11 research outputs found
A framework for understanding user requirements for an information service : defining the needs of informal carers
The aim of this research was to develop a conceptual framework that would help to
collect and understand the information needs of a target community. Many information
behaviour frameworks already exist, however; although they share some features, they
tend to focus on different aspects of the person and their interaction with information. It
was proposed that a synthesis of these frameworks could lead to a comprehensive
framework. Previous research was analysed and an initial framework defined. This was
piloted and adapted and then applied to data on informal carers. This led to further
adaptation. Informal carers are people who care for another person, generally a relative,
for more than fourteen hours per week and are not paid for this. The data stemmed from
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sixty interviews that were transcribed and coded. This paper presents the data on
informal carers and their information experience using the final framework. This serves
to demonstrate how the framework sensitizes the researcher to certain types of significant
data, enables the organization of the data, indicates the relationships between different
types of data and, overall, helps to provide a rich picture of the target community’s
information needs. In conclusion the paper discusses the differences and advantages of
the framework in relation to previous work and also the limitations of the study and
possible further research
Young people: a phenomenographic investigation into the ways they experience information
This paper reports on a phenomenographic investigation
into the ways young people, aged between eleven
and eighteen years of age, experience information in
both their academic and everyday life. Experience
here is interpreted as the relationship between the
subject (the young person) and the object (information).
This research builds on previous studies of people’s
experience of information. However, other studies
have had either a different focus, such as, focusing
on information literacy, or, different respondents.
Therefore this research addresses a gap in the knowledge.
Three research questions are addressed in this
paper: What are the qualitatively different ways young
people experience information? What are the logical
relationships between the categories of description?
Can a holistic picture of young people’s relationship
with information be composed from knowledge of
the different ways young people experience information?
The study used a phenomenographic research
approach to elicit and describe the qualitatively different
ways in which young people experienced information.
A purposeful sample of forty-one young people
aged eleven to eighteen years participated in the
study. The data, which were gathered through drawings
and semi-structured interviews, were subjected to a rigorous process of phenomenographic analysis.
The outcome of phenomenographic analysis is an outcome
space consisting of a finite set of categories of
description which, with their relationships, explain
the different ways people experience phenomena in
the world. In phenomenographic research, the focus
is on the collective rather than the individual experience.
The purpose of the study was therefore to highlight
differences within the sample. In this study, six
ways of experiencing information were identified:
knowledge of sources of information; receiving information;
process of finding information; store of unprocessed
information; processing information; and
use of information. The findings demonstrate some
broad similarities with other studies. However, there
are significant differences. The paper, therefore,
gives a new insight into young people’s experience of
information. It also highlights the complex and multi-
faceted way that young people experience information.
These views help to understand what young
people need to know and be able to do
An investigation of factors that may de-motivate secondary school students undertaking project work : implications for learning information literacy
This paper describes an exploratory, qualitative, study of the motivational issues
associated with project work – a method intended to help encourage independent
learning skills. The population studied were United Kingdom secondary school
students who attended a state funded comprehensive school in Derbyshire. The study
chose to explore why students, generally, did not engage in the project process and to
determine those factors that either motivated or de-motivated them during this
process. Questionnaires were completed by twenty-six Year 7 (11-12 year old)
students and ten Year 13 (17-18 year old) students. Interviews were conducted with
six Year 7s and ten Year 13 students. In addition six Year 7 students were involved in
a focus group and nine Year 13 students in a separate focus group. Different
methods, as well as previous research, enabled triangulation of the data and indicated
the validity of the findings. Aspects of the students experience when undertaking a
piece of research were found to be de-motivating. In general students did not have a
clear understanding of the different elements of information literacy. The majority
considered that their information skills were not well developed and they were not
confident of completing the research process successfully. Specific factors that had
significant impact on the students’ motivation included choice of topic, the amount of
group work, the level of support and feedback during the process and the study
environment. It was also found, in this case study, that educators did not utilise
Library and Information Science (LIS) information literacy/information behaviour
models or knowledge to teach and support project work. Nor was there any
recognition of the attitudes and skills or motivational issues associated with the stages
of the project process. This was in contrast to the teaching in school of data analysis
and handling, using Information and Communication Technology (ICT), during
subject based project work where there seems to be a more cohesive approach. Based
on these findings recommendations for improving the project process and the learning
experience are given
Workplace information literacy for administrative staff in HE
A joint project carried out by Leeds University and Loughborough University, funded
by JISC studied the information literacy of non academic staff in higher education.
The in-depth, qualitative, study deployed an information audit, interviews and focus
groups with eleven staff in the Finance and Research Departments at Loughborough
University. The information literacy needs of staff were compared with the JISC iskills
model. The hierarchical and collaborative nature of the workplace meant that
people’s experience of information literacy in the workplace was more fragmented
than in the academic context. Common labels could be used to describe information
literacy in the different contexts but more emphasis was placed on data, internal
information and information from other people in the workplace. Time had an impact
on information literacy. Social networking skills were recognised as key information
literacy skills. The need for staff to know how to organise information and develop
information policies was identified
Modelling community engagement in public libraries
This paper explores core concepts relating to community engagement in public libraries. It offers a new conceptual framework to help understand collaborative, productive relationships between information service providers and service users. Fundamental to this framework are two underlying variables of ‘influence of authority’ and ‘willingness to learn’. This paper explores these variables and related elements that were shown to influence the success of community engagement in public libraries in the United Kingdom. The study has developed a model of essential elements of community engagement in public libraries, as a first step towards systematic research in this area. This paper focuses on the implications for practice and suggests a community engagement model that is grounded in the reality and perceptions of the community and the participants, rather than only from an institutional perspective
The design and implementation of an information literacy training course that integrated Information and Library Science conceptions of information literacy, educational theory and information behaviour research: a Tanzanian pilot study.
This paper reviews the implementation of an Information Literacy Training course at the University of Dar Es
Salaam in Tanzania. The training lasted seven days and involved Masters students from the Faculty of
Education. The course was created as part of a PhD research project on information literacy that was
undertaken by the second author of this paper at the Department of Information Science at Loughborough
University. The objective was to develop a training course that inculcated information literacy and could be
implemented by staff in the library. The success of the course was therefore partly judged on whether it
effectively enabled knowledge transfer. This was tested by involving librarians in the pilot, and who took the
entire course, and then seeing whether they were able to effectively implement the course themselves. This
paper explores the implementation of the information literacy training programme attended by Master
students from the Faculty of Education at the University of Dar Es Salaam. The course was innovative in that
it integrated knowledge from information behaviour research and educational theory with current perspectives
of information literacy from Information and Library Science. The style of training was influenced by the
pedagogical theories of Kolb and Vygotsky that stress the importance of experiential and reflective learning
and mediated communication. The notion that learning information literacy is more akin to learning a culture
rather than skills and that learners are active participants in the learning process further emphasised the need
for communication and sharing of learning throughout the course. All stages of the course were evaluated
using quizzes, exercises, group reflection and presentations that related to each stage in the course.
Trainees’ knowledge of information literacy was evaluated before and after the course to provide an indication
of changes in knowledge. A review of the course content and its rationale is given here, challenges are
identified, and questions about future initiatives are raised. The course, judging from the various forms of
feedback, was effective. It also enabled the librarians to run subsequent courses, including the training of
Masters students described in this paper. Hence, the programme proved successful in terms of knowledge
transfer
Research and practice: a critical reflection on approaches that underpin research into people's information behaviour
Purpose 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. Design/methodology/approach The approach takes the form of a conceptual analysis drawing on the research literature and personal research experience. Findings 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. Research limitations/implications 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. Practical implications 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. Social implications 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. Originality/value 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
A discussion of the information needs of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and the implications for information provision based on a national UK survey of people with MS
This research took place between January and October 2002. It was
conducted by the Department of Information Science at Loughborough
University and was commissioned and funded by the Multiple Sclerosis Trust
(MS Trust). In this article the identified information needs are discussed and
possible solutions explored including the use of Extensible Mark–up
Language (XML) and Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL).
Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to study the information
needs of people with multiple sclerosis (people with MS) in the United
Kingdom. 103 people with MS were involved in focus groups that helped to
identify significant situations that people with MS had experienced. 4100
people with MS were sent questionnaires (approximately 5% of the MS
population). 2030 (49.5%) responded in the time specified.
Categories of information need were identified. Their importance and difficulty
in obtaining them quantified. The research highlighted how, although people
shared many information needs, there were significant differences in terms of:
♦ people’s desire for the information (some people did not want
apparently useful information);
♦ the topics they were interested in (due to their situation);
♦ how they wanted that information (due to the physical and
psychological condition of the person).
Information provision to people with MS was found to have improved
dramatically over the last seven years. Out of those respondents who had
been diagnosed in the last five years 71% thought they had received
information whereas 29% did not, whereas only 29% diagnosed in 1980
stated that they received information. Taking the total surveyed population
43% thought they had not received information. Information provision was
found to be inconsistent in terms of subjects covered. However it should be
borne in mind that at the time of diagnosis, and also afterwards, it may be
difficult for people to take on board information for a variety of reasons.
Furthermore, as indicated above, different individual needs means 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
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with MS and that there is considerable scope for improving provision of
information to people with MS
Knowledge of information behaviour and its relevance to the design of people-centred information products and services
Purpose – 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.
Design/methodology/approach – 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.
Research limitations/implications – 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.
Originality/value – 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
A longitudinal study of changes in learners' cognitive states during and following an information literacy teaching intervention
Purpose – 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).
Design/methodology/approach – 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.
Findings – 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.
Research limitations/implications – 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.
Practical implications – 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.
Originality/value – 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