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This paper relayed an important line of Mark Hepworth’s work, which engages with information technologies and development. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a subfield of library and information science (LIS) for development to reclaim the role of information services and systems for social change in rural areas. The paper looked at the extent of development gained with the advent of mobile phones.

Rather than undertaking traditional large-scale, quantitative, context-independent and survey-type research, the paper employed capability approach and semi-structured interviews to ascertain the experiences that mobile phone kiosk vendors in the rural Congo had of mobile phones.

It was found that mobile phones should be geared towards the liberation, and not utilization or commodification of humans and their needs and that mobile phones were not a catalyst of human basic capabilities.

Since the method employed is an in-depth qualitative analysis of mobile phone kiosk vendors, obtained results can be used to enrich or inform mobile phone experiences in other settings and groups.

This paper provided empirical evidence as to how an important group of mobile phone users could harness development with their mobiles.

Most LIS literature has presented mobile phones along the lines of information freedom or access, mass subscription, adoption rates, technological and entrepreneurial innovation, micro-credits, etc. However, the paper placed the topic development at the heart of LIS debates.

The purpose of this paper is to review key models of people’s information behaviour (IB) exploring the integration of the concepts of information literacy (IL) and knowledge in their designs. Scholarly perspectives portray IL as providing individuals with capacity for good information practices that result in generating new knowledge. It is surprising that this important perspective is not reflected in the reviewed IB models. This paper contributes to the literature base by proposing a new model highlighting IL and knowledge as important concepts within the IB discourse.

A discourse of the integration of IL and knowledge, which are integral factors, associated with IB, in selected IB models.

Identifying a need for information and understanding its context is an IL attribute. IL underpins IB in providing awareness of information sources; how to search and use information appropriately for solving information needs and leveraging generated new knowledge. The generation of new knowledge results from using information, in a process that combines with sense-making and adaption. Correspondingly, the knowledge that develops, increases capability for sense-making and adaptation of information to suit various contexts of need, iteratively.

A new model of IB; the causative and outcome factors of information behaviour (COFIB) is proposed. COFIB stresses that IL and knowledge are prominent factors within the general framework of people’s IB. The model emphasises knowledge generation as the outcome of IB, applied in solving problems within specific contexts.

Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to study the information needs of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in the UK. Categories of information need were identified; their importance and difficulty in obtaining them quantified. The research highlighted how there were significant differences in terms of people’s desire for the information, the topics in which they were interested and how they wanted that information. Information provision to people with MS was found to have improved dramatically over the last seven years, but was found to be inconsistent in terms of subjects covered. However, it should be borne in mind that it may be difficult for people to take on board information for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, different individual needs mean that information provision is a complex task. Many intervening factors can make it fail. The research made it clear how access to relevant information, provided in an appropriate way, could significantly improve the quality of life of the person with MS and that there is considerable scope for improving provision of information to people with MS.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the Malay children’s information needs from their experience with parental cancer using information behaviour techniques to elicit sensitive information that provided an indication of what children were thinking.

Data collection adapted the participatory action research method and used participatory-based techniques that included drawings, essays and interviews. Data explication used an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach. Social constructionism, learning theory and cognitive theory were used to analyse the data. In total, 32 participants took part, ten mothers with breast cancer at different stages of their cancer journey, and 32 children between 6 and 18 years old.

There are shortcomings in the provision of cancer information for Malay children. Unlike verbose and difficult to digest medical definitions and descriptions about cancer and its treatment, the Malay children defined cancer as having components made from their experiences and observations about how cancer affected their parent. The findings explain the relationship between children participants’ reaction to a health situation and the subsequent processes they undergo to resolve their state of information need.

It highlights the importance of determining information needs and the combined methods used to gain and interpret the experience children face with a parental cancer diagnosis. The findings about ethnic-based information problems, needs and provision for dependent children of cancer patients are one of the original contributions of this research. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is believed to be the first in-depth qualitative and highly participative study of the implications of cancer for dependent children of Malay cancer patients.

The purpose of this paper is to honour the contributions of Mark Hepworth to library and information science (LIS).

The personal views of the two authors, both of whom knew Hepworth for many years.

The significance of Hepworth’s research in LIS, in particular to studies of information behaviour and information literacy.

Demonstrates the community’s appreciation of Hepworth’s contributions to the discipline.

This paper seeks to identify the changes in cognition associated with becoming information‐literate, specifically, in relation to the evaluation of information. Additionally, it puts forward a model for a teaching and learning intervention that engages the learner and leads to higher order information literacy (IL) thinking. From a theoretical perspective the research integrates ideas from the fields of IL, teaching and learning, e‐learning and information behaviour (IB).

Three interventions were designed to develop the information literacies of first‐year undergraduates studying Sport and Exercise at Staffordshire University, to teach and test IL. Interventions took a blended approach and combined face‐to‐face and online social network learning (OSNL) – also referred to as social media learning (SML) – and focused on one aspect of information literacy: the ability to evaluate source material. Data were captured via interviews, focus groups and from the online discussion that was analysed thematically and categorised using task, behaviour, cognitive states, affective states, cognitive states and knowledge. This helped to evaluate the efficacy of the interventions and provided data for further analysis. This paper focuses on the cognitive data and their transitions during the interventions and, in particular, among those respondents who experienced OSNL.

The changing cognitive states, associated with IL learning were modelled and made evident key cognitive states and transitions. This is represented in the paper in diagrammatic and mathematical notation. The findings indicate the complexity of the information behaviours associated with IL including the cognitive, behavioural, cognitive and affective elements. Although the cognitive transitions are the focus of this paper, an insight is also given into an IL intervention that fosters the capability to interact critically and reflectively with information. The pedagogy that underpins these changes is indicated. The intervention, which incorporated OSNL, proved the most successful.

Undergraduate students' IB can be changed and IL developed. Additional long‐term data would have indicated whether this intervention had a lasting impact on the undergraduates.

IL practitioners should consider incorporating OSNL and assessment in their interventions. Incorporating discussion, reflection and peer‐to‐peer assessment is likely to lead to deeper learning when teaching IL.

The research adds detail to the understanding of the cognitive, behavioural, affective and cognitive states associated with IL and makes explicit how these may change, as the learner becomes information‐literate.

The purpose of this paper is first to highlight some of the social phenomena that are driving the design of people‐centred information solutions; second, to develop a broad ontology of information behaviour research that serves to identify factors that should be taken into account when designing such solutions. Finally, the author illustrates how this knowledge is being applied in the design of people‐centred inclusive information products and services.

The author draws on the information behaviour literature to highlight key drivers and to develop and illustrate the ontological framework. The significance of this framework is then demonstrated by providing examples of how this knowledge has been applied in the design of people‐centred inclusive information products and services.

This is a conceptual paper and based on the informed, subjective analysis of previous research. However, relating theory to practice does provide an indication of the validity of this conception of one's knowledge of information behaviour to people‐centred design.

The paper helps to provide an overview of information behaviour research, the nature of the domain and the levels of abstraction. The article also makes a direct link between the theoretical world of information behaviour research and the empirical world of people‐centred design. Hence, it also presents a case for the importance of the body of knowledge that people in information science refer to as information behaviour.

Most people would agree with C.L. Bernier who said that ‘Our entire culture is largely in the hands of obsolescent professionals who are forced unwillingly into ever narrower and counterproductive specialisation’. On the other hand consider this: ‘The spread of information and computer technology… carries with it implications for the location of activities and the development of cities and regions as profound as the spread of railways, roads and electric power’. (John Goddard in the Preface to Mark Hepworth's book Geography of the Information Economy, Belhaven Press, 1989.)

As the range and volume of information available online increases so does the number and diversity of potential new users. Unlike the more traditional users of online services these new users will come from many backgrounds and have varying levels of experience. Many of mem will also have raised expectations of the level of sophistication of computer interfaces as a result of using a range of different microcomputer applications. This article describes the advantage to end users of PC‐based interfaces to online search services, with particular reference to freeway, a system developed for end user searching of FT Profile. The stages in the development of freeway and a description of its operation under Windows is given.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a critical discussion on the nature of research into people's information behaviour, and in particular the contribution of the phenomenological approach for the development of information solutions.

The approach takes the form of a conceptual analysis drawing on the research literature and personal research experience.

The paper brings to the foreground the relative value of different conceptual approaches and how these underpin and relate to the development of information solutions.

The paper, due to the breadth and complexity of the subject, serves to highlight key issues and bringing together ideas. Some topics deserve further explanation. However, this was beyond the scope of this paper.

A conceptual framework is provided that indicates the value of the epistemic spectrum for information behaviour studies and provides support for action research and participative design.

Taking a phenomenological approach, and consequently either a first person approach and/or a highly participative approach to research, challenges the relationship between researcher and respondent. It also raises questions about why the authors conduct research and for whom it is intended.

The paper makes explicit the underlying philosophical assumptions and how these ideas influence the way the authors conduct research; it highlights the significance of Cartesian dualism and indicates the significance of these assumptions for the development of information solutions. It supports the view that researchers and developers should be open to respondents leading the exploration of their needs.