽  
Financial Behavior ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Financial Socialization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
And Behavior

PurposeThis study examined the relationship between financial information seeking behavior and financial literacy, as well as the relationship between parents' teaching and behavior with financial information seeking behavior through the factors of the risk information seeking and processing model among youth.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 802 tertiary education students participated in this cross-sectional study. Using covariance-based structural equation modeling, the model was assessed and hypotheses were tested.FindingsThe results revealed that financial information seeking behavior contributed to youth's financial literacy. While parents' sound financial behavior was directly related to seeking financial information, both parents' financial teaching and behavior indirectly, through the risk information seeking process, encouraged youth to actively seek for financial information. Moreover, parents' financial socialization directly and also indirectly through the risk information seeking and processing model explained youth's financial information avoidance. Among the two parts of the risk information seeking and processing model, planned behavior factors played a more salient role than cognitive need for financial information.Originality/valueThis study extends the risk information seeking and processing model by integrating family financial socialization to the model and applies it in the context of consumers' financial behavior. The results improve our understanding of the social and psychological mechanism that drives consumers' financial literacy and decision-making.

Profiling information-seeking behavior of mosque speechmakers in Upper Egypt

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 635-652
Author(s):  
Essam Mansour
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Upper Egypt ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Web

Purpose The purpose of this paper is attracting attention to the use of information by mosque speechmakers (MSs) in the Islamic and Arabic world, specifically in Upper Egypt. Design/methodology/approach This study used a survey, which was conducted from September to November 2019. A structured questionnaire was designed in Arabic and distributed to the mosques that were chosen as a sample to represent all the mosques of Upper Egypt. The researcher sampled 5% (n = 421) of the total of 8,421 mosques in Upper Egypt. Findings The findings showed the majority of the MSs in Upper Egypt are to be older (from 36 to 60 years, educated [mostly with BA degrees]), married and with an average monthly income over LE 3,500. Almost all MSs were strongly looking for information to make specific/general research, to make a religious lecture and be aware of contemporary events. The most frequently used sources of information by MSs were biographies, books, mass media, references and the Web. Most of the MSs had been using information heavily. The highest percentage of them spent from 7 to 12 h a week searching for information. MSs preferred the use of printed sources of information to those non-print sources. Mobile apps, followed by the Web and information databases were the most significant technological tools used by MSs. MSs’ efficiency level of using English was good and a reasonable number of them indicated that they were not good at speaking other languages, such as French. The home/personal library and the special library were the most important types of libraries used by MSs. The unaffected role of the library to access information, followed by the use of foreign languages to access some sources of information, as well as the use of technology, were the most significant problems faced by MSs when searching for information. Research limitations/implications This paper investigates the topic of MSs’ use of and access to information. This topic, unfortunately, has limited previous research, particularly in the Arabic and Islamic environment. Practical implications This paper provides valuable insight into the information behavior of a very significant client group, namely, MSs. Originality/value Being one of the very few studies conducted on these beneficiaries of information in the Arab and Islamic environment, this study is considered a unique one among several studies conducted in the area of the information-seeking behavior, especially with such a significant group of information users/seekers in such influencing environment in the world. The findings of this study may help in a better understanding of the information-seeking behavior of the MSs.

Characteristics of the health information seeking behavior of LGBTQ+ individuals: a systematic review on information types, information sources and influencing factors

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Romy Menghao Jia ◽  
Jia Tina Du ◽  
Yuxiang Chris Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Sources ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Health Information Seeking ◽  
Exclusion Criteria ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Seeking Behavior

PurposeLesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals' health information seeking is an important topic across multiple disciplines and areas. The aim of this systematic review is to create a holistic view of sexual and gender minority individuals' health information seeking reported in multidisciplinary studies, with regard to the types of health information LGBTQ+ individuals sought and information sources they used, as well as the factors influencing their health information seeking behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe review is based on the literature search in 10 major academic databases. A set of inclusion and exclusion criteria was applied to identify studies that provide evidence on LGBTQ+ individuals' health information seeking behavior. The studies were first screened by title and abstract to determine whether they met the inclusion criteria. The full texts of each relevant study were obtained to confirm whether the exclusion criteria were met. The reference lists of the included studies were manually scanned. The relevant information was then extracted from selected articles and analyzed using thematic content analysis.FindingsA seed set of 3,122 articles published between 1997 and 2020 was evaluated, and 46 total articles were considered for further analysis. The review results show that two major categories of health information sought by LGBTQ+ individuals were sexual and nonsexual, which were further classified into 17 specific types. In terms of health information sources, researchers have reported that online resources, interpersonal sources and traditional media were frequently used. Moreover, 25 factors affecting LGBTQ+ individuals' health information seeking were identified from the literature.Originality/valueThrough evidence-based understanding, this review preliminarily bridged the knowledge gap in understanding the status quo of studies on LGBTQ+ individuals' health information seeking and proposed the potential research directions that information science researchers could contribute to this important area.

Competency models and culture

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 27-29
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Competency Models ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Behavioral Event Interview ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Behavioral Event

Purpose – Compares the competencies of managers, working for the same organization, in the UK and Taiwan. Design/methodology/approach – Deploys a comparative analysis of managers using a behavioral event interviewing (BEI) technique. Findings – Concludes that both cultures were highly achievement focused. Notes, however, several marked differences in other behaviors which appear to be cultural in nature. Finds that UK managers demonstrated more interpersonal awareness, and concern for impact, whereas Taiwanese managers were more likely to demonstrate critical information seeking behavior. Research limitations/implications – Warns that interviews in some instances failed to uncover data, with the consequent implications for the use of generic behavioral event interviews internationally. Practical implications – Suggests the idea of organizations’ employing generic “international” competency models and behavioral event interview techniques is problematic. Originality/value – Demonstrates the problems with international competency models through unique access to an organization’s competency model and to managers in two locations.

Entrepreneurial ecosystem and social entrepreneurship: case studies of community-based craft from Kutch, India

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Santana Pathak ◽  
Sujata Mukherjee
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
National Level ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Social Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This study aims to explore social entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) in the craft sector in the state of Gujarat, India. With liberalization, India witnessed the growth of social entrepreneurship and is considered one of the pioneering countries in social innovation. The objective of the research was to answer the research question: what role do various stakeholder groups play in creating and promoting craft sector social EEs. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a qualitative case study approach of methodological triangulation combining analysing documents, a participant observation and semi-structured interviews. Two case studies – one of the Ajrakh craft cluster from Ajrakhpur and the other of Kala Cotton from Aadeshar, Bhuj are studied to explore the symbiotic linkages of social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Kutch district of Gujarat, India. A total of 24 in-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with stakeholders of the EE. Findings The study concludes that the role of like-minded individuals/social entrepreneurs, social enterprises, design networks and educational institutions is vital towards revival and sustainability of craft as economic commodities geared for scalability. Furthermore, the engagement of the systemic condition agents such as various local and national level institutions, the communities play an important role to revitalize, redeem and commercialize craft infrastructure based on active engagement, innovation and services. Originality/value This paper fulfils an identified need to study how traditional craft-based enterprises can be enabled, revived, grown and sustained.

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