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.     

The IT2 Survey: contextual knowledge (XK) influences on teacher candidates’ intention to integrate technology

Educational technology research and development - Prior to this study, a testable model for the influence of contextual knowledge (XK) on teacher candidates’ intention to integrate technology...     

Social Networks and Archival Context: From Project to Cooperative Archival Program

This article highlights the objectives and outcomes of the multi-year Social Networks and Archival Context (SNAC) research and demonstration project and discusses related developments to establish a large-scale sustainable cooperative for maintaining information about creators of archival collections, leveraging the Encoded Archival Context—Corporate Bodies, Persons, and Families (EAC-CPF) standard. The article discusses processes developed to derive EAC-CPF records from existing EAD finding aids, MARCXML records, and original authority records, enrichment of those records from other sources, and the creation of a prototype research resource, providing integrated access to dispersed archival collections and the social-historical context of the collections.