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The purpose of this article is to explore and propose a way of using power as a theoretical anchor to investigate the information behaviour of people in work roles.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to explore and propose a way of using power as a theoretical anchor to investigate the information behaviour of people in work roles.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews literature on power relevant to the information disciplines. Various models of power are described, and a more sophisticated view, which takes a relational approach to power, is used to suggest how information related behaviour could be investigated.
Findings
In this paper, power is regarded as a pervasive phenomenon involved in all aspects of individual lives, including the aspects emanating from work roles performed by individuals, thus manifesting itself as part of the relationships in the organisation. The paper suggests a framework that links information behaviour to power by arguing that power relations that form part of the processes of the work roles induce the information behaviour exhibited by those people. The paper concludes by pointing to a need for information behaviour researchers to consider power as central to understanding how people seek and use information.
Originality/value
The framework could be used as a tool for designing studies that will enable the collection of data on information behaviour.
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This chapter reviews the study of individual differences in information behaviour; those differences which are not due to demographic factors such as age, gender, education or…
Abstract
This chapter reviews the study of individual differences in information behaviour; those differences which are not due to demographic factors such as age, gender, education or occupation, but rather to personality factors and to learning and thinking styles. It examines studies of patterns in information behaviour and of personality and similar factors in groups of information-focused occupations, as well as studies which have explicitly sought to relate information behaviour to such factors. The aim of the chapter is to assess how far we have come in being able to identify and measure ‘information style’, a quality different from any other categorisation of personality or of intellectual styles. If this goal were achieved, it would be a valuable concept for the academic study of information-related behaviours, as well as being of practical usefulness for the design of information systems and services, the evaluation of the effectiveness of such systems and the training of users. It could also allow a tailored provision of information, particularly for creative or innovative purposes.
This paper aims to report an empirical study of the information‐related behaviour of emerging artists and designers. It also aims to add to understanding of the information…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to report an empirical study of the information‐related behaviour of emerging artists and designers. It also aims to add to understanding of the information behaviour of the group both as practising artists (a little understood category of information users), and also as “new practitioners”.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature analysis is used to guide creation of an online questionnaire, eliciting both qualitative and quantitative data. A total of 78 practising artists participated, all having graduated in the seven years prior to the survey.
Findings
The group have generally the same information practices as more established artists. They place reliance on internet and social networks, while also using traditional printed tools and libraries. Browsing is important, but not a predominant means of accessing information. Inspiration is found from a very diverse and idiosyncratic set of sources, often by serendipitous means. Their status as emergent practitioners means that their information behaviour is governed by cost factors, and by needs for career advice and interaction with peers.
Research limitations/implications
The study group are a convenience sample, all having access to the internet. No observation or interviews were carried out.
Practical implications
The results will provide guidance to academic and public librarians serving artist users, and to those providing career advice to them. It will also be valuable to those providing services to “new practitioners” in any field.
Originality/value
This is one of a very few papers reporting empirical studies of the information behaviour of artists, and has the largest sample size of any such study. It is one of a very few papers considering the information needs and behaviour of new practitioners.
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The role for librarians in knowledge management (KM) in terms of designing information systems, creating classification systems and taxonomies, and implementing and operating…
Abstract
The role for librarians in knowledge management (KM) in terms of designing information systems, creating classification systems and taxonomies, and implementing and operating those systems is obvious. Not so obvious is a key role for librarians in user education and training. A recent study by KPMG of KM systems implementations reveals an alarmingly high failure and disappointment rate, with more than half of the failures attributable to inadequate user training and education (though remarkably this goes essentially unremarked upon). Librarians are skilled in user education and training. The need and the match is obvious. Develops that theme and draws on two other key information phenomena. and draws conclusions from them about the potential role for librarians in user education and training in the context of KM initiatives.
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Amanda Spink and James Currier
Since the beginning of human existence, humankind has sought, organized and used information as it evolved patterns and practices of human information behaviors. However, the…
Abstract
Purpose
Since the beginning of human existence, humankind has sought, organized and used information as it evolved patterns and practices of human information behaviors. However, the field of human information behavior (HIB) has not heretofore pursued an evolutionary understanding of information behavior. The goal of this exploratory study is to provide insight about the information behavior of various individuals from the past to begin the development of an evolutionary perspective for our understanding of HIB.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents findings from a qualitative analysis of the autobiographies and personal writings of several historical figures, including Napoleon Bonaparte, Charles Darwin, Giacomo Casanova and others.
Findings
Analysis of their writings shows that these persons of the past articulated aspects of their HIB's, including information seeking, information organization and information use, providing tangible insights into their information‐related thoughts and actions.
Practical implications
This paper has implications for expanding the nature of our evolutionary understanding of information behavior and provides a broader context for the HIB research field.
Originality/value
This the first paper in the information science field of HIB to study the information behavior of historical figures and begin to develop an evolutionary framework for HIB research.
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Arch G. Woodside, Ray Spurr, Roger March and Heather Clark
This article proposes a theory of direct and indirect inf luences of the Olympic Games on international tourism behavior and presents test results of the theory using a…
Abstract
This article proposes a theory of direct and indirect inf luences of the Olympic Games on international tourism behavior and presents test results of the theory using a quasi-experimental research design and visitor exit data (n = 3,875 useable surveys). Key finding: among prior visitors to Australia, the share searching for information nearly doubles (from 30 to 59 per cent) in comparing visitors reporting no change in awareness to substantial increase in awareness of Australia as a vacation destination due to hosting the Olympics. Conclusion: hosting international mega-events may result in substantial increases in activities and expenditures by visitors but such impacts occur through increases in visitors' search for information.
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Sue Yeon Syn, Donghee Sinn and Sujin Kim
This study aims to investigate how college students' personal information behaviors were impacted by contexts, resource types and perceptions of personal information management.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how college students' personal information behaviors were impacted by contexts, resource types and perceptions of personal information management.
Design/methodology/approach
Using an online survey, a total of 1,194 valid responses were collected from college students. The three contexts used for this study include academic, health and personal digital history. Specific scenarios, along with sets of resource types, were provided for each context.
Findings
The findings show that college students' perceptions and contexts strongly influence their activities related to personal information, and that resource types impact their activities depending on the context in which the resource types are situated. The findings of this study provide evidence of how varying factors influence personal information behaviors at different levels. Information professionals need to design their services and programs in a way that is cognizant of the factors that influence users and the challenges that users meet with in different contexts and resource types.
Originality/value
The findings of this study contribute to personal information research by providing an understanding of how context, perceptions and resource types intertwiningly influence personal information behaviors. This study provides an insight into widely accepted patterns and perceptions of personal information behavior with particular information resource types and within specific contexts.
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During multitasking, humans handle multiple tasks through task switching or engage in multitasking information behaviors. For example, a user switches between seeking new kitchen…
Abstract
Purpose
During multitasking, humans handle multiple tasks through task switching or engage in multitasking information behaviors. For example, a user switches between seeking new kitchen information and medical information. Recent studies provide insights these complex multitasking human information behaviors (HIB). However, limited studies have examined the interplay between information and non‐information tasks.
Design/methodology/approach
The goal of the paper was to examine the interplay of information and non‐information task behaviors.
Findings
This paper explores and speculates on a new direction in HIB research. The nature of HIB as a multitasking activity including the interplay of information and non‐information behavior tasks, and the relation between multitasking information behavior to cognitive style and individual differences, is discussed. A model of multitasking between information and non‐information behavior tasks is proposed.
Practical implications/limitations
Multitasking information behavior models should include the interplay of information and non‐information tasks, and individual differences and cognitive styles.
Originality/value
The paper is the first information science theoretical examination of the interplay between information and non‐information tasks.
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The purpose of this paper is to build a unified model of human information behavior (HIB) for integrating classical constructs and reformulating the structure of HIB theory.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to build a unified model of human information behavior (HIB) for integrating classical constructs and reformulating the structure of HIB theory.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper employs equilibrium perspective from partial equilibrium theory to conceptualization and deduction, starting from four basic assumptions.
Findings
This paper develops two models to incorporate previous HIB research approaches into an equilibrium-analysis-oriented information supply-demand (ISD) framework: first, the immediate-task/problem-based and everyday life information-seeking (ELIS)-sense-making approaches are incorporated into the short-term ISD model; second, the knowledge-construction-oriented and ability-based HIB research approaches are elaborated by the long-term ISD model. Relations among HIB theories are illustrated via the method of graphical reasoning. Moreover, these two models jointly reveal the connection between information seeking in immediate problematic situations and long-term ability improvement.
Originality/value
The equilibrium framework enables future research to explore HIB from three perspectives: stages: group the classical concepts (e.g. anomalous state of knowledge, uncertainty) into different stages (i.e. start state, process, goal state) and see how they interact with each other within and across different stages; forces: explore information behaviors and information-related abilities as information supply and demand forces, and see how different forces influence each other and jointly motivate people to pursue the equilibriums between outside world and mental model; and short term and long term: study the connections between short-term information seeking and long-term ability improvement at both theoretical and empirical levels.
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