College Students' Credibility Judgments in the Information-Seeking Process

Part of the Volume on Digital Media, Youth, and CredibilityThis chapter presents an in-depth exploration of how college students identify credible information in everyday information-seeking tasks. The authors find that credibility assessment is an over-time process rather than a discrete evaluative event. Moreover, the context in which credibility assessment occurs is crucial to understand because it affects both the level of effort as well as the strategies that people use to evaluate credibility. College students indicate that although credibility was an important consideration during information seeking, they often compromised information credibility for speed and convenience, especially when the information sought was less consequential

Internet Information and Communication Behavior during a Political Moment: The Iraq War, March 2003

This article explores the Internet as a resource for political information and communication in March 2003, when American troops were first sent to Iraq, offering us a unique setting of political context, information use, and technology. Employing a national survey conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life project. We examine the political information behavior of the Internet respondents through an exploratory factor analysis; analyze the effects of personal demographic attributes and political attitudes, traditional and new media use, and technology on online behavior through multiple regression analysis; and assess the online political information and communication behavior of supporters and dissenters of the Iraq War. The factor analysis suggests four factors: activism, support, information seeking, and communication. The regression analysis indicates that gender, political attitudes and beliefs, motivation, traditional media consumption, perceptions of bias in the media, and computer experience and use predict online political information behavior, although the effects of these variables differ for the four factors. The information and communication behavior of supporters and dissenters of the Iraq War differed significantly. We conclude with a brief discussion of the value of "interdisciplinary poaching" for advancing the study of Internet information practices

Researchers’ information needs in the bibliographic database : a literature review

This article presents a literature review whose aim was to identify the reported information needs of researchers when they consult bibliographic databases. Initially, 192 articles were retrieved using Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases. After applying the criteria for exclusion, the number of articles was reduced to 16, which is already an indicator of the small number of studies on this specific topic. The results show that it is hard to identify the information needs of researchers. They also show that the researchers have been requiring information with a higher degree of granularity. We conclude that although the available studies provide important information about the researchers’ information needs and hints on how to address them, there is a need for more in-depth studies. The results of these deeper studies may be useful to serve as an indication for the creation of new procedures and tools, including those based on new metadata elements drawn to improve search results on Linked Open Data tools.CAPES Foundation, Ministry of Education of BrazilFCT – Fundacão para a Ciência e Tecnologia within the Project Scope: PEst-OE/EEI/UI0319/2014

The Influence of Information Stimulus Event on Human Information Behavior

People use information systems to seek information. Transformative technologies have increased the number of information sources and amount of time people consume interacting with them. However, life is overloaded with unpredictable and uncontrolled information sources, generating anxiety, stress, and uncertainty. While the Management Information Systems field is concerned with understanding how to increase adoption of information systems that represent formal information sources, transformative technologies are selected by users and used to perform work tasks. Given this scenario, we present a new approach to investigate user behavior in this information context. The objective of this research in progress is to investigate information stimulus event, which influences human information behavior in the context of the large number of information sources. We hope to provide a new model to assist the academic community, practitioners, and society to understand this phenomenon, as well as to improve IS design and help individuals to advance their experience and interaction with IS

Comportamento informacional versus comunicação: aplicação de modelos em contextos multidisciplinares

This paper deals with the information behavior as support for models of communication design in the areas of Information Science, Library and Music. The communication models proposition is based on models of Tubbs and Moss (2003), Garvey and Griffith (1972), adapted by Hurd (1996) and Wilson (1999). Therefore, the questions arose: (i) what are the informational skills required of librarians who act as mediators in scholarly communication process and informational user behavior in the educational environment?; (ii) what are the needs of music related researchers and as produce, seek, use and access the scientific knowledge of your area?; and (iii) as the contexts involved in scientific collaboration processes influence in the scientific production of information science field in Brazil? The article includes a literature review on the information behavior and its insertion in scientific communication considering the influence of context and/or situation of the objects involved in motivating issues. The hypothesis is that the user information behavior in different contexts and situations influence the definition of a scientific communication model. Finally, it is concluded that the same concept or a set of concepts can be used in different perspectives, reaching up, thus, different results.Este artículo aborda el comportamiento informacional como subsidio para el diseño de modelos de la comunicación en las áreas de Ciencias de la Información, Bibliotecología y Música. La proposición de modelos de comunicación se basa en modelos de Tubbs y Moss (2003), Garvey y Griffith (1972), adaptados por Hurd (1996) y Wilson (1999). Con este fin, se plantearon los temas: (i) ¿Cuáles son las habilidades informacionales requeridas de bibliotecarios que actúan como mediadores en los procesos de comunicación científica y comportamiento informativo de los usuarios, en el contexto educativo?; (ii) ¿Cuáles son las necesidades de los investigadores en el área de la música y cómo producir, buscar, utilizar y acceder a los conocimientos científicos de su área?; ¿y (iii) cómo influyen los contextos implicados en procesos de colaboración científica en la producción científica del área de Ciencias de la información en Brasil? El artículo es una revisión de la literatura sobre el comportamiento informacional y su inserción en la comunicación científica teniendo en cuenta la influencia del contexto o situación de los objetos involucrados en los temas motivadores. La hipótesis es que el comportamiento del usuario en diferentes contextos y situaciones informativo influyen en la definición de un modelo de comunicación científica. Al final, se concluye que un mismo concepto o un conjunto de conceptos puede utilizarse bajo diferentes perspectivas, obteniéndose, de esta manera, diferentes resultados.Este artigo trata do comportamento informacional como subsídio para o desenho de modelos de comunicação nas áreas de Ciência da Informação, Biblioteconomia e Música. A proposição de modelos de comunicação está fundamentada nos modelos de Tubbs e Moss (2003), Garvey e Griffith (1972), adaptado por Hurd (1996), e Wilson (1999). Para tanto, levantaram-se as questões: (i) quais são as competências informacionais requeridas dos bibliotecários que atuam como mediadores nos processos de comunicação científica e comportamento informacional do usuário, no contexto educacional?; (ii) quais as necessidades dos pesquisadores da área de música e como produzem, buscam, utilizam e acessam o conhecimento científico de sua área?; e (iii) como os contextos envolvidos nos processos de colaboração científica influenciam na produção científica da área de Ciência da Informação no Brasil? O artigo faz uma revisão de literatura a respeito do comportamento informacional e de sua inserção na comunicação científica considerando a influência do contexto e/ou situação dos objetos envolvidos nas questões motivadoras. A hipótese é que o comportamento informacional do usuário em diferentes contextos e situações influenciam na definição de um modelo de comunicação científica. Ao final, conclui-se que um mesmo conceito, ou um conjunto de conceitos pode ser utilizado sob diferentes perspectivas, alcançando-se, deste modo, diferentes resultados

Information behaviour characteristics of project actors in organisation management

Research shows that a large proportion of the working time of project actors is spent processing, communicating and disseminating information that is not relevant to their tasks. This makes information overload (IO) a liability that adversely affects the performance of project actors and the management of their organisations. Some advances have been achieved in structuring information resources to support the decision making process of engineering project actors. However, it is not always possible to structure and direct the right information to the right actor at the right time. Some engineering companies have taken the initiative of resolving this problem by encouraging actors to employ personal information management systems, information sifting systems, product data management systems and other software applications to help manage the problem of IO. These information systems rely on pull technology which contribute towards time delay, inefficiency and cost in actors’ information seeking process. The paper draws on information behaviour (IB) literature of engineering project actors to establish a platform for future studies on how IB can inform how information could be structured and made available to the right actor at the right time to facilitate timely decision making and organisation management. This paper proposes the SMART Push information capturing and delivery framework as a solution to IO. This could aid releasing the actor from the entire problem associated with information seeking process in order to focus on the task at hand

Redefining Library Organizational Cultures

This article discusses about redefining library organization culture through the implementation of ICT in a university library. The implementation of ICT through the program and project between state and World Bank and Nagari library as a state university library emerge the inspiration to overview librarian cultures in the library bases on communication in organizations. It is a study of microcospic within the macrocospic perspective in a global system. The resistance on ICT of university librarians is an important topic as it makes resistance significant to the meaning of ICT in library for librarians; and the implementation of ICT to the librarians build up and preserve the individuals and the members of library as a community. The objective is to explain the dynamic of librarians in a library as a complex organization that have been abruptly urged by ICT implementation. The strategic actions are using symbols they have already known and taken advantage of throughout their working life experience. The methodology of the research focused on 60 librarians observed and  interviewed. The finding is that the symbolic behavior, as a form of resistance of the staff and librarian to the implementation of ICT in university library, does not only mean to aim the domination. It means significantly as bonding of the relations between staff and  librarians. The bonds strengthen the spirit of all to reach the goal of the library. Keywords: Resistance, librarians, strategies, symbolic interactionism

Evolução teórico-metodológica dos estudos de comportamento informacional de usuários

Este artigo visa a contribuir para o conhecimento mais aprofundado sobre estudos de comportamento informacional de usuários com base em como são tratados na literatura da ciência da informação nas últimas seis décadas. Para tanto, a análise se fundamenta nas revisões publicadas no periódico Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (Arist) e em outros trabalhos que complementam o tema abordado, mostrando sua evolução teórica e metodológica. Uma diferença crucial está relacionada à mudança conceitual observada, a qual denota a ampliação da visão epistemológica dos estudos. Tal mudança referese, especialmente, à nova terminologia adotada, que passa de “estudos de usuários” ou “necessidades e uso de informação” para “comportamento informacional de usuários”. Trata-se, contudo, não somente de alteração terminológica, mas, sobretudo, de mudança paradigmática, resultado de transformações no modo como o tópico é definido e abordado, e na forma como é investigado.The objective of this article is to contribute to a deeper understanding of how user information behaviour studies have been dealt with in literature on information science for the last six decades. The analysis is based on the reviews published in the journal Annual Review of Information Science and Technology (Arist), as well as on additional works that complement the topic approached showing its theoretical and methodological evolution. analyses. A crucial difference identifi ed is related to the conceptual change occurred, showing a wider epistemological view of the studies. This change, on the other hand, is referred mainly to the terminology used to defi ne the topic, which is changed from “studies of users” or “needs and use of information” to informational behavior of users”. The change, however, is not only terminological but also a paradigmatic change, as a result of transformation in how the topic is defi ned and approached, as well as how the research is carried out

Investigating alternative dispute resolution methods and the implementation thereof by architectural professionals in South Africa

Given the number of role players and the complexity of the building process, disputes are inevitable. As an alternative to litigation, which is often costly and time consuming, Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods could be used. Arbitration, mediation, negotiation and adjudication are a few examples of ADR and, if understood correctly and implemented effectively, ADR could prove beneficial to all parties involved in disputes. This article investigates the current knowledge, implementation and benefits of ADR within the South African built environment. The focus population of the study is architectural professionals, as defined by the South African Council for the Architectural Profession (SACAP). A questionnaire was distributed among 581 architectural professionals to determine how informed these architectural professionals are about the different ADR methods, their implementation and resultant consequences. majority of the respondents are not familiar with the term ADR and could not provide a clear definition; 69.4% of architectural professionals do not discuss ADR methods with their client before entering into an agreement, and 58.4% of the population have hardly any or no knowledge regarding the methods and benefits of ADR. These observations indicate that a significant portion of architectural professionals are currently in breach of the SACAP Code of Conduct and could potentially lose their professional license. These results indicate a possible way forward to facilitate a larger implementation of ADR in future building projects. The real-world problem is that architectural professionals do not apply ADR methods because of the lack of knowledge regarding the implementation and benefits of ADR. It is considered that the unique contribution of this article lies in the fact that all architectural professionals in South Africa were asked to participate in the survey regarding ADR, its methods, implementations, and their knowledge thereof. This is the first evidence of many anecdotal statements made on the lack of implementation and knowledge regarding ADR methods within the architectural profession of South Africa. The findings reveal that the majority of the respondents are not familiar with the term ADR and could not provide a clear definition; 69.4% of architectural professionals do not discuss ADR methods with their client before entering into an agreement, and 58.4% of the population have hardly any or no knowledge regarding the methods and benefits of ADR.These observations indicate that a significant portion of architectural professionals are currently in breach of the SACAP Code of Conduct and could potentially lose their professional license. These results indicate a possible way forward to facilitate a larger implementation of ADR in future building projects

Take your time first, time your search later: How college students perceive time in Web searching

This study explores people's perception of time during their Web searches. Time is a major component of the context for information behavior, but in empirical studies it has been implied rather than investigated explicitly. The data were collected from Web search experiments in which participants were asked to conduct searches on three given tasks under differing search time conditions. The paper reports on findings drawn primarily from the exit interviews of 45 undergraduate and graduate students on their perception of time in Web searching. Study results indicate that at the beginning of their searching activity, participants did not explicitly consider temporal issues. However, these issues usually surface with the passage of time, especially when searches fail to go as planned. Perception of time is closely entangled with familiarity and difficulty of search task. In general, participants enjoyed spending time in searching and were not excessively concerned about time constraints. On the other hand, participants' affective experiences were sometimes caused by temporal issues. In conclusion, the study results indicate that temporal issues interlace with other contextual and affective factors in the process of Web searching.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/78317/1/1450460253_ftp.pd