The relationship between students' subject preferences and their information behaviour

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between preferred choice of school subject and student information behaviour (IB). Design/methodology/approach Mixed methods were employed. In all, 152 students, teachers and librarians participated in interviews or focus groups. In total, 1,375 students, key stage 3 (11-14 years) to postgraduate, responded to a questionnaire. The research population was drawn from eight schools, two further education colleges and three universities. Insights from the literature review and the qualitative research phase led to a hypothesis which was investigated using the questionnaire: that students studying hard subjects are less likely to engage in deep IB than students studying soft subjects. Findings Results support the hypothesis that preferences for subjects at school affect choice of university degree. The hypothesis that a preference for hard or soft subjects affects IB is supported by results of an analysis in which like or dislike of maths/ICT is correlated with responses to the survey. Interviewees’ comments led to the proposal that academic subjects can be classified according to whether a subject helps students to acquire a “tool of the Mind” or to apply such a tool. A model suggesting how IB may differ depending on whether intellectual tools are being acquired or applied is proposed. Practical implications The “inner logic” of certain subjects and their pedagogies appears closely linked to IB. This should be considered when developing teaching programmes. Originality/value The findings offer a new perspective on subject classification and its association with IB, and a new model of the association between IB and tool acquisition or application is proposed, incorporating the perspectives of both teacher and student

European research on information behaviour in the 21st century

This paper contributes to global knowledge of the study of information behaviour by offering a map of European research during the 21st century from quantitative and qualitative points of view. From a quantitative point of view, we detail the countries and institutions whose researchers have published results. From a qualitative point of view, we describe the researchers and areas of study at the main European research centres. The results show that there is no common research area, but rather isolated researchers or small leading research groups, generally from northern Europe, who worked in this area during the first years of the 21st century

Substance and Style: Understanding Personal Style’s Influence on Information Behaviour and the Provision of Subject-Specific Information Services

This essay will explore the impact personal style has on information behaviour, with particular reference to information seeking and subsequent information searching, and to what extent personal style is related to academic subject choice. Through this exploration, this essay will suggest the provision of adaptive tools, customised user interfaces, tailored support, and style-dependent search systems to maximise results in subject-specific information services

The Future is Wiki: National Libraries’ Wikidata Projects and the Culture of Connection

Libraries and information services have long since been champions of equitable access to information. As the popularity of open access grows, the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) sector investigates how to further develop their service and enrich their collections through knowledge collaboration. With the increased production of information, diverse range of publishable formats, and the world’s perpetual digitisation, information services aim to utilise the varied information available through semantic linking, centralising institutions’ disparate, but complementary, information. This is being implemented in national libraries across the world with the adoption of Wikidata. This online database can act as an integrated information cache, connecting institutions and creating relationships between their collections. This essay will begin by examining what Wikidata is and what benefits it can reap for information services. It will detail specific applications of Wikidata including authority control, enriching metadata, interface accessibility and user experience, through projects at Library of Congress, The National Library of Wales, and The National Library of The Netherlands. There will be overlap between concepts and practices, as they share the same focus and outcome of sharing previously siloed information to an open-access, collaborative, centralised space to enrich collections and foster ease of interoperability between institutions. The essay will conclude with reviewing how Wikidata and a subsequent culture of connection has and will continue to shape the future of the library

Identificación de los factores principales asociados a la elección de grados universitarios en el ámbito agroalimentario

RESUMENLa industria agroalimentaria es considerada un sector económico estratégico, por lo que la vocación, preparación y capacitación de sus profesionales se convierte en una cuestión clave para cualquier país. Sin embargo, en los últimos 20 años, estamos asistiendo a un decremento de las tasas de jóvenes matriculados en la educación superior en las áreas de ciencia y tecnología en general, y especialmente, en carreras de la rama agroalimentaria. Por este motivo, el trabajo que se presenta se centra en identificar los principales factores que influyen en la decisión del alumnado al elegir los grados de las ingenierías y ciencias en este campo particular. Para ello, se ha realizado una encuesta personal a una muestra de 430 estudiantes que han elegido estas titulaciones en la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. A partir de la información recabada, un análisis factorial ha permitido detectar cuatro factores relevantes en la elección del grado en el ámbito agroalimentario: la procedencia (lugar de residencia y tipología del centro escolar) del estudiante, el momento de la decisión en el que el alumnado elige el grado que quiere cursar (antes o durante el bachillerato, antes o después de la EBAU), el itinerario académico previo (tecnológica, salud, sociales y artes) y sus motivaciones personales (vocacional, tradición familiar, afinidad o descarte). Este trabajo pretende esclarecer los factores que influyen en la elección de esta carrera universitaria con el fin de ayudar a orientadores e investigadores académicos, así como a psicopedagogos como apoyo en su función.ABSTRACTThe agro-food industry is considered a strategic economic sector, so the aptitude, preparation and training of its professionals becomes a key issue for any country. However, in the last 20 years, we are witnessing a decrease in the rates of young people enrolling in higher education areas of science and technology in general, and especially, in the agro-food industry degrees. Consequently, this paper aims to analyze the main factors that influence students when choosing the degrees of engineering and science but in this particular field. With this purpose, a personal survey was used on a sample of 430 students who had chosen these degrees at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. Based on the collected information, a factorial analysis allowed the detection of four relevant factors in the choice of the agro-food field degree: origin of the student (place of residence and type of school); the moment of the decision in which the student chooses the future degree (during or after high school, before or after EBAU), the previous academic itinerary (technological, health, social sciences or arts); and their personal motivations (vocational, family tradition, affinity or by discard). This research aims to clarify the factors that influence the choice of this specific higher education degree in order to help academic counselors and researchers, as well as psycho-pedagogues to support their function

How the information use environment influences search activities: a case of English primary schools

Purpose The information use environment (IUE) – the context within which the search activity takes place – is critical to understanding the search process as this will affect how the value of information is determined. The purpose of this paper is to investigate what factors influence search in English primary schools (children aged 4–11) and how information found is subsequently used. Design/methodology/approach Ten teachers, selected using maximal variation sampling, describe search-related activities within the classroom. The resulting interview data were analysed thematically for the influence of the environment on search and different information uses. The findings were then validated against three classroom observations. Findings 12 categories of information use were identified, and 5 aspects of the environment (the national curriculum, best practice, different skills of children and teachers, keeping children safe, and limited time and resource) combine to influence and shape search in this setting. Research limitations/implications Findings support the argument that it is the IUE that is the key influence of search activity. What makes children a distinct user group is linked to the environment within which they use information rather than age, as advocated in previous studies. Practical implications The features of search systems and practical guidance for teachers and children should be designed to support information use within the IUE. Originality/value As far as the authors are aware, this is the first study to consider the influence of the IUE on how search is enacted within primary schools