This thesis is a user study within library and information science on participatory practices of a professional group in work activity. This has been investigated only to a minor extent in previous library and information science research. The qualitative empirical focus alternates between physicians‟ engagements in work practice and workplace learning within patient care. The overall research problem was to learn how people in workplaces interacted with information that was embedded, intricately intertwined, and tightly bound to the ongoing routines of their everyday work. This thesis aims at understanding information practices of professionals in occupational settings as exemplified by a team of physicians in a Nigerian teaching hospital. In this thesis, the focus was on the collective work activity, and the specific goals identified include how physicians interact and make meaning in the context of the social activities in the workplace, how professionals individually or collectively gather, understand, produce, share and use information, and how workplace learning influences information practices. Information practices are viewed as sociocultural practices that occur inside other practices. The thesis focuses on a nuanced, contextualized understanding of the interplay between the participating actors in activity, the activity per se, and the intermediary role of tools and artefacts. The epistemological point of departure is the sociocultural perspective that emphasizes the dynamic interdependence of the individual with the social and collective development focusing on mediation through tools and artefacts in cultural, institutional, and historical situations. I have chosen cultural-historical activity theory and the practice theories to analyse the dynamic processes in the context of patient care. Their underlying principles guided the empirical study, facilitating extrapolations and illustrations in the analysis. The cultural-historical activity theory was used to understand contextual issues that influence information practices in work activity: the object and subject of activity, division of labour, rules and norms, community, tools and artefacts, as well as the activity system itself and the hierarchical structure of the activity. Theories and concepts employed from a practice perspective on learning were considered useful for understanding the participatory modes in workplace and the influence of social learning communities on diverse information processes. In so doing, the study strives to provide a holistic understanding of information practices, workplace learning, and the relationships between them.The empirical data was gathered through a qualitative case study that lasted over a period of two years. Direct observation was the dominant data collection technique 5 used throughout the preliminary and main empirical studies to capture physicians‟ information practices and experiences. The observation focused on the Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (CPT) team‟s encounters with patients; the interactions they had amongst themselves, and events and situations surrounding patient care. During the main study, other data collection techniques were employed alongside the observation method. In-depth open-ended interviews were conducted with 17 physicians and 9 non-physicians who were selected to provide rich and varied descriptions of the phenomena under study. The interview time totalled at 1,535 minutes. Physical artefacts were another data collection technique employed: 30 patients‟ medical records were assessed during the empirical study. Finally, informal interactions in the research setting were an additional data collection technique used continuously throughout the two empirical periods. The results were analyzed through a combination of inductive and deductive methods of analysis. There are four parts to the empirical results in this thesis. In the first, contextual elements that showed how work environment can be an influencing factor in the information practices of a professional group are described from the perspective of cultural historical activity theory. In the second part, the nature of information access in the real-world information environment was portrayed. It was found that information sources and strategies contributed to the overarching goal of restoring patient health to normalcy. The information sources and strategies were also found useful for mediating the information environment both subjectively and intersubjectively. An equally important result concerns the authority issues related to information sources and strategies. In the third part, available tools and artefacts were presented as useful information aids that also played a mediating role. Tools were categorised into physical tools and language. Language was categorized according to the social situations or classes of speakers. The case notes were seen as useful artefact and occupied a central niche in the studied work activity. These tools and artefacts enabled affordances around which social practices were built on in the work activities. In the last part of the results, various information practices that mirror the participatory practices rather than those of isolated individuals are highlighted. Six dimensions made up and covered the most vital spectrum of the information processing: information gathering, meaning making, information sharing, information use, reading, and documentation. Furthermore, the study revealed that learning took place simultaneously with the work activity and that it influenced information practices at the same time. / <p>Academic dissertation for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science at the University of Borås to be publicly defended on Friday 19 October 2012 at 13.00 in lecture room D 211, University of Borås, Allégatan 1, Borås.</p>

Assignment (MPhil (Afrikaans and Dutch))--University of Stellenbosch, 2006. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In this study, the mental models of the target audience of the FACT web site (official Stellenbosch University HIV/Aids web site) were investigated and compared with the structure of the web site (representing the mental model of the expert). The target audience were divided into six groups representing three different race groups (white, coloured and black) and the two sexes (male and female).

The aim of this master’s thesis is to examine how libraries can organize their collections in terms of library shelving and displays and to what extent these activities stem from a desire to create a user-friendly library. The thesis is based upon a case study of Arkenbiblioteket in Sweden and the material consists of a literature study and qualitative, semi-structured interviews with three librarians at Arkenbiblioteket. The theoretical framework consists of theories on information-seeking behavior, classification and displays. These theories form the basis of the analysis of the empirical material.The main reason for the changes in shelf arrangement at Arkenbiblioteket was a desire among the library staff to create a user-friendly library. Their experience of the previously used SAB classification system was that it was outdated and suited neither the collection nor the users’ information-seeking behavior. Many Swedish libraries have recently decided to change from SAB classification to the internationally used Dewey decimal classification. This, however, was not an option for Arkenbiblioteket as the staff believed that DDC, with its classification’s notation based on Arabic numerals, was likewise ill-suited for their users. As a result they created their own classification and shelving system using text in plain and colours for each category. Furthermore, the staff at Arkenbiblioteket focuses on library displays with commercial inspiration from bookshops. They work with face-front displaying techniques to inspire users. In conclusion, both the new shelving system and the library displays are designed to suit the users and their information-seeking behavior, whether they are conducting a specific search or merely browsing. The feedback from users on the new shelving system has been mainly positive.This study is a two years master’s thesis in Archive, Library and Museum studies.

The aim of the research was to develop a training course that inculcated infonnation literacy that could be implemented by staff at the University of Dar es Salaam library (Tanzania), in order to provide students with appropriate infonnation literacy skills to meet their educational goals. The course was developed from an integration of knowledge from infonnation behaviour research and educational theory with current perspectives of infonnation literacy from Infonnation and Library Science (ILS). The ultimate goal of the research was to create a framework that would be used by public university libraries in Tanzania to teach infonnation literacy courses. The study was carried out in two parts. In the first implementation "pilot" programme, the course was tested by involving librarians who took the entire course, in order to see whether the same course structure could be used to implement to the Masters of Education students. Following adaptations made on the first course, a second course programme was implemented to Masters of Education students by two librarians who attended the first implementation "pilot" programme. Therefore, the success of the course was partly judged on whether it effectively enabled knowledge transfer from the librarians to students. Data collection methods were predominantly qualitative, although quantitative methods in tenns of diagnostic tests were also used. The tests were used to evaluate trainees' knowledge ofinfonnation literacy before and after the course to provide an indication of changes in knowledge. Qualitative methods used included semistructured interviews with librarians and academic staff at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania in order to make sure that assumptions made about students' knowledge of infonnation literacy and the kind of problems experienced by students were correct. Other methods included quizzes, exercises, group reflection and presentations that related to each stage in the course. These methods served to indicate trainees' understanding of what was taught, reflections on the leaming process and provided feedback for improvements on the course. The major findings showed that there was a recognized need for infonnation literacy and that problems such as unfamiliarity with categories of infonnation sources, analysis, synthesis, evaluation and use, were experienced in Tanzania as was the case in other "Western" countries. In addition, librarians were able to transfer skills learned to students, who in turn used the same course materials to teach fellow students who did not participate in the course. Furthermore, the design of the course was facilitated by the integration of Information and library science (ILS) approaches to information literacy with the knowledge of information behaviour and pedagogic theory. The thesis provides recommendations for the library and information curricula to introduce information literacy, teaching information literacy in a holistic way and with librarians participating in teaching and research. In addition, the study recommended that librarians should facilitate the development of information literacy in primary and secondary schools.

Hintergrund: Das Internet spielt heutzutage in Gesundheitsfragen eine große Rolle. Fast alle Internetnutzer greifen im Zusammenhang mit Erkrankungen auf Onlineangebote zurück, um beispielsweise Informationen über Krankheitsbilder oder Medikamente zu suchen. Speziell für den Bereich seelische Gesundheit verfügt das Internet darüber hinaus noch über weiteres Potential: Mit der Entwicklung von Online-Programmen wurden in den letzten Jahren neue Behandlungsmöglichkeiten für psychische Erkrankungen geschaffen. Diese verwenden die multimedialen Möglichkeiten des Internets zu therapeutischen Zwecken und konnten in zahlreichen Studien vielversprechende Ergebnisse zeigen. Für die Nutzung der Programme sind dabei regelmäßiger Internetzugang und Routine im Umgang mit unterschiedlichen Internetfunktionen notwendig - insbesondere mit sozialen Medien. Ausmaß und Muster der Internetnutzung psychiatrischer Patienten im Zusammenhang mit ihrer Erkrankung sind jedoch bislang kaum erforscht. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist es, das erkrankungsbezogene Internetnutzungsverhalten dieser Patientengruppe zu erfassen und zu analysieren. Methode: Patienten aller Stationen und Ambulanzen der Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie des Universitätsklinikums Leipzig wurden mit Hilfe eines Fragebogens zu ihrem Internetnutzungsverhalten befragt. Anhand von 29 Items wurden soziodemographische Daten, das allgemeine Internetnutzungsverhalten und die erkrankungsbezogene Internetnutzung (mental-health related Internet use) erfasst. Die Datenanalyse beinhaltete die Bestimmung von Häufigkeiten und Gruppenvergleiche. Hierzu wurde vornehmlich der Chi-Quadrat-Test verwendet. Ergebnisse: 337 Patienten nahmen an der Studie teil. 79.5% von ihnen waren Internetnutzer und wurden in Abhängigkeit von ihrer wöchentlichen Nutzungsdauer in die Subgruppen Wenig-, Mittel- und Vielnutzer eingeteilt. Soziale Medien wurden von weniger als der Hälfte der Nutzer verwendet: Soziale Netzwerke (47.8%), Foren (19.4%), Chats (18.7%), Blogs (12.3%). 70.9% nutzten das Internet im Kontext ihrer psychischen Erkrankung. Hierbei handelte es sich um folgende Inhalte: Informationen zu psychischen Erkrankungen (57.8%), Informationen zu Medikamenten (43.7%), Suche nach Psychiatern bzw. psychiatrischen Kliniken (38.8%), Erfahrungsaustausch mit anderen Betroffenen (19.8%), Nutzung von Foren mit Psychiatern (17.2%). Unterschiede im Nutzungsmuster zwischen Wenig-, Mittel- und Vielnutzern waren statistisch signifikant für alle Formen sozialer Medien (p<0.01), für die Suche nach Psychiatern und Kliniken (p=0.017) und für die Nutzung von Foren mit Psychiatern (p=0.048). Die Analyse der Internetnutzung in Abhängigkeit von der psychiatrischen Diagnose zeigte mit einer Ausnahme (Suche nach Psychiatern bzw. psychiatrischen Kliniken) keine statistisch signifikanten Ergebnisse. Die Rolle des Internets im Zusammenhang mit psychischen Erkrankungen wurde von den Studienteilnehmern unterschiedlich eingeschätzt: 36.2% waren der Meinung, dass das Internet bei der Bewältigung ihrer psychischen Erkrankungen eine Hilfe war oder sein könnte, während 38.4% das Gegenteil behaupteten. 27.6% der Befragten hatten Interesse an internetbasierten Selbstmanagementprogrammen teilzunehmen. Schlussfolgerung: Die Mehrzahl der psychiatrischen Patienten nutzt das Internet. Die Internetnutzung im Zusammenhang mit psychischen Erkrankungen ist verbreitet und dient vor allem der Informationssuche. Soziale Medien werden generell weniger genutzt, hierbei bestehen jedoch signifikante Unterschiede zwischen den einzelnen Nutzergruppen. Die Möglichkeiten des Internets im Zusammenhang mit Krankheitsbewältigung und Selbstmanagement werden von Studienteilnehmern unterschiedlich bewertet. Die psychiatrische Diagnose und die Krankheitsschwere scheinen auf das Internetnutzungsverhalten einen vergleichsweise geringen Einfluss zu haben. Die Ergebnisse der Arbeit zeigen die Bedeutung des Internets im Kontext psychischer Erkrankungen und könnten bei der weiteren Entwicklung von Internetangeboten für psychisch Erkrankte Berücksichtigung finden.

Research shows children in an online environment often search by browsing, which relies heavily on recognition and content knowledge, so catalog systems for children must use effective symbols or pictorial representations, which correspond with children's own cognitive schema and level of recognition knowledge. This study was designed to look at the success of young children (ages 5 to 8) in searching 3 online public library catalogs designed for them, and it focused specifically on the pictorial representations and text descriptors used in the systems' browsing hierarchy. The research sought answer whether young children (ages 5 to 8) are really poor searchers because of cognitive development and lack of technology skills or if system design is the major reason for poor search results; i.e., Do current children's online catalog designs function in a manner that is compatible with information seeking by children? Although these results can not be generalized, this study indicates that there was a disconnect between the cognitive abilities of young users and catalog design. The study looked at search success on the 3 catalogs in relation to the catalog characteristics and individual user characteristics and makes 3 significant contributions to the field of library and information science. The first contribution is the modification of an existing model posed by Cooper and O'Connor and modified by Abbas (2002). The second significant contribution is the proposal of a new model, Creel's second best choice (SBC) model, that addresses the cognitive gap and design flaws that impact the choices participants made. The third significant contribution is that this study addresses and fills a gap in the literature.

<p>Academic dissertaion for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Library and Information Science at the University of Gothenburg and the University of Borås to be publicly defended on Friday 21 October 2011 at 13.15 in lecture room M402, University of Borås, Allégatan 1, Borås</p>

The 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which killed an estimated 316,000 people, offered many lessons in mass-fatality management (MFM). The dissertation defined MFM in seeking information and in recovery, preservation, identification, and disposition of human remains. Specifically, it examined how mass fatalities were managed in Haiti, how affected individuals sought information about fatalities, and what needs motivated them. Data from 28 in-depth, partially structured interviews, conducted during two field visits ending 21 weeks after the earthquake, were included in a case study. The data analysis revealed the MFM was severely inadequate. One interviewee, a senior UN official, stated, "There was no fatality management." The analysis also indicated a need to learn whereabouts of the deceased motivated individuals to visit spots the deceased were last seen at. It sought to illumine information-seeking practices, as discussed in the works of J. David Johnson and others, by developing a new model of information flow in MFM. In addition, it reaffirmed Donald Case and Thomas Wilson's theoretical proposition – that need guides any seeking of information – in the case of Haiti. Finally, it produced recommendations regarding future directions in MFM for emergency managers and information scientists, including possible use of unidentified body parts in organ transplants. Overall, the dissertation, which was supported by two grants of the National Science Foundation, attempted to add to relatively scanty literature in information seeking in MFM.

O advento da internet e sua constante evolução exigiu o desenvolvimento de sistemas de informação em saúde, permitindo aos alunos de enfermagem o acesso à informação mais amplo, rápido e eficaz, agregando qualidade às buscas bibliográficas. Apesar da evolução e dinâmica atualização desses recursos informacionais, além da sua disponibilização gratuita, alguns alunos ainda apresentam fragilidades quando se envolvem com a busca e recuperação dessa informação. O objetivo desse estudo qualitativo é conhecer e analisar como são realizadas as buscas bibliográficas quanto à elaboração das estratégias de busca, determinação dos descritores de assunto, uso de bases de dados bibliográficas, recuperação de documentos em texto completo e quais são as dificuldades e os avanços encontrados nesse processo por alunos de graduação em enfermagem, dos cursos de Bacharelado e Bacharelado e Licenciatura da Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto-USP. Foram entrevistados 21 alunos desses cursos no mês de novembro de 2010. A partir da análise temática, foram configurados alguns temas: 1 - necessidades e práticas de busca da informação: dificuldades experimentadas pelos estudantes de enfermagem; 2 - a organização do ensino da busca bibliográfica e o papel do professor e 3 - o bibliotecário como educador. O Google destaca-se como principal recurso de busca da WEB privilegiado pelos estudantes, tendo em vista dificuldades de acesso às bases de dados bibliográficas, de domínio da língua inglesa e de recuperação de texto completo. Os alunos apontam a necessidade de orientações e apoio por parte dos professores, assim como destacam atividades educativas desenvolvidas pelo bibliotecário de modo pontual. Nesse contexto, faz-se necessário rever o ensino da busca bibliográfica, inserindo atividade educativa de modo mais integrado às disciplinas dos currículos dos cursos envolvidos, ao longo do processo de formação; reconstruir as práticas pedagógicas dessas atividades, a partir de referencial problematizador e fortalecer a parceria entre professor e bibliotecários. Este estudo também desperta reflexões sobre a formação e a prática profissional do bibliotecário, tendo em vista sua inserção mais significativa no apoio ao desenvolvimento dos cursos de graduação, no contexto da Universidade. / The advent of the Internet and its constant evolution demanded the development of health information systems, which has provided nursing students broad, fast and efficient access to information, adding quality to bibliographic searches. Despite the improved and dynamic actualization of these information resources and their free access, some students still experience difficulties when attempting to search and retrieve information. This qualitative study identifies and analyzes how these bibliographic searches are performed in terms of search strategies, choice of subject descriptors, use of bibliographic databases, recovery of full text documents and also investigates the difficulties faced and advancements achieved in this process by undergraduate nursing students from the Bachelor and Teaching Degree Programs at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto, College of Nursing. A total of 21 students from these programs were interviewed in November 2010. Some themes emerged from the thematic analysis: 1 - Needs and information-seeking practices: difficulties faced by nursing students; 2 - Organization of teaching bibliographic searches and the role of professors; and 3 - The librarian as an educator. Google stands out as the main search resource on the web used by students given the difficulties faced in accessing bibliographic databases, English-based databases, and in the recovery of full texts. Students point to the need to obtain guidance and support from professors and also stress one-time educational activities developed by the librarian. The need to review the teaching of bibliographic searching is identified in order to include educational activities in a more integrated manner with the courses from the involved programs over the educational process, reconstruct the pedagogical practices of such activities based on the problematizing framework, and strengthen the partnership between professors and librarians. This study also encourages reflecting on the education and professional practice of librarians toward a more significant participation in supporting the development of undergraduate programs in the university context.

Redes eletrônicas e necessidades informacionais, integradas para evidenciar comportamento de busca e uso da informação e compreender o papel dessa tecnologia no ambiente universitário, são os objetivos desta tese. Dividida em três partes, enfoca primeiro o plano metodológico. A seguir, dois estudos de revisão fundamentam o trabalho: (1) rastreando a evolução de redes eletrônicas internacional e nacionalmente para sistematizar a matéria; (2) evidenciando pontos tradicionais de estudos de necessidades de informação para alcançar aqueles centrados no usuário. Na terceira parte apresenta pesquisa peculiar, em ambiente da USP cujo Instituto de Física constitui o universo de observação. Por meio do correio eletrônico é perscrutada a conduta de busca e uso da informação de 87 usuários da rede local do IFUSP, no período outubro / novembro de 1994. A abordagem metodológica utilizada é adaptada do Sense-Making de Brenda Dervin, uma abordagem alternativa ou da percepção, que tem o usuário como objeto de pesquisa. Submetidos a três tipos de análise, os resultados obtidos assim se configuram: (a) utilização das redes: tempo de experiência, freqüência, propósitos, barreiras e dificuldades, treinamentos; (b) busca e uso de informação: contexto de uso, natureza e foco das necessidades de informação, estratégias empregadas para solucionar problemas, esforço dependido para localizar respostas as necessidades, expectativa de uso da informação, recursos informacionais utilizados, completeza e satisfação com as respostas obtidas e fontes efetivas de auxílio e (c) necessidades de informação não solucionadas: contexto de uso, natureza e foco das necessidades, expectativa de uso e estratégias para solução. Ponto significativo da pesquisa foi à categorização de usuários em 4 grupos, conforme as etapas gradativas do seu desempenho no uso das redes: fase 1 descobrindo a existência das redes eletrônicas e seus benefícios; fase 2 - já utilizando as três funções básicas da rede (correio eletrônico, ftp e telnet), porém de modo restrito, apenas usufruindo mais agilmente os recursos computacionais locais; fase 3 - buscas de solução a questões imediatistas, pontuais e de caráter variado; fase 4 - uso denotando experiência, segurança nas várias funções das RE. Dessa categorização e pelas VÍ solução a questões imediatistas, pontuais e de caráter variado; fase 4 - uso denotando experiência, segurança nas várias funções das RE. \"Dessa categorização e pelas freqüências observadas em cada fase, infere-se que as redes eletrônicas têm sido utilizadas mais como um instrumento de comunicação do que real fonte de informação. Similaridades nos procedimentos de busca e uso da informação entre os grupos estudados contribuíram também para delinear o perfil de necessidades informacionais de comunidade acadêmica que utiliza redes eletrônicas. Para otimizar o uso das RE, sugere-se o desenvolvimento de estudos específicos das necessidades dos usuários; serviços pertinentes a essas necessidades; programas de capacitação de profissionais intermediários entre serviços e usuários finais, de formação em serviços e treinamento de usuários. / Electronic Networks and Information Needs are integrated in order to search information seeking behavior of the academic community and to understand the impact of this technology in the university activities. Those are the issues of this dissertation, which is presented in 3 parts. First - the methodology. Second - review studies which contain the fundamentation of this work: (1) electronic networking evolution; and (b) traditional versus oriented approach to study the user needs. Third - information seeking behavior research of the electronic networking users at the Physics Institute of the University of São Paulo based in Brenda Dervin\'s Sense-Making Approach. The electronic mail was used in order to get information from 87 users of IFUSP local network. The results were submitted to three types of analysis: (a) use of the electronic network: amount of experience, frequency and purpose of use, barriers and difficulties, amount of training and context of use; (b) search and use of information: nature and entity focus, strategy used, amount of effort, resource used, user expectation and actual uses, completeness of the answers obtained, usefulness of the answers, sources that effectível y helped to find the information; (c) unsolved information needs: failure, analysis of user\'s problems when their information needs remained unsolved was performed. Users were classified in 4 groups, according their performance in networking: (1) those in discovering electronic networks benefits stage; (2) those using basic functions (email, ftp and telnet) but only locally; (3) those seeking for solutions or immediate issues; (4) expert users. From this characterization and due to the user\'s frequencies in each of these stages, an inference of IFUSP net is done: most users are just at the communication stage, not using networks as an information source. Similarities in the information seeking behavior of those IFUSPnet users contribute to outline the community user needs characterization. As suggestions in order to improve the electronic networks use, it should develop specific studies of user needs, offer users competence program and professional in service training.