Young adults and everyday-life information: The role of news media

There is a paucity of research examining the everyday-life information seeking of young people, especially investigating the role that the news media has in providing information to young people for use in their everyday lives. A qualitative, interpretivist approach is adopted, involving 34 students, ages 18 to 25, from an Australian university. First, 20 students were interviewed about their news seeking (including topics and sources). Then 14 students participated in verbal protocol analysis, which involved a series of tasks concerning online and print newspapers. Lastly, students were interviewed about how they sought everyday-life information and whether they thought that they had incidentally acquired or encountered information on everyday-life topics in online or print newspapers in the recent past. Findings indicated that, contrary to expectations, traditional print media still played a role for young people, and social media were perceived as important for communication with friends, rather than for news gathering. Purposeful information seeking was more likely to occur online, but both print and online newspapers retained an incidental role in providing information to students for their everyday lives. Participants used a range of media to suit their particular needs and purposes. Thus, access to a wide variety of sources is important for everyday-life information seeking (ELIS) by young people.     

Examining Undergraduate Students' Priorities for Academic Library Services and Social Media Communication

Academic libraries can effectively plan and market their services by identifying the value users perceive in their services and in their social media communications about those services. This study reports on findings of a survey of 104 undergraduate students in information technology courses at a large research university. Results of an ordered logistic regression analysis indicated that students considered access to information and computer resources and study support services as the most important library services offered. Likewise, students perceived library social media postings related to operations updates, study support services, and events as the most useful. Future related research will investigate the needs and priorities for library services of other key user populations of academic libraries, such as graduate students and online students, to assemble service repertoires that are tailored to individual user groups. In addition, future research will examine whether and how libraries can use the analysis of users' engagement with a library's social media postings to inexpensively gauge the value they perceive in library services.     

Perceptions of Information Literacy Skills among Undergraduate Students in the Social Media Environment

This study assessed information literacy perceptions of undergraduate students at Sultan Qaboos University in their use of social media. A quantitative approach was used to collect data from undergraduate students. The study consisted of 1,142 completed questionnaires by randomly selected participants. The results demonstrated overall moderate levels of perceptions toward the evaluation of information, information ethics, legal issues, and privacy issues. In evaluation of information, credibility of information was considered as an important factor to decide whether to use information for academic purposes. This study signifies the importance of understanding perceptions of information literacy among undergraduate students in a specific socio-cultural context. The results can also be generalized to similar academic institutions worldwide. It is also hoped that the study's findings will assist in developing contextual training programs or information literacy quizzes to promote information literacy in the social media environment.     

The relationships between university students' information-seeking strategies,social-media specific epistemological beliefs,information literacy,and personality traits

Due to doubts about the reliability of information in social media environments, and the epistemological beliefs of individuals who use these media, questioning the source of information and the perception of knowledge structure, is an important research topic. A structural model was constructed to explore structures associated with epistemological beliefs (justification for knowing) and online information-seeking strategies. The model included personality traits and information literacy. Data were collected from 190 university students. PLS-SEM was implemented in the analysis of the data. Analysis revealed that there was a significant relationship between epistemological beliefs specific to social media and information-seeking strategies, and information literacy structure has a direct effect on information-seeking strategies. Agreeableness and neuroticism were related with several dimensions of social media-specific beliefs. It was found that the personality trait which has the greatest effect on online information-seeking strategies is conscientiousness.     

Books and Websites,E-Journals or Print: If the Source Fits,Use It

Despite the ever-growing range of media types, formats, and information-access options, students are often instructed to only use specific sources in their research. They are sometimes even given strict guidelines, prescribing how many of each they need to, or may, cite. It is important not to lead students to believe there is a formula for the ideal works cited for all research topics. In contrast, students should learn to think critically about the content and appropriateness of each potential source rather than choosing it only because it is a book, a journal article, a Website, etc. This article argues that requiring students to use, or not use, a source based solely on its format or media type encourages students to choose sources for wrong reasons, pushing critical thinking and source-content evaluation to the periphery of their research processes.     

Information Nation: Education and Careers in the Emerging Information Professions by Jeffrey M. Stanton,Indira R. Guzman,and Kathryn R. Stam

The Future Voices in Public Services column is a forum for students in graduate library and information science programs to discuss key issues they see in academic library public services, to envision what they feel librarians in public service have to offer to academia, to tell us of their visions for the profession, or to tell us of research that is going on in library schools. We hope to provide fresh perspectives from those entering our field, in both the United States and other countries. Interested faculty of graduate library and information science programs, who would like their students' ideas represented in these pages, are invited to contact Nancy H. Dewald at nxd7@psu.edu.

Marissa K. Mason is an MSIS student specializing in archives and records management at the University at Albany's Department of Information Studies. In this essay, she discusses the opportunities and challenges of using various social media for promotional outreach of archives and special collections.

The University at Albany's Department of Information Studies, part of the College of Computing and Information, offers a broad-based Master of Science in Information Science degree accredited by the American Library Association. The program has concentrations in library and information services, archives and records administration, school library media, information management and policy, and information systems and technology. Students learn how information is created, organized, represented, stored, accessed, retrieved, managed and used. In addition, they investigate the uses and impacts of information and technology on individuals, organizations and society, including formal and informal communities, libraries, government, and business. A required internship course helps ensure that the program's graduates are ready to enter the world of information professionals. For more information, see http://www.albany.edu/informationstudies/index.php

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Re-framing information literacy: Problem-based learning as informed learning

This study explores an online information literacy module that uses problem-based learning (PBL). The goal was to enable students to experience information literacy in a richer way, by moving away from a focus on locating information sources to one of information use in the construction of knowledge. A content analysis of the research journals and reflection papers of students (N = 15) in a distance education school library media administration endorsement program suggests that PBL was an effective approach for some students, but not others. Some students were motivated by working on authentic problems, and at least half the students engaged deeply with information and discovered new questions and angles for research during the process. These students applied more sophisticated evaluation strategies and were more metacognitive in their thinking, assessing their progress and shifting strategies as they progressed through the module.     

研究生群体网络信息分享行为动机研究

近年来,社会化媒体的流行使信息分享成为用户主要的信息传播方式。本文通过对研究生群体访谈,了解其利用社会化媒体分享信息的动机,结合马斯诺需求层次理论构建研究生群体信息分享动机模型。通过对342名研究生进行问卷调查来对该模型和假设进行实证分析。结果表明,收藏动机、名誉声望、自身需求、利他动机、安全需要是影响研究生群体信息分享行为的重要因素,而社交动机对研究生群体信息分享行为有着更加显著的影响。     

Voices and Choices: Critical Information/Media Literacy and Behrman’s Practices

ABSTRACT

Studies on information and media literacy focus on describing activities and frameworks individually, and most of the time, connect within the field of library science. However, other frameworks and practices can be used. This case study presents the application of Behrman’s Critical Literacy Practices to information and media literacy to engage students to think critically about information within their field of study. The purpose of this research is to model the information behavior of education students through the perspective of constructivist learning. The study used a qualitative method with six upper-level undergraduate education majors. Activities that comprise practices and theories in both education and library sciences are presented to form a continuous exposure to critical thinking. Factors that influenced how students perceived the validity of information came from personal, educational, and societal factors. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion about critical thinking skills in undergraduate students, presenting a model that describes how practices from other fields can be used and incorporated with information and media literacy.     

How college students evaluate and share “fake news” stories

The spread of “fake news” stories online has become a pressing concern in the United States and around the world in recent years. Social media platforms enable the rapid spread of such misinformation and also make evaluating the credibility of online information more difficult. Since college students are frequent users of social media, they are particularly likely to be exposed to fake news. A survey was conducted with 63 undergraduate students in which they identified and evaluated examples of both fake and real news stories and reported their associated information behaviors. Results showed correlations between accurate identification of fake news stories and specific critical evaluation behaviors and strategies. However, students were unable to accurately evaluate their own skills, and their willingness to share fake news stories on social media was not related to accurate identifications or evaluations of trustworthiness. This study contributes to the understanding of not just how accurately students evaluate fake news stories, but of the specific information-seeking behaviors and critical evaluation strategies that are associated with accurate identifications and evaluations and with willingness to share news stories on social media. Implications for educators and directions for future research are discussed.     

Information Literacy for Undergraduate Business Students: Examining Value,Relevancy, and Implications for the New Century

This article examines the new-century business relevance of information literacy and why it is important for undergraduate business students. It then validates the relevance and value of the elements that make up the concept of information literacy with current business professionals (recruiters and employers). Business professionals were surveyed to reveal their (1) familiarity with the term information literacy, (2) feelings about the relevancy and value of information literacy in the business workplace, (3) perceived competency in information literacy of undergraduate business school graduates, (4) validation of cognitive difficulty elements of information literacy, and (5) reactions to other terms/phrases that more closely align with the concepts of information literacy in the business workplace. Although these business professionals were in general not familiar with the term, once they were informed of its components, they recognized and valued its processes.     

数字媒介与传统媒介在大学生中的公信力比较研究

通过分析北京市大学生抽样调查数据,发现大学生对传统媒介和数字媒介公信力的评价无显著差异,但在具体评价维度上,大学生认为数字媒介信息量更大、反映群众意见更加充分、揭露坏人坏事更加有力;在新闻类型方面,大学生更倾向于相信传统媒介上的经济、文教和科技新闻;对于政治、社会、娱乐新闻等,则更倾向于相信数字媒介上的报道。同时,从受众角度分析媒介公信力的影响因素,发现人口统计学变量对媒介公信力评价没有显著影响,但媒介使用情况对传统媒介公信力评价有显著影响;大学生对不同媒介公信力的评价与其对中国经济社会发展前景的态度显著相关。     

Crowdsourcing as an Approach to Customer Relationship Building in Academic Libraries

Library initiatives to first-year students not only present an opportunity to offer information literacy instruction for student advancement, but they also serve a key marketing function by communicating the library's ongoing value and building customer relationships. Library orientation tours are an example of how to effectively market to first-year students. Combining peer-to-peer learning and user-generated content via social media known as crowdsourcing, Newman Library sponsored a contest challenging first-year students to create a video sharing a useful library tip. The contributions and benefits of this cocreation approach to fostering relationships are examined, and the implications to strengthening other library-user bonds are explored.     

LIS Graduate Students as Library Users: A Survey Study

Library and information science (LIS) students at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, were surveyed to ascertain their patterns of library use and their perceptions of the value of various library services. The data reveals similarities and differences to previously studied general graduate student populations, at both Illinois and other universities. The analysis highlights differences between distance and on-campus students, an important division in LIS professional education. Beyond the utility of the findings for understanding the information needs and behaviors of the target population, the study sheds light on pre-professional LIS students' use of libraries and their attitudes toward services they are being trained to provide.     

Behavioral Indicators of Transformational Leadership in the College Classroom

In this study the author considers the perceptions of university faculty members regarding media literacy education at the university level. Data from faculty interviews (N = 16) suggest that faculty members across multiple disciplines feel that it is important for university students to develop media literacy competencies. Nevertheless, faculty members fell into three categories regarding the extent to which they address media literacy: willing, unwilling because of systemic factors, and unwilling because of personal factors. An exploration of these categories demonstrates the challenges associated with addressing media literacy competencies within higher education.     

The impact of polices on government social media usage: Issues, challenges, and recommendations

Government agencies are increasingly using social media to connect with those they serve. These connections have the potential to extend government services, solicit new ideas, and improve decision-making and problem-solving. However, interacting via social media introduces new challenges related to privacy, security, data management, accessibility, social inclusion, governance, and other information policy issues. The rapid adoption of social media by the population and government agencies has outpaced the regulatory framework related to information, although the guiding principles behind many regulations are still relevant. This paper examines the existing regulatory framework and the ways in which it applies to social media use by the U.S. federal government, highlighting opportunities and challenges agencies face in implementing them, as well as possible approaches for addressing these challenges.     

社交媒体在虚拟学习共享空间的应用研究

[目的/意义]将社交媒体应用于高校图书馆虚拟学习共享空间,探索其助力虚拟学习共享空间快速发展的有效途径,以践行图书馆服务由"以信息资源为中心"向"以学生学习为中心"的转变。[方法/过程]设计以QQ、微信等大学生喜爱善用的在线交流媒体为工具,以"学生服务团队"、主题驱动、多方协同、用户评价等为要素,构建、组织、管理虚拟学习共享空间的机制,并将这种机制应用于一个以"汽车"为主题的虚拟学习共享空间进行了实践研究。[结果/结论]实证研究和用户评价表明,以社交媒体作为工具构建高校图书馆虚拟学习共享空间,适合当下大学生个性化学习的需求;优化"学生服务团队"是其有效运行的关键因素;主题驱动和多方协同提升了其吸引力及其内涵,大学生学习成效显著,参与踊跃。     

Determinants of social media information credibility among university students

This research explored the perceptions of university students about the credibility of information being shared on Facebook. The data were collected using an online questionnaire from university students who were Facebook users. A total of 325 usable responses were received which were analyzed using SPSS. The results revealed that these students perceive information shared on Facebook as credible and of good quality. The source credibility, medium credibility, and information quality had positive and significant relationships with each other. The age, social background, and educational level of students appeared to predict the credibility of information shared on Facebook. These results are useful for information professionals and social media managers in extent to understand and cater to the demands of information consumers. These findings would also be helpful for teachers, information providers, and researchers to understand the perspectives of developing countries' students on the credibility of social media information. Furthermore, this study is supposed to be a valuable addition in existing literature which could provide guidelines for novice researchers, interested in exploring the area, especially in the context of Facebook users in a developing country's context.     

Information source and advertising content preferences of American and Japanese youth

This study compared American and Japanese youth preferences for information sources and advertising content within the context of their respective cultures’ relationship and communication values. It found larger parental involvement and smaller media use for Japanese students. In an interesting reversal from cultural expectations, Japanese students ranked advertising as the most important information source and family as considerably less important, while American students did the opposite. Friends, not family, were the important interpersonal information source for the Japanese. Japanese consumers of the ‘90s may be ‘holonic’: able to be both individualistic and in harmony with groups important to them. The Japanese youth preferences for advertising content—indirect, symbolic, visual, emotional, with infrequent brand identification—were more in line with expectations.     

Use and evaluation of information from social media: A longitudinal cohort study

This cohort study examined longitudinal changes in undergraduates' use of social media as information sources in academic and everyday-life contexts, covering types of social media used, purposes of use, and evaluation strategies. Web surveys were used, collecting data from 1,355 and 928 undergraduates in 2013 and 2019. The study found that students used most types of social media less in 2019 than 2013 in both contexts. Only media-sharing services bucked this downward pattern. Overall, a majority of social media types underwent changes in the top three purposes of use. The 2019 cohort used most evaluation strategies more frequently in both contexts. However, they favored simplistic strategies relying on superficial physical cues when evaluating information. Based on the findings, this study provided recommendations for information literacy education and interface design, such as covering multimedia information evaluation, leveraging various heuristics to prime careful use of social media and analytical evaluation of information.