scholarly journals Assessing the Quality of Websites Relating to Complementary and Integrative Health: A Review of Five Domains (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annie T Chen ◽  
Lisa Taylor-Swanson ◽  
Ronald W. Buie ◽  
Albert Park ◽  
Mike Conway
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Message Content ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Source Attribution ◽  
Presentation Style ◽  
Integrative Health ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Seeking Behavior

BACKGROUND In recent years, we have seen both an increase in the utilization of complementary and integrative health (CIH) care, and an increase in information-seeking behavior focused on complementary and integrative health. Thus, understanding the quality of CIH information that is available on the Internet is an imperative. Though there have been a limited number of studies that have evaluated the quality of websites providing information about specific CIH-related topics, a broad evaluation of CIH websites has yet to be conducted. OBJECTIVE This study was designed to fill that gap. We set out to perform an assessment of website quality in five CIH domains: acupuncture, homeopathy, massage, reiki and yoga. Our research had three main aims: 1) to evaluate the quality of these websites; 2) to evaluate characteristics of websites which may affect readers’ perceptions of websites, specifically message content, structural features, and presentation style; and 3) to investigate the extent to which harms, benefits and purposes of use are stated on websites. METHODS This study employed a systematic search strategy to identify websites in each of the target domains to be evaluated. The websites were then classified by type, and a set of checklists focusing on quality, message content, structural features, and presentation style were used to evaluate the websites. Lastly, we performed content analysis to identify harms, benefits, and perceived purposes of use. RESULTS There were similarities across domains in terms of their overall quality and their message content. Across all domains, a high proportion of websites received a score of 2 on ownership, currency, interactivity and navigability. Scores were more variable with respect to authorship, balanced presentation of information and the use of sources of information. However, there were differences in terms of their structural features and presentation style. Acupuncture and reiki sites tended to include more external links, and yoga, fewer. The presence of physical locations was more common among homeopathy and massage websites. Additionally, there was variation across domains in the extent to which the websites contained domain-specific terminology. Websites tended to provide a large list of potential benefits, while reporting of harms was scarce. CONCLUSIONS There is a need to emphasize inclusion of authorship attribution, balanced presentation of information, and source attribution in online CIH information. There is also a need to better understand how individuals may interact with CIH websites, and to develop tools to assist people to interpret the CIH-related information that they encounter.

Efektivitas Komunikasi Pendamping Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 894
Author(s):  
Yara Falmira Dianira
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Rank Correlation ◽  
Communication Effectiveness ◽  
Message Content ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Source Information ◽  
Spearman Rank Correlation ◽  
Level Of Understanding ◽  
Corporate Social

ABSTRACT An important factor for the success of a CSR program is effective communication. Communication will be effective if it has an impact. If the information is conveyed based on the needs, then the communication will be effective. This study aims to analyze the factors which are related to the effectiveness of CSR communication. This study used a census method to approach 37 participants who received CSR programs. The Data analysis used the Spearman rank correlation for the statistical tests. The results showed that there was a correlation between factors that have the strength of CSR companion communication (level of attractiveness of the companion, quality of message content, and sources of information) which have real communication at the level of understanding of the participants of the Kertajaya Creative Destination (KCD) CSR program. In addition, there is a real correlation the factors that have the strength of CSR companion communication (the level of credibility of the companion, the source information, and the level of the recipient) and having communication at the level of attitudes of participants in the Kertajaya Creative Destination (KCD) CSR program. However, there is no real correlation between CSR companion communication factors and participant actions.Keywords :communication effectiveness, CSR, elements of communication. ABSTRAK Faktor penting dari keberhasilan program CSR adalah komunikasi yang efektif. Komunikasi dikatakan efektif jika menimbulkan dampak. Bila informasi tersampaikan sesuai dengan kebutuhan, maka komunikasi yang dijalankan efektif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis efektivitas komunikasi pendamping CSR. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan sensus terhadap 37 orang peserta penerima program CSR. Analisis data menggunakan uji statistik korelasi rank Spearman. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa terdapat hubungan nyata antara faktor efektivitas komunikasi pendamping CSR (derajat daya tarik pendamping, kualaitas isi pesan, dan sumber informasi)  dengan efektivitas komunikasi pada tingkat pemahaman peserta program CSR Kertajaya Creative Destination (KCD). Selain itu, terdapat hubungan nyata antara faktor efektivitas komunikasi pendamping CSR (tingkat kredibilitas pendamping, sumber informasi, dan tingkat penerima) dengan efektivitas komunikasi pada tingkat sikap peserta program CSR Kertajaya Creative Destination (KCD). Namun, tidak terdapat hubungan nyata antara faktor efektivitas komunikasi pendamping CSR dengan tindakan peserta. Kata Kunci : CSR, efektivitas komunikasi, unsur-unsur komunikasi.

Information seeking behaviour ofArab social science and humanities postgraduates: Adescriptive study

2021 ◽  
pp. 116-137
Author(s):  
Ahmed Maher Khafaga Shehata ◽  
Amr Hassan Fatouh Hassan
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Search Engines ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
English Language ◽  
Arabic Language ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Social Sciences And Humanities ◽  
Seeking Behavior

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study of information-seeking behavior among a group of Arab postgraduate students in social science and humanities disciplines. The paper also explores information-seeking styles and examines how information seeking is affected by external factors. The study employed a qualitative approach to explore informationseeking behavior in the sample and the sources of information used to obtain scholarly information. A sample of 33 participants was interviewed to elucidate the information-seeking behavior of the Arabic language speakers. The analysis of the interviews revealed that the participants use different methods to find information on the internet. These methods vary from using search engines to using sites that provide pirated scholarly papers. The data showed that most of the sample students use search engines and databases provided by their universities, but they should be trained in research ethics to avoid unacceptable research practices. The results also indicate that searching in other languages represents a challenge for Arab postgraduates in the social sciences and humanities. This study was conducted with social science and humanities postgraduates as part of a series of studies aiming to explore Arab language speakers' scholarly practices. The information-seeking behavior of science disciplines may differ, as the teaching language is mainly in English. This study contributes to the field by expanding our understanding of how non-English language speakers seek scholarly information and what sources are used to obtain the scholarly papers.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing Information Seeking Behaviour for Halal Food Products Among Malaysian Muslim Consumers: A Conceptual Framework

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Firas S. Omari ◽  
Norhidayah Azman ◽  
Roesnita Ismail
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Global Economy ◽  
Food Product ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Information Seeking Behavior ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Halal Food ◽  
Potential Factors

In the new global economy, information seeking behavior of halal food products has become a central issue for Muslims. Muslims in Malaysia form two-third of the entire population who makes the significance of consuming halal food products. This paper presents a conceptual framework on the information seeking behavior of Malaysian Muslim consumers while searching for halal food products. This conceptual framework presents the potential factors that might influence the information seeking behavior for halal food products among Malaysian Muslim consumers. This paper assumes that there is a relationship among human information attributes, namely: attitude, habit and awareness of individual and sources of information as factors that may lead to an effective information searching process. This study provides insights into how Malaysian Muslim consumers seek information for a halal food product that offers an effective searching process.

Influence of ethnicity, gender, and immigration status on millennials’ behavior related to seeking health information

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 621-631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roofia Galeshi ◽  
Jyotsna Sharman ◽  
Jinghong Cai
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Primary Source ◽  
Immigration Status ◽  
Health Seeking ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Source Of Information

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand the behavior diversities that exist among young millennials’ subgroups in ways they seek health-related information. Design/methodology/approach The authors ran several sets of analyses on the 2012–2014 US Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) Data using Stata. The population was stratified into four specific subgroups based on their gender, ethnicity—blacks, Hispanics and whites—immigration status, college status—whether they were enrolled in a program of study at the time of the survey. The outcome variables were sources of health information including print (books/magazines/brochures), traditional media (Radio/TV), internet, family/friends/co-workers and health professionals. The independent variables were gender, ethnicity, educational status and immigration status. The authors utilized the appropriate sample weight derived by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development so the findings can be generalized to the populations. The analysis included several descriptive statistics and χ2 test of independence. Findings Despite similarities, young adults’ health seeking behavior is complex influenced by gender, ethnicity, immigration status and education. The results indicated that while the internet is the primary source of health-related information for all young adults, there are subtle differences in utilizing other available resources. For example while more educated young adults seek help from their family members, the less educated peers use the media to obtain health-related information. Ethnicity has also an effect on young adults’ information seeking behavior. The number of Hispanics and blacks that obtain their information from traditional media is significantly higher than their white counterparts. Research limitations/implications This study has several limitations. First, the authors did not consider the effect of young adults’ digital literacy skills, problem solving skills and numeracy skills on their health seeking approach. Including these cognitive skills could reveal key information about young adults approach to information seeking that is not apparent by race, ethnicity and gender only. Another limitation of this study is the lack of the ability to claim causation, PIAAC data are designed strictly for cross-sectional analysis. Practical implications Although, behaviors often do not change simply by presenting information, trying to change behavior without improving individuals’ understanding of the issue by providing accurate information is likely to fail. Providing standardized health-related information sources that are accessible to all is vitally important. The results indicate that while the majority of young adults use the internet as their primary source of information only a few percentage of young adults seek information from health professional. Consequently, there is a need for an easily accessible and standardized online health-related source of information. Social implications Healthcare facilities and health related industries have the resources and the ability to develop a reliable infrastructure that could potentially provide reliable information that is easy to understand and navigate for adults with a variety of literacy and skills to use. Perhaps adopting the Universal Design for Learning approach and providing information that is accessible to a variety of individuals regardless of their education, learning skills and language skills. Flexible learning resources provided within a standard infrastructure accessible to all can help individuals find trustworthy and consistent information that they can trust. Originality/value Despite the unique characteristics of the millennials and the profound change in the way young adults seek information, there is a paucity of research on the ways young adults seek health-related information. Most existing literature is based on locally developed surveys and convenient sampling with limited reliability and validity information. Consequently making a sweeping statement based on their findings is considered as hasty generalization. The PIAAC, on the other hand, is a nationally representative data, extensively examined for its validity and reliability.

Pregnancy-related health information behaviour of Estonian women

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kadri Ojaperv ◽  
Sirje Virkus
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Maternity Hospital ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Pregnancy And Childbirth ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Search For Information

Purpose This study aims to increase the understanding of the pregnancy-related information behavior (IB) of pregnant women in Estonia. Design/methodology/approach The research involved a quantitative research methodology consisting of a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was collected from pregnant Estonian women through a self-administered Web-based questionnaire using a convenience sampling during the period from January to February 2019. A total of 300 pregnant women answered the questionnaire. The data were analysed using statistical analysis and the results of the study were compared with the results of previous studies. Findings The three topics on which information was most frequently sought were: fetal development, use of medicines during pregnancy and symptoms of pregnancy. The main sources of information were the internet and the midwife. The most reliable and valuable source of information was a midwife. Health-related information was sought mainly because it helped women make decisions related to pregnancy and childbirth. A number of factors facilitate the information seeking process. In addition, widespread access to the internet and technological skills facilitated IB. The following factors hindered the search for information: the controversy and/or ambiguity of information published on the internet and the time spent searching for information. Most women used wearable technologies during pregnancy. Research limitations/implications This study has several limitations. First, the weakness of online surveys is the potential lack of representativeness, as it excludes from the survey those who do not have access to or ability to use the internet for various reasons (Evans and Mathur, 2005; Limbu et al., 2021). Second, as most recruitment for the study took place online, there was a risk that those who did not use the internet could be excluded from the survey. Third, as the questionnaire was also shared in the Facebook news feed by the Women’s Clinic and Maternity Hospital of the East Tallinn Central Hospital, it may be that the respondents recruited through it more often used the support provided by medical professionals. Fourth, due to the volume limits of the study, it is not possible to present all the results of the study on the basis of socio-demographic characteristics and stage of pregnancy. Therefore, the findings cannot be generalized to the broader population and future studies should explore a larger and more representative populations. Practical implications This study will give some useful information to help to improve the services offered for pregnant women in Estonia. Social implications The findings of this study may inform how to better support this target group. Originality/value There is a lack of research in Estonia that focuses on the IB of pregnant women and this research fills this gap.

scholarly journals Socio-Psychological Factors as Determinants to Information-Seeking Behavior of LIS Undergraduates in Kwara State

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-62
Author(s):  
Kabir Alabi Sulaiman
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Sources Of Information ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Information Seeking Behaviour ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Search For Information ◽  
Use Of Internet ◽  
Descriptive Survey

This study examines socio-psychological factors as determinants to information-seeking behaviour of LIS undergraduates in Kwara state. A descriptive survey method was adopted. A questionnaire was used to collect data for the study. The total population for the study is 2392. From which the sample size of 333 was selected using Raosoft size calculator. The study revealed that most of LIS undergraduate have fear during information searching process. The study also revealed that LIS undergraduates are of opinions that having access to the internet improves their ability to search for information. It was also found out that most of LIS undergraduates were helped with internet to have access to various sources of information simultaneously. In conclusion, there is a significant relationship between computer/internet and information-seeking behaviour of LIS undergraduates in Kwara state. This research recommends that LIS undergraduate should improve confidence in the use of internet/computer to seek information with ease and LIS undergraduate should develop a mechanism for self-confidence while seeking for information

AN APPLICATION OF THE ISO/IEC 25010 STANDARD IN THE QUALITY-IN-USE ASSESSMENT OF AN ONLINE HEALTH AWARENESS SYSTEM

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Azham Hussain ◽  
Emmanuel O.C. Mkpojiogu
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Health Awareness ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Online Portal ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
Health Related ◽  
User Expectations ◽  
Awareness System ◽  
Quality In Use

Research studies show that there is an upsurge in the number of users surfing the Internet for online health related information. This increase in information seeking behavior on the Web gives rise to the need to ensure that Web based portals meet basic quality in use standards. The ISO/IEC 25010 standard was developed as a model for evaluating such quality in user expectations. In this paper, this standard was used to assess the quality in use of e-Ebola Awareness System, an online health awareness portal. The results provide some insights into the quality into the use of the online portal and also pointing to some issues that impact negatively on the quality in use of the portal, demanding attention and improvement.  

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.

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