Thai immigrants’ information seeking behaviour and perception of the public library’s role during the settlement process

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how Thai immigrants who relocated to Auckland, New Zealand, looked for and found the information they needed during their settlement process. Design/methodology/approach The study used a qualitative methodology through semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions that were conducted with nine Thai immigrants living in the greater Auckland region. Mwarigha’s three stages of settlement and Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology were used as theoretical frameworks for understanding the information-seeking behaviour of the Thai immigrants and their information needs and associated barriers to accessing information at different stages of the settlement process. Findings The information needs of Thai immigrants in Auckland were diverse based on the stage of each participant’s settlement process. The main information needs of the participants were for employment, English language-learning, housing, health and making connections. Their main information sources during settlement were family, friends and the internet. The participants saw Auckland Libraries as a useful source but did not take full benefit of the library’s services. The main barriers in accessing services were English language incompetence, lack of resources available in the Thai language, lack of time and library staff behaviour. Research limitations/implications The results of this study will provide library and information professionals with new insights into Thai immigrants’ information-seeking behaviour and their information needs, which may contribute to providing immigrants with the information tools they need to improve the quality of their lives in New Zealand. As this study is limited to Thai immigrants in Auckland only, there is a need to conduct a study on the information needs and seeking behaviour of Thai immigrants in other locales. It may be of interest to researchers to conduct a quantitative study of a larger sample to further generalise the findings. Originality/value There is minimal research that specifically investigates the information needs, sources and barriers to information experienced by immigrants throughout the settlement process. This study is unique in that it focuses on a specific ethnic community of Thais. The findings of this study can be a stepping stone towards further research to gain a deeper understanding of Thai and other immigrants’ information needs, sources, barriers and their perceptions towards public libraries.

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Investigating failures in information seeking episodes

Aslib Journal of Information Management ◽

10.1108/ajim-02-2017-0041 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 69 (4) ◽

pp. 441-459 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Yiwei Wang ◽

Chirag Shah

Keyword(s):

Information Seeking ◽

Information Needs ◽

Real Life ◽

Careful Examination ◽

Future Research ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Theoretical Frameworks ◽

Content Type ◽

Wide Range ◽

Holistic Understanding

Purpose People face barriers and failures in various kinds of information seeking experiences. These are often attributed to either the information seeker or the system/service they use. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how and why individuals fail to fulfill their information needs in all contexts and situations. It addresses the limitations of existing studies in examining the context of the task and information seeker’s strategy and seeks to gain a holistic understanding of information seeking barriers and failures. Design/methodology/approach The primary method used for this investigation is a qualitative survey, in which 63 participants provided 208 real life examples of failures in information seeking. After analyzing the survey data, ten semi-structured interviews with another group of participants were conducted to further examine the survey findings. Data were analyzed using various theoretical frameworks of tasks, strategies, and barriers. Findings A careful examination of aspects of tasks, barriers, and strategies identified from the examples revealed that a wide range of external and internal factors caused people’s failures. These factors were also caused or affected by multiple aspects of information seekers’ tasks and strategies. People’s information needs were often too contextual and specific to be fulfilled by the information retrieved. Other barriers, such as time constraint and institutional restrictions, also intensified the problem. Originality/value This paper highlights the importance of considering the information seeking episodes in which individuals fail to fulfill their needs in a holistic approach by analyzing their tasks, information needs, strategies, and obstacles. The modified theoretical frameworks and the coding methods used could also be instrumental for future research.

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User-driven efforts in creating knowledge graph information system

Digital Library Perspectives ◽

10.1108/dlp-12-2019-0043 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 97-111

Author(s):

Stanislava Gardasevic

Keyword(s):

Information System ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Information Needs ◽

Resource Discovery ◽

The Body ◽

Knowledge Graph ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Community Members ◽

Study Objective ◽

Content Type

Purpose This paper presents the results of a qualitative study that involved students of an interdisciplinary PhD program. The study objective was to gather requirements to create a knowledge graph information system. The purpose of this study was to determine information-seeking practices and information needs of this community, to inform the functionalities of a proposed system, intended to help students with relevant resource discovery and decision-making. Design/methodology/approach The study design included semi-structured interviews with eight members of the community, followed by a website usability study with the same student participants. Findings Two main information-seeking styles are recognized and reported through user personas of international and domestic (USA) students. The findings show that the useful information resides within the community and not so much on the program website. Students rely on peer communication, although they report lack of opportunities to connect. Students’ information needs and information seeking are dependent on their progress through the program, as well as their motivation and the projected timeline. Practical implications Considering the current information needs and practices, a knowledge graph hosting both information on social networks and the knowledge produced by the activities of the community members would be useful. By recording data on their activities (for example, collaboration with professors and coursework), students would reveal further useful system functionalities and facilitate transfer of tacit knowledge. Originality/value Aside from the practical value of this research that is directly influencing the design of a system, it contributes to the body of knowledge on interdisciplinary PhD programs.

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Factors affecting the information-seeking behaviour of postgraduate students at the University of South Africa Ethiopia Regional Learning Centre

Information Development ◽

10.1177/0266666917744824 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (3) ◽

pp. 362-373 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Addisalem Gebrekidan Desta ◽

Madely du Preez ◽

Patrick Ngulube

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Information Needs ◽

Personal Factors ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Electronic Information ◽

Postgraduate Students ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Information Seeking Behaviour ◽

The University

The purpose of this study was to investigate some of the factors affecting the information-seeking behaviour of postgraduate students registered at the University of South Africa (Unisa) as represented by its Ethiopia Regional Learning Centre, with particular emphasis on their use of electronic information resources. A qualitative case study approach was adopted. In semi-structured interviews, eight conveniently selected postgraduate students shared their information-seeking experiences. The data was analysed thematically. The findings identified contextual and personal factors which gave rise to the respondents’ information needs and in turn prompted information activities such as information seeking. Of these, a lack of ICT infrastructure, frequent interruptions in electricity supply, old computers and the location of the Akaki Branch Library proved to be the main factors affecting postgraduate students’ electronic information-seeking behaviour. The findings showed the effect that inadequate facilities have on postgraduate students’ information behaviour.

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The factors that influence a lawyer’s use of and ability to develop effective electronic information seeking behaviour

10.26686/wgtn.17007466 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Geraldine Lewis

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Phenomenological Study ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Research Problem ◽

Training Methods ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Electronic Information ◽

Electronic Resources ◽

Information Seeking Behaviour

<p>Research Problem: The purpose of this research was to discover the factors that influence a New Zealand lawyer’s use of and ability to develop effective electronic information seeking behaviour. There have been no previous studies undertaken in New Zealand to understand the cognitive reasons and the reasons directly related to the resources themselves that impact on why lawyers do, or do not look for information effectively from electronic resources. Methodology: A phenomenological study design was used in order to understand an event from the viewpoint of the participants. Nine New Zealand lawyers participated, providing demographic information and taking part in semi-structured interviews. In addition two of these lawyers took part in a further participant observation. Results: The results indicated that factors personal to the applicant such as their previous training, electronic experience, personality and age have an impact on their ability to develop effective electronic information seeking behaviour. In addition external factors such as cost, time and lack of access directly related to electronic resources also have an impact. Implications: Based on the findings of this report it was found that electronic resources were considered to be an important part of a lawyer’s work and gaining increasing significance. However not all lawyers have the ability to make full use of these electronic resources. Therefore it is important that lawyers are provided with the opportunity to undertake appropriate training and to access high quality electronic resources. Further study needs to be undertaken to look at strategies and training methods required by lawyers and their employers to improve these skills.</p>

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The factors that influence a lawyer’s use of and ability to develop effective electronic information seeking behaviour

10.26686/wgtn.17007466.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

◽

Geraldine Lewis

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Phenomenological Study ◽

Participant Observation ◽

Research Problem ◽

Training Methods ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Electronic Information ◽

Electronic Resources ◽

Information Seeking Behaviour

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The information trust formation process for informal caregivers of people with dementia: a qualitative study

Journal of Documentation ◽

10.1108/jd-01-2021-0014 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Laura Sbaffi ◽

Sarah Hargreaves

Keyword(s):

Information Seeking ◽

Information Needs ◽

Informal Caregivers ◽

Ease Of Use ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Trust Formation ◽

Information Trust

PurposeThis paper provides new insights on trust formation during information-seeking processes of informal caregivers of people with dementia and identifies the sources of information deemed as trustworthy by caregivers.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a phenomenological qualitative approach in the form of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a sample of 20 informal caregivers.FindingsCaregivers trust sources that are perceived as authoritative and particularly value the information and advice provided by other caregivers. Trust in information can be divided into subjective and objective, but both are important precursors to the actual use of the information. The information available to caregivers is sufficient in quantity but inadequate in terms of ease of use, clarity and usefulness. Often, some key information needs remain unsatisfied due to the lack of timeliness, relevance and personalisation of the information.Practical implicationsThis paper provides recommendations for information and healthcare providers on how to improve communication and information relevance for informal caregivers of people with dementia.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to a more comprehensive perspective on caregivers’ information trust formation processes, which takes into account both the characteristics of the information and caregivers’ individual factors.

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Role of social media in information-seeking behaviour of international students

Aslib Journal of Information Management ◽

10.1108/ajim-03-2016-0031 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 68 (5) ◽

pp. 643-666 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Suraya Hamid ◽

Sarah Bukhari ◽

Sri Devi Ravana ◽

Azah Anir Norman ◽

Mohamad Taha Ijab

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

International Students ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Information Needs ◽

Content Type ◽

Information Seeking Behaviour ◽

The Social ◽

Future Direction ◽

Source Of Information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information-seeking behaviour of international students in terms of their information needs and to highlight the role of social media. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, a systematic literature survey was conducted in order to investigate information-seeking trends among international students while using social media. As a result, an exhaustive systematic literature review (SLR) was carried out in order to investigate social media as a source for the observation of the behaviours of international students. For this purpose, 71 articles were selected from various well-known sources after an intensive SLR process of searching, filtering and enforcing the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Findings As an outcome of this study, the information-seeking behaviour of international students was highlighted with respect to social media as a source of information. In addition, this research identifies the information needs of the international students and categorizes them by the roles played by the social media in fulfilling the information needs. Practical implications A comparative study that highlighted the dearth of studies which merge the social media and information-seeking behaviour of international students as well as identify the future direction for the researchers and for benefits of international students. Originality/value A detail SLR which highlights the need of shifting the information seeking behaviour from libraries to social media in regard to the new environment for international students.

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The information behaviours of maximum security prisoners

Journal of Documentation ◽

10.1108/jd-06-2018-0085 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 75 (2) ◽

pp. 417-434 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cheryl Canning ◽

Steven Buchanan

Keyword(s):

Information Seeking ◽

Information Needs ◽

Information Sources ◽

Emotional Needs ◽

Information Need ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Content Type ◽

Maximum Security ◽

Interpersonal Information ◽

Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to advance the understanding of the information behaviours of prisoners, providing insight into their information needs and information-seeking preferences, and the factors influencing their behaviours; to inform education and rehabilitation programmes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is an in-depth qualitative study. The theoretical framework was provided via Chatman’s (1996) concepts of information poverty. Participants were adult male prisoners in a Scottish maximum security prison, and prison staff. Data collection method was semi-structured interviews. Findings Prisoners have a broad range of information needs, many sensitive and many unmet. Interpersonal information sources are predominantly used due to a combination of natural preference and restricted access to other information sources. Issues of stigma and trust influence information behaviours. Further issues include restrictive social norms, and disinformation to incite violence. A significant degree of risk is therefore inherent within interpersonal information interactions, fostering self-protective acts of secrecy and deception amongst prisoners. Unmet emotional needs appear particularly problematic. Research limitations/implications The paper highlights the need for further research exploring issues of unmet emotional needs in prisoners; in particular, assistive methods of need recognition and support in the problematic context. Practical implications The paper identifies significant unmet information needs in prisoners that impact upon their ability to cope with incarceration, and prepare for successful release and reintegration. Originality/value The paper addresses an understudied group of significant societal concern and advances the understanding of information need in context, providing insight into unmet needs and issues of affect in the incarcerated small world context.

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Triggers and strategies related to the collaborative information-seeking behaviour of researchers in ResearchGate

Online Information Review ◽

10.1108/oir-12-2019-0380 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 44 (5) ◽

pp. 1077-1096

Author(s):

Sanam Ebrahimzadeh ◽

Saeed Rezaei Sharifabadi ◽

Masoumeh Karbala Aghaie Kamran ◽

Kimiz Dalkir

Keyword(s):

Information Seeking ◽

Information Needs ◽

Information Science ◽

Qualitative Interviews ◽

Social Networking Site ◽

Easy Access ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Content Type ◽

Information Seeking Behaviour ◽

Collaborative Information Seeking

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the triggers, strategies and outcomes of collaborative information-seeking behaviours of researchers on the ResearchGate social networking site.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from the population of researchers who use ResearchGate. The sample was limited to the Ph.D. students and assistant professors in the library and information science domain. Qualitative interviews were used for data collection.FindingsBased on the findings of the study, informal communications and complex information needs lead to a decision to use collaborative information-seeking behaviour. Also, easy access to sources of information and finding relevant information were the major positive factors contributing to collaborative information-seeking behaviour of the ResearchGate users. Users moved from collaborative Q&A strategies to sharing information, synthesising information and networking strategies based on their needs. Analysis of information-seeking behaviour showed that ResearchGate users bridged the information gap by internalizing new knowledge, making collaborative decisions and increasing their work's visibility.Originality/valueAs one of the initial studies on the collaborative information-seeking behaviour of ResearchGate users, this study provides a holistic picture of different triggers that affect researchers' information-seeking on ResearchGate.

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Information seeking behaviour of parents and caregivers of children with mental illness in Tanzania

Library Review ◽

10.1108/lr-10-2012-0116 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 62 (8/9) ◽

pp. 567-584 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Edda Tandi Lwoga ◽

Neema Florence Mosha

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Health Information ◽

Information Seeking ◽

Information Needs ◽

Case Study Research ◽

Content Type ◽

Level Of Education ◽

Information Seeking Behaviour ◽

Gender Categories ◽

Parents And Caregivers

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to assess information needs and information seeking behaviour of parents and caregivers of children with mental illness at the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre (KCMC) in Tanzania. The study mainly assessed the information needs of parents and caregivers of children with mental illness, their preferable sources of health information, and their constraints on information seeking. Design/methodology/approach – This study used a case study research design, where 168 structured questionnaires were distributed to parents and caregivers of children with mental illness at the Neurological Pediatrics Outpatient Clinic of KCMC. The rate of response was 89.3 per cent. Findings – The study found that health information needs of parents and caregivers were mainly associated with health care (for example, nutrition, treatment) and health education. Parents and caregivers of children with mental illness used the internet as the main source of information about their children's health, which was followed by printed books and television. Health information seeking behaviour appeared similar across gender categories, but there were differences on the use of print and electronic information sources according to age and level of education. The main factors that hindered access to health information included low level of education, lack of funds and health information illiteracy. Practical implications – The paper provides useful suggestions that would facilitate information seeking and use among parents and caregivers of children with mental illness in Tanzania and other countries with similar conditions. Originality/value – Previous studies on the topic are scanty and, therefore, the paper provides important insights into the information needs and information seeking behaviour of parents and caregivers of children with mental illness in a developing country setting.

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