Exploring Innovative Information Seeking: The Perspectives of Cognitive Switching and Affinity with Digital Libraries

Drawing on adaptive structuration theory (AST), this study develops a research model to explore innovative information seeking in the context of digital libraries from the perspectives of cognitive switching and affinity. Innovative information seeking behavior is the combination of innovative IT (information technologies) use behavior and information seeking behavior and subsequently refers to innovative IT use oriented to information seeking. A research model was developed and survey data were collected. The partial least squares (PLS) structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to verify the research model. The findings suggest that affinity with digital libraries is the most powerful determinant of innovative information seeking. Meanwhile, task nonroutineness and disconfirmation have positive effects on innovative information seeking; the effect of social influence on innovative information seeking is overpowered by affinity with digital libraries. The findings and their implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Gender differences in information seeking behavior in three universities in West Bengal,India

The Information Revolution has resulted in dynamic changes in information dissemination services. It is difficult for most people to understand the dynamic causes, processes, and the effects of these changes on the information world. Gender as a variable has been identified in some studies as a possible influencing variable in information seeking research. Some social psychology depicts physical, mental and social differences between men and women in society. Gender as a variable may be useful for better understanding the cognitive and social background of human information processing and may have important implications for information dissemination services and systems. Hence, it is pertinent to explore the gender-specific differences in information seeking behavior of university students so as to better assist them in their information search processes.

The objective of this study was to determine whether gender as a variable is related to the information seeking behavior of university students. Data were collected from 600 university students studying different disciplines (arts, science and commerce) from three state-aided universities in West Bengal, India. Data tools included a General Information Schedule and an Information Seeking Behavior Inventory. Significant differences were noted in most of the domains of information seeking behavior with respect to gender (male and female). Females scored high on all the domains of information search except in diversity in search where the males were found to be high. The findings may have implications for research and practice in psychology, especially in the subfields of educational institutions, library science, cognitive development, and training and performance appraisal.     

Genetic research and genetic information: a health information professional's perspective on the benefits and risks

BACKGROUND: The completion of the Human Genome Project, and recent breakthroughs in identifying the genes both directly responsible for and contributing to the severity of specific diseases and disabilities in humans offer great potential for future health care. AIM: The aim of the paper is to inform the health information community of these developments in order to foster debate over their wide-reaching implications. METHODS: The article outlines recent research in this area and explains how our growing understanding opens the way for improved diagnosis of disease, detection of possible predisposition to specific diseases, the interaction between genetics and environmental aspects such as diet, as well as enabling gene therapy and preventative actions. This new knowledge also opens the way for the use of pharmacogenetic information to enhance the efficacy of pharmaceuticals and to avoid toxic reactions. RESULTS: These advances have significant social, legal and ethical implications. Most countries have limited legislative control over the use and protection of genetic information about individuals. CONCLUSION: There is a role for health information professionals to play in promoting wider public knowledge of genetic research and its implications, in fostering public debate on key issues, and in seeking clearer policies in the health sector concerning the use of genetic information about individuals.     

Gender differences in information seeking behavior in three universities in West Bengal, India

The Information Revolution has resulted in dynamic changes in information dissemination services. It is difficult for most people to understand the dynamic causes, processes, and the effects of these changes on the information world. Gender as a variable has been identified in some studies as a possible influencing variable in information seeking research. Some social psychology depicts physical, mental and social differences between men and women in society. Gender as a variable may be useful for better understanding the cognitive and social background of human information processing and may have important implications for information dissemination services and systems. Hence, it is pertinent to explore the gender-specific differences in information seeking behavior of university students so as to better assist them in their information search processes.The objective of this study was to determine whether gender as a variable is related to the information seeking behavior of university students. Data were collected from 600 university students studying different disciplines (arts, science and commerce) from three state-aided universities in West Bengal, India. Data tools included a General Information Schedule and an Information Seeking Behavior Inventory. Significant differences were noted in most of the domains of information seeking behavior with respect to gender (male and female). Females scored high on all the domains of information search except in diversity in search where the males were found to be high. The findings may have implications for research and practice in psychology, especially in the subfields of educational institutions, library science, cognitive development, and training and performance appraisal.     

非线性信息搜寻行为研究

文章在借鉴非线性理论的基础上提出非线性信息搜寻行为的概念.随后,重点对信息行为研究领域中采取非线性思维研究信息搜寻行为的Foster非线性信息搜寻行为模型、Spink多任务信息搜寻行为和信息偶遇进行剖析,以对非线性信息搜寻行为有一个更为深刻的理解.最后,得出今后非线性信息搜寻行为的三个研究趋向.     

The citation impact of information behavior theories in scholarly literature

Theories of information behavior have been developed and used in a variety of disciplines to describe the needs, seeking/search/sharing behaviors, and uses of information among individuals and groups in a variety of contexts. While the development of a theory is a complex, evolutionary process, often involving many thinkers over a long period of time, there is generally a single or small group of publications that can be pointed to as the genesis of a theory. The genesis publications for information behavior theories were examined to determine the information behavior theories receiving the most direct citations in scholarly literature. The findings of this study may be beneficial to library and information science researchers in identifying influential and growing theories of information behavior for incorporation as the foundation of their own research.     

Parents’ information seeking during adolescent career development: a test of the theory of motivated information management

Parents are an important source of advice when adolescents are faced with decisions about postsecondary education and career planning; however, parents often need to seek information to facilitate their child’s career development. This study applies the theory of motivated information management (TMIM) to evaluate the decision-making process parents undergo in this context and tests the boundaries of TMIM by considering how individuals use face-to-face (FtF) and online sources to alleviate uncertainty-related anxieties. A community sample of parents (N?=?937) completed a survey regarding their information seeking behaviors surrounding their adolescent’s career development. Parents reported using both FtF and online sources to seek information about their child’s postsecondary plans, and they engaged in different evaluative processes depending on the source of information. Theoretical implications related to TMIM and practical implications related to parents as sources of information in adolescent career development are discussed.     

跨学科信息查寻行为研究文献综述

[目的/意义]总结跨学科信息查寻行为研究现状,提出跨学科信息查寻行为研究中值得关注的问题,为今后的研究提供一定的参考。[方法/过程]通过梳理国内外跨学科信息查寻行为的相关理论成果,在明确相关概念的基础之上,对跨学科信息需求、信息查寻渠道、信息查寻障碍、信息查寻行为模型等方面进行归纳和总结。[结果/结论]研究认为,未来跨学科信息查寻行为研究可在以下4个方面开展:①结合已有研究,系统发掘跨学科信息查寻行为的影响因素;②在D.Ellis经典模型的基础上,构建跨学科信息查寻行为模型;③结合创造心理学,探讨跨学科信息查寻对跨学科知识创新的影响;④针对跨学科信息查寻行为特征,改进信息服务。     

Information behavior of people in the fourth age: Implications for the conceptualization of information literacy

The information literacy (IL) needs of people in the fourth age, a stage of increasing dependence and disability, have not been considered in the research literature. Based on the premise that there are relationships between information seeking and IL, this article begins to bridge this gap by focusing on the information-seeking behavior of the group in an attempt to identify IL needs. It does this through a literature review, particularly drawing on two pieces of human information behavior research, one a new study focused specifically on the group in question. It also examines existing definitions of IL in order to gauge how relevant they appear to be. The reasons for studying this group include that all stages of a person's lifespan deserve to be studied and that the population size of this group increases dramatically in the developed world. Although information needs and sources used are fewer in the fourth age, they are still important to the people involved, thus making IL a relevant concept. The researchers draw implications for IL from the particularities of the information context where disability and frailty impede purposeful information seeking. The resulting emphasis on incidental information acquisition increases the role for social networks and communication, again with implications for IL. Information grounds, where people congregate for purposes other than information sharing, including artificially created ones, will also be important for information dissemination. The role of the Internet, including assistive technology for its use, is also relevant. The conclusion is that IL is crucial to the well-being of people in the fourth age but that existing definitions need to be adjusted to the specific informational context.     

Older adults' health information behavior in everyday life settings

Health information seeking is an important part of older adults' everyday lives as they cope with their health conditions. Semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 older adults in the United States were analyzed using Savolainen's everyday life information seeking (ELIS) model, especially its key concepts such as way of life and mastery of life. The interview data revealed that except for health care providers, a spouse or partner was mentioned as a credible interpersonal source of health information among older adults in a marital or romantic relationship. Characteristics of older adults' health information behavior in the ELIS context were identified based on types of way of life and mastery of life. For example, those who had more varied types of hobbies, including cognitive, affective, and social hobbies, were exposed to diverse people as they performed their daily routine, potentially resulting in different sources of useful health information. In couple relationships, those with an optimistic as opposed to pessimistic attitude toward a problem-solving situation played the information provider role rather than information receiver role.     

Cultural influences on seeking quality health information: An exploratory study of the Korean community

Consumer health information-seeking behavior of members of a local Korean community in Tallahassee, Florida, was explored through semi-structured interviews. Questions explored how this community assessed the quality of health information, and what cultural values influenced their understanding of its quality. Accuracy and reliability were identified as the two most valuable quality characteristics. A commercial type of webpage was considered as a negative indicator for reliability, while information described in detail or displayed reiteratively was a positive indicator. In addition to functional quality criteria, nonfunctional characteristics such as sympathy were found. Above all, findings highlighted that cultural differences limited the use of health information. Quality based selection of information is an important part of a health information seeking process. Findings can give the designers of Web-based consumer health information systems important insights into how to support evaluation of the quality of health information by consumers, and how to reduce barriers to health information seeking and use caused by cultural differences.     

自我效能对网评信息查寻行为的影响研究

结合网评信息的特点与信息行为研究,以自我效能为基础建立网评信息查寻行为模型。根据模型探讨消费者的自我效能在网评信息需求、查找、收集、筛选以及判定信息需求满足5个阶段对查寻行为产生的影响。最后,为增强消费者运用网评信息的效果,从提高消费者自我效能和帮助网商改善网评检索系统等方面提出建议。     

Research agenda for social and collaborative information seeking

Scholars in diverse fields of inquiry have identified the need to expand individual-based information seeking and behavior models and systems to incorporate social as well as collaborative dimensions. However, the research areas of Social Information Seeking (SIS) and Collaborative Information Seeking (CIS) have been largely disconnected from one another despite a few notable attempts to study them under one umbrella. Researchers in these communities have recently realized the value of bringing SIS and CIS together for two main reasons: often it is impossible to separate social and collaborative dimensions in a project; and by considering these two aspects of information seeking, we may be able to support human information behavior in ways not previously possible. A brief synthesis of work in the domains of SIS and CIS is presented here. Then, an integrated view is presented to consider Social and Collaborative Information Seeking (SCIS) as an intersection and extension of SIS and CIS. Benefits of this approach are discussed and the integrated view is used as the basis to present a research agenda that outlines opportunities and challenges unique to SCIS.     

试论基于在校大学生强迫症状个体的信息查寻行为研究

基于强迫症状个体的研究资料,在对强迫症状和强迫症进行区分的基础上,总结强迫症状的特征和诱因,同时揭示强迫症状在大学生中的多发性。结合心理学、医学领域的知识对强迫症状诱因的分析,详述个体人格、性格、情绪等因素与个体信息查寻行为的关系,并结合强迫症状对个体信息查寻行为的研究成果,阐述进行强迫症状个体信息查寻行为研究的可行性。     

Devising and implementing a card-sorting technique for a longitudinal investigation of the information behavior of people with type 2 diabetes

Information behavior research has been conducted predominantly using single-method (often interviews or surveys/questionnaires), cross-sectional research designs. However, there are important benefits to triangulation and the use of longitudinal methods. In preparing to conduct an investigation into the information needs and information seeking and use practices of people with type 2 diabetes, a longitudinal research design was developed that included traditional data collection methods, such as questionnaires and interviews. However, an additional method was developed specifically for this study — a new type of card-sorting technique that would permit the elicitation of participants' judgments regarding the relative usefulness of different sources and types of diabetes related information at different points in time along their journeys with the disease. This technique was well-received by the study participants and it yielded quantitative data that could be analyzed to identify whether any statistically significant changes took place in participants' judgments across time. Furthermore, the incorporation of a think-aloud protocol within this technique yielded invaluable qualitative data that helped to shed light on the reasoning behind participants' usefulness judgments. This new data collection tool has many potential applications within LIS research and practice.     

A multimodal critical discourse analysis of anti-vaccination information on Facebook

In light of recent outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, childhood vaccination has been the subject of significant attention and controversy. Much information seeking and debates about vaccines take place on social media, yet the effects of information context-specific factors on parental information seeking and sharing and information source assessment remain unknown. Through the lenses of reductionist thinking and cognitive authority, this study employed a multimodal critical discourse analysis approach to analyze the textual and graphic information within a public anti-vaccine Facebook group. Findings show that parental information seeking and sharing worked to create an isolated, sentimentalized information context favoring immediacy and emotional impact over scientific research and statistical evidence. Because participants shared fundamental beliefs and goals around vaccines, group members held cognitive authority despite the lack of expertise or evidentiary support in their postings. This controversial information-based movement poses challenges and opportunities for library outreach and information provision.     

老年人在线信息搜寻行为研究述评

[目的/意义]梳理老年人信息搜寻行为的研究进展,有助于厘清老年人在线信息搜寻行为的特征及影响机制,可为老年人网络平台设计、信息资源组织和智能设备研发提供可靠的认识论依据,为顺利推进“智慧医养”建设提供启示。[研究设计/方法]回顾国内外老年人信息搜寻行为研究文献,归纳、分析其主要的研究内容、理论、方法、情境等。[结论/发现]相关研究主要集中在老年人信息搜寻行为影响因素、老年人信息搜寻过程和老年人信息搜寻结果三个方面。当前研究存在跨文化研究和基于纵向数据的研究较少等核心问题;跨文化的老年人信息搜寻行为、将游戏化思想引入老年人信息搜寻过程、进行大样本的自然搜索实验研究等是未来研究中值得关注的几个方向。[创新/价值]详细梳理了老年人在线信息搜寻行为研究进展,指出现有研究存在的问题,并提出未来可关注的研究方向。     

自我效能感与用户信息查寻行为

介绍自我效能感的概念和影响自我效能感形成的因素以及国外将自我效能感理论运用于信息查寻领域的相关研究，借鉴心理学和教育学领域已有的研究成果，从认知、选择、动机和情绪过程分析自我效能感对用户信息查寻行为的重要影响，并针对不同的影响方面，提出通过增强用户自我效能感来提高信息查寻行为效率的4种方法。     

视障用户信息查寻行为研究进展述评

[目的/意义] 总结视障用户信息查寻行为研究现状,提出视障用户信息查寻行为研究中值得关注的问题,为以后的研究提供参考。[方法/过程] 通过梳理国内外视障群体信息查寻行为的相关研究成果,在明确相关概念的基础上,对视障用户的信息查寻行为特征、信息查寻障碍和信息查寻行为模型等方面进行归纳和总结。[结果/结论] 现有研究多集中于视障用户日常信息查寻行为;对视障用户的信息查寻行为模型,信息查寻影响因素以及合作信息查寻行为的研究不够深入。