Public Information Service

Insufficient examination of social factors obscures the reason why non-human information sources are under-utilised by social groups with lower information literacy. This study explores the mechanism of information source selection (ISS) of Chinese migrant farmer workers (MFWs) in different industries by conducting a cross-context analysis. After iterative analyses of multiple cases, a theoretical model of information source selection within an individual’s information world is constructed. It explains why MFWs make more use of social capitals than non-human information sources in information seeking. Besides, the information needs are examined form both the needed information and the need itself. A classification of social capital as human information source is created and the roles that social capitals and non-human information sources play in ISS are identified. This study provides novel theoretical insights into the ‘old’ issue of ISS, and thus has practical implications for public information service providers and MFW-related policy makers.

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The Design of Public Information Service System Based on Public Demand

LISS 2012 ◽

10.1007/978-3-642-32054-5_96 ◽

2012 ◽

pp. 685-690

Author(s):

Chunfang Guo ◽

Chongying Sun

Keyword(s):

Service System ◽

Information Service ◽

Public Information ◽

Public Demand

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Public Information Service for the Disadvantaged in China’s Towns

Technology Diffusion and Adoption ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-2791-8.ch012 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 182-199

Author(s):

Jianbin Zhang

Keyword(s):

Group Discussion ◽

Social Groups ◽

Information Service ◽

Public Information ◽

Field Research ◽

Financial Investment ◽

The Public ◽

Development Policies ◽

The Status ◽

Group Distribution

This study uses the methods of questionnaire and group discussion to conduct field research in A and B towns, which are located in the eastern developed region and the western undeveloped region of China, respectively. According to comparative study on the status of providing public information service for the disadvantaged between A and B towns, the author finds that the public in A town are superior to the ones in B in terms of information literacy, public information service expenditure, and satisfaction rate of public information service. Similarities exist in terms of differences in accessing public information service between town and village, among social groups, and the causes resulting in imbalance of public information service and features of the information-poor’s group distribution. The author discusses the differences in development policies between city and village, as well as differences in financial investment of public information service, education, and individual’s income level between A and B towns.

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Public Information Service for the Disadvantaged in China's Towns

International Journal of Technology Diffusion ◽

10.4018/jtd.2011070101 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Jianbin Zhang

Keyword(s):

Group Discussion ◽

Social Groups ◽

Information Service ◽

Public Information ◽

Field Research ◽

Financial Investment ◽

The Public ◽

Development Policies ◽

The Status ◽

Group Distribution

This study uses the methods of questionnaire and group discussion to conduct field research in A and B towns, which are located in the eastern developed region and the western undeveloped region of China, respectively. According to comparative study on the status of providing public information service for the disadvantaged between A and B towns, the author finds that the public in A town are superior to the ones in B in terms of information literacy, public information service expenditure, and satisfaction rate of public information service. Similarities exist in terms of differences in accessing public information service between town and village, among social groups, and the causes resulting in imbalance of public information service and features of the information-poor’s group distribution. The author discusses the differences in development policies between city and village, as well as differences in financial investment of public information service, education, and individual’s income level between A and B towns.

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